In the Philippines, staycation has become synonymous to an overnight or a weekend stay in a hotel—for a good reason. The warm service, plush beds, and added amenities that come with a hotel booking make for a relaxing, if not better, alternative to spending a quiet day at home.
Sure, a well-appointed room of a three-, four-, or five-star property with all its complimentary conveniences is more than ideal for a quick holiday. But sometimes, there are things we have in our residence that we wish our non-suite room also has—a fully equipped kitchen or a bigger space, for instance.
Serviced apartments aim to fill this gap. Serviced apartments are fully-furnished apartments that provide services and amenities of a hotel. These property offer both short- and long-term stays for those looking for traditional hotel facilities but with more space and home-like feel.
International serviced residence operator Ascott Limited recently soft opened Citadines Millennium Ortigas Manila, its seventh property in the country and its second joint venture with local property developer CDC Holdings Inc.
Citadines Millennium, near the junction of Ortigas Avenue and Sapphire Road, caters to those in and around the Ortigas Center business and commercial district.
While serviced apartments are primarily targeted towards corporates who are planning extended stays—that can last from 30 days up to five years or more—Citadines Millennium aims to tap the short-stay market, or the staycationers or individuals and families on a weekend holiday.
“Only 30 percent of our guests in Citadines brand (the first is located in Salcedo, Makati) are long stays, 70 percent are short stays—daily stays and weekly stays,” Citadines Millennium Ortigas Manila Residence Manager Glenn Magalang told Manila Standard.
He said, “The personality of Citadines is targeted towards the young generation of managers and those staying short-term.”
Hence, the interiors of the 32-story building feature an artsy vibe complete with lively colors, nature-themed pictures and paintings, and geometric accents and artworks. Biomimicry is injected through nature-inspired designs such as mats and carpets resembling grass and stone walkway, as well as chartreuse color splashed around.
Environment-conscious guests will appreciate the energy- and water-saving features in Citadines Millennium. LED lights are used all throughout the property, natural lighting and ventilation are maximized, and each apartment’s toilet has dual flush toilet cisterns to cut down on water consumption. Double-glazed windows are installed to prevent too much heat from coming in and help reduce medium to high frequency noise from outside.
The serviced residence has a total of 293 rooms divided into four types of unit: studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom, each with a separate living and dining areas, a fully equipped kitchen, and wireless Internet connection.
Magalang said their rooms are relatively bigger compared to those of a hotel’s.
“Our studios range from 33 to 44 square meters. Our one-bedroom, on the other hand, is around 75 to 85 square meters, in a hotel that’s already a suite,” he shared, adding, “We have bigger rooms and even our studio already has a kitchen.”
The mere size of the rooms, especially the 140-sqm three-bedroom deluxe, makes them a perfect venue for gatherings with family and friends. But, Magalang noted that invited guests must leave at 10:00 p.m..
The four-feet swimming pool, fitness gym, function rooms, Resident’s Lounge with meeting room, and self-service laundromat (for those staying in rooms without washer and dryer) are all located in the facilities area on the third floor.
Those who prefer to eat out can dine at Relish Luxe Cafe or Aburi Japanese Restaurant on the ground floor. Magalang said guests can order room service, which will be catered by Relish, until 10 in the evening.
Call (02) 550-3200 or email enquiry.manila@the-ascott.com for bookings and inquiries.