I have to admit that, ever since it opened its doors three years ago, I have never been to Marco Polo Ortigas. In fact, all that time, I never knew its location. I was aware that it’s somewhere in the Ortigas Business District, but, as to its distance from Megamall, Shangri-La Plaza, The Podium or Asian Development Bank, it was never in my mental radar.
But my friends have been raving about the hotel’s Vu’s Sky Bar and Lounge which, according to them, had the best view of the Metro Manila skyline among all the hotels in that area. This made me want to pay the hotel a visit, but its location was too far away from my radius of activity, being a Manila resident and office worker.
The thought of having to go through hours of “traffic torture” kills my enthusiasm every time I feel like going there. I’ve had many invitations to Cocktails or Dinners at the hotel, and, the first time I got one, I was excited to finally have a chance to see the place.
But, on that first occasion, I left Intramuros at 5:30 p.m. and by 7:30 p.m., I was still on the highway, very far from the hotel, tired, starving, and on the brink of becoming homicidal, so I turned back to go home to get myself some hot soup and bring down my temper with a nice warm shower! You can figure out what I did with the succeeding invitations.
Not too long ago, in my desire for my sons and I to do something new for the weekend, I finally gathered the strength to bear the nightmarish traffic situation. I drove all the way to the hotel for a weekend stay…and I’m very happy that I did!
The imposing 45-storey hotel is on Meralco Avenue and has 316 spacious and well-designed rooms and suites, including two Continental Club floors that accord special privileges and benefits to its loyal patrons.
What I happily discovered and found very interesting was that some of Manila’s best dining destinations are in the hotel. Cafe Pronto is a relaxed venue, which offers a wide selection of coffees and tea, and an array of sandwiches, cakes, breads, fine chocolates, over-sized cookies, and croissants.
Cucina is an all-day dining restaurant on the 24th floor and it features live action stations manned by expert chefs, offering flavors from the world’s culinary capitals. Diners can choose from among the Seafood Station, Asian Noodles, Pasta, Carving, Cheeses, Cold Cuts and from the delicious spread of heavenly dessert. Cucina is, again, in this year’s Philippine Tatler’s Best Restaurants Guide. With the 40-year culinary expertise of the hotel’s new Executive Chef, Alisdair Bletcher, we can be sure the restaurant will continue to be among the metro’s best.
But my favorite is Lung Hin, the hotel’s contemporary specialty restaurant located on the 44th floor, which offers authentic Cantonese cuisine and fresh seafood. Its Hong Kong chefs made me feel, albeit for an hour or so, that I was in one of the restaurants in the Tsim Sha Tsui district of Kowloon. The food is real Cantonese! I started with some Dim Sum then I segued to the signature carving dishes and seafood, and punctuated the lavish meal with the delectable Chilled Mango Pudding. Just like Cucina, Lung Hin is also in Philippine Tatler’s Best Restaurants Guide 2017.
Of course, after dinner, it was time to hie off to the Vu’s Sky Bar and Lounge on the 45th floor, to enjoy the much talked about breathtaking scenery that only this hotel can offer. As expected, I was immediately swept off my feet, mesmerized by the thousands of sparkling lights blanketing the metropolis several hundred feet below. The venue offers two choices – you get a table with a view of the Western, or that of the Eastern part of Greater Manila. I chose the latter because I wanted to familiarize myself with the skyline of Pasig, Marikina and Antipolo.
Sitting there, just watching those beautiful lights and the vehicles traversing the roads, very much like blood corpuscles flowing along an artery, was very calming and it certainly loosened me up. It was fun trying to identify the landmarks on the horizon. My sons and I tried to outdo each other as to who could name the most. I forgot to bring my glasses so they both did it faster than I.
Apart from the remarkable skyline scenery, the Vu’s Sky Bar and Lounge offers a vast selection of cocktails, wines and other spirits together with a well-curated line-up of Filipino, Spanish and Mediterranean dishes. That time we were there, it just started its Aperitivo Promo, which includes a wide range of appetizers, such as cold cuts, pizzas, cheeses, croquettes and house wine. These delectable items certainly heighten one’s enjoyment of the relaxing view.
The hotel’s Flow Spa is known for its Algotherm treatment for facial skin, utilizing seaweed extracts and other marine ingredients, promising to bring visible results on the first try. I wanted to give myself more ME-time by getting pampered there with a thorough massage. It must have been my very comfortable bed or my having enjoyed tremendously the bar’s breathtaking view, I woke up noontime the following day, too late for a Spa visit, as check out time was already at hand.
There are so many good things going for Marco Polo Ortigas. No wonder it was recently accorded the prestigious Five-Star Award. It is the first and only hotel in Manila given such honor by Forbes Travel Guide, the global authority on luxury travel. The amiable General Manager, Frank Reichenbach flew to New York to receive the distinguished and enviable recognition.
The hotel really knows how to stay on top…and the Vu from the top is always captivating!
For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com