These past few weeks, several events have brought me around different hotels and I marvel at how th
ey manifest their spirit of the merry season. They have come up with creative ways to convey their happy wishes to everyone, the perfect way to end the year right.
For this week’s column, I am sharing with you some of these impressive, colorful, and artistic displays set up by our friends in the accommodation industry.
The Manor at Camp John Hay
The hotel decided to use to full advantage its expansive back garden by turning it into a Christmas Wonderland of sorts. It has a towering, fully lit Christmas tree at the edge, and several stations all throughout, each highlighting various Yuletide designs that always attract the young ones and the young once.
At night, the entire field is ablaze with all sorts of colorful lights that herald the happiest time of the year. Staying in the garden amidst all those brightly colored lights, with the cold mountain air caressing me, was so invigorating it made me promise to myself to make another visit soon…and that is the magic Baguio’s climate weaves on its visitors!
Century Park Hotel
When the hotel switched on the lights of its humongous Christmas tree at the lobby, they added more luster to it by asking the beauteous winners of the recently held Miss Earth competition to help out. Of course, the group was led by the hotel’s chairman, Lucio Tan who came with a couple of members of his family.
The hotel’s department heads did their share of merrymaking by rendering some Christmas carols to the delight of the guests, making the occasion even more festive
City of Dreams
This popular entertainment complex created a Winter Wonderland at its entrance lobby, with a towering 32-foot Christmas tree and a spectacular synchronized holiday lights-and-sounds show. The display glistens with white ornaments, glimmering lights, soaring ice crystals, snowmen, small Christmas trees, and a life-size Santa’s sleigh, drawn by a set of reindeer.
The lights and sound show, dubbed as “Bedazzle,” features a festive production of about 10,000 multi-colored lights dancing to jovial beats. This display comes to life on Saturdays and Sundays of December, including Christmas Day, every 15 minutes from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Conrad Manila
The hotel officially ushered in the radiant holiday season with the highly anticipated lighting of its innovative 20-foot Christmas Tree art installation, Celeste Yule, designed by renowned sculptor Impy Pilapil. The artistic tree is made of premium stainless steel rods and orbs that are free-flowing, suggesting the very essence of a happy life.
The tree-lighting ceremony was followed by a concert, with the inspired musical performance of artists Arman Ferrer, Bianca Camille Lopez, the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra, and the Madrigal Singers.
New World Manila Bay Hotel
The hotel management wanted to be different from the rest of the pack, so they are celebrating the festive season with the color green—a towering green Christmas tree at their lobby, with real live Santa Claus and his elves all dressed up in green. I have to say that this strategy made the hotel unique, as every guest realizes that green is just as cheerful as the usual red Yuletide color.
The hotel also opted not to have a tree-lighting ceremony. Instead, they highlighted their CSR activity which benefits the children of Kythe Foundation. Every year, the hotel takes time out to bring cheer to these children who are afflicted with different kinds of illnesses, some of them terminal. They are brought to the hotel to celebrate Christmas and are given a lavish dinner to enjoy.
I’m sure the other hotels are just as festive and as happy to wish one and all the Best of the Season. As for me, I take comfort in the fact that the Christmas season always proves to everyone that our world can become a better place after all! Merry Christmas!
For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com.
YOUR weekend CHUCKLE
MOTHER: How was school today, Patrick?
PATRICK: It was great, mom. Today we made explosives!
MOTHER: Ooh, they do very fancy stuff these days. And what will they make you do at school tomorrow?
PATRICK: What school?
