Presidential Suite Staycation For Father's Day at Fairmont Makati
We got a very happy surprise last weekend when we checked in for a Father's Day staycation and got upgraded to their Presidential Suite! Fairmont and Raffles Makati has always been our favorite luxury hotel, especially since I am one of the Accor Plus global ambassadors that was featured in 2024. Our previous visit here was just last April during the Holy Week vacation where we stayed at the Raffles Makati Legacy Suite, but this time we decided to try the Corner Suite of Fairmont Makati. To our surprise, this ended up being one of the most memorable stays for us and baby Dream.
Our Presidential Suite staycation started at the private Fairmont Gold Lounge. Since we originally booked a suite, this came with private check in and check out benefits at the Fairmont Gold Lounge which gives its guests an exclusive hotel-within-a-hotel VIP experience. You can sit comfortably at the lounge while waiting for your room keys. As an Accor Platinum member, I had the added benefit of early check-in and late checkout when available, so this came is very handy since we arrived early at 12:00 noon.
The Fairmont Gold Lounge is a living room extension of your hotel room, offering complimentary all-day refreshments, daily breakfast, and evening hors d’oeuvres for those in search of privacy and exclusivity. It’s perfect for those who want to stay in a wider space to read your newspapers, have coffee, or chat with an associate or friend.
We ordered a few refreshments while waiting for our room. I always ask for Hot Chocolate as my welcome drink while Dexter enjoyed his Fresh Buco juice. Fairmont Makati is proud to have received one MICHELIN Key in the inaugural global MICHELIN Guide Hotel Selection 2025, a new international benchmark celebrating the world’s most exceptional hotels.
Guests can relax at the Fairmont Lounge with complimentary beverages and light snacks available from 6:30am until 10:30pm. They also have use of the Fairmont Gold Boardroom for up to two hours, depending on availability. The receptionist came back with our room keys and with the surprise that we were upgraded to the Presidential Suite!
Welcome to the Fairmont Makati Presidential Suite! This is the ultimate VIP experience with its 154 square meters of indulgent luxury. It really feels like home especially with its separate living area, a long dining table, a work desk, a kitchenette, and a wine library.
The suite can really fit an entire family although it is really just the three of us here. Dream will surely enjoy walking all around the rooms and inspecting everything he can touch.
We even got a great welcome amenity courtesy of being an Accor Plus member. It came with Father's Day greeting cake together with desserts, a fruit basket and cocktail set.
Dream wasted no time in exploring the Presidential Suite. He went inside the kitchen which really looks like it's part of a home instead of a hotel.
He was also very happy to roam around the huge Master bedroom. It comes with a King size bed and the crib we requested previously through email was already here inside the room.
Look how happy Dream is! The Presidential Suite is gracefully appointed and impressively spacious, offering refined living in the heart of the city.
The bathroom is equally impressive with its marbled floors and gorgeous bathtub overlooking the Makati skyline. Dream is going to enjoy his bubble bath tonight.
We usually get to swim at the Raffles pool or Fairmont pool during our staycations, but we wanted to fully enjoy our Presidential Suite so we decided to skip the swimming pool this time.
The Fairmont Gold Lounge offers Evening Canapés and Cocktails from 5:00pm to 7:00pm daily where hors d’oeuvres and specialty cocktails are served. This is a pre-dinner activity available to guests, but with the wide selection offered at the Fairmont Gold Lounge, we usually don’t need to have dinner anymore after this.
Guests can start with Charcuterie section offering a premium selection of cheeses and hams. There's also a Salad Bar where you can customize your own salad bowls.
We also liked the sushi offerings at the lounge. Aside from the usual California Maki, they even had Unagi Sushi on the table.
For the heavier dishes, we got to enjoy a couple of pizzas together with baked macaroni. There was also a Kare Kare dish that you can pair with steamed rice and bagoong.
The highlight of the evening cocktails is actually the selection of complimentary spirits and liquors thats guests can order throughout the night.
We ordered the classic Tequila Sunrise and the special Makati Whisky Sour which is their own Philippine version using Calamansi. You can also ask the bartender to customize your own preferred beverage of choice. Needless to say, it was an outstanding evening filled with good food and even better drinks.
We woke up the next morning ready for breakfast. Guests have the option to have their buffet breakfast at Spectrum Restaurant on the ground floor or at the more exclusive Fairmont Gold Lounge. We chose the latter since it is less often that we have access to the Fairmont Gold lounge.
Breakfast at the Fairmont Gold Lounge is served daily from 6:30am to 10:30am on weekdays and up to 11:00am on weekends and holidays. While Spectrum may have a wider selection for its breakfast, the lounge comes with a more private setting which is better since we have Dream with us.
Breakfast staples are available including breads, ensaymadas, hams, smoked salmon, yoghurt, fruits, and jams. They also have a special a la carte menu where you can order special dishes such as pancakes, waffles, hash browns, and bacon among others. Beverages are also included with the buffet.
Some of the main dishes included Hamonado Longganisa and Beef Tapa together with garlic rice. Mix this with some fried eggs or omelette and you can a complete Filipino meal.
We would like to thank Fairmont Makati and Accor Plus for making our Father's Day staycation truly memorable. I thought I was already getting a lot of benefits with my Accor Platinum membership, but we were not expecting to be upgraded to the Presidential Suite. We will surely be back here at our favorite luxury hotel in Manila.
Passport To Flavors at StrEATs in Ibis Styles Manila Takes Guests on a Culinary Trip Around Asia
Savor the flavors of Thailand, Vietnam, and South Korea all in one fantastic venue with Passport To Flavors at ibis Styles Manila Araneta City. This exciting promo lets guests go on a thrilling foodie adventure with all the buffet options they can find while also getting the chance to win prizes including free staycations, Accor Plus memberships, and even round trip tickets to three Asian destinations.
StrEATs is the buzzing all-day dining restaurant locates at the fifth floor of ibis Styles Manila Araneta City. They are open daily for breakfast buffet from 6:30am–10:00am. A la carte lunch and dinner is available from 12:00nn to 2:00pm and 6:00pm to 10:00pm on Monday to Thursday while a buffet setup is offered from Friday to Sunday.
Wander the street-food-inspired live cooking stalls at strEATs and be tempted by spicy Asian noodles, fluffy flavorsome rice, succulent meats carved while you wait, authentic Italian pastas and pizzas, fragrant cheeses and fresh-from-the-oven breads.
Each section is dedicated to familiar Asian locations which we all want to travel to like Dotonbori in Osaka, Ximending in Beijing, Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, and Myeongdong in Seoul.
Ibis Styles Manila invited friends from the media last March 30, 2025 for the official launch of their Passport To Flavors promotion. Here, guests toured around several stations that showed how some favorite Asian dishes are prepared like the Kim Bap from Korea.
Another room showed how Vietnamese Coffee was brewed using a Phin, a small metal drip filter that slowly drips coffee over condensed milk for a rich and thick brew. Media guests also had the chance to prepare their own Vietnamese coffee using the ingredients presented.
The well loved Mango Sticky Rice from Thailand was also featured with guests getting samples of this sweet delicacy.
So how can you join this exciting promotion? Just spend a minimum of P1,500 in a single receipt from either the strEATs a la carte or buffet and earn one raffle entry. The grand raffle draw will be held on June 16, 2025. Three lucky winners will win round-trip tickets to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, and Seoul with a 3-day, 2 night stay at Ibis Styles plus an Accor Plus Explorer Membership.
Aside from that, each P1,500 receipt will get you a stamp on your Passport to Flavors which automatically gives you prizes on your 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th stamps including free buffets and an overnight stay with breakfast at Ibis Style Manila Araneta City. Media guests also had a mini raffle and games themselves with ibis Styles awarding prizes to lucky winners.
Guests then had a preview of all the dishes and places you can explore at the strEATs buffet. Buckle up for a delicious trip through the bold and vibrant flavors of Vietnam, Thailand, and South Korea for only P1,599 net per person for lunch and P1,799 net for dinner.
Start with some appetizers like cheese, breads, and Kim Bap, or go for some heavier starters like the Thai Pizza and Tteokbokki or Korean rice cakes.
The Oyster Omelette and Crab Omelette are excellent dishes to try. There's also a Pad Thai station and a Chinese noodle station where you can customize your ingredients.
Another option is the Pad See Ew or Thai Stir Fry Rice Noodle which comes with egg and vegetables.
The Chinese station offers our favorite dimsum like Pork Siomai and Chicken Siomai. Just beside this are some exotic rice dishes like the Kimchi Fried Rice and the Crab Fried Rice.
You can find a variety of Asian street food on the buffet spread. These include Eomuk fish cakes, Tofu Cubes in sweet and sour sauce, Fried Spring Rolls, Pork and Fish Dumplings, and Thai Pandan Chicken.
There are also main dishes you can have together with the fried rice like the Yellow Curry Vegetables, Stir Fry Basil Chicken, and the very delicious Beef Curry.
Aside from all that, you can have these satay skewers grilled fresh on the spot just for you. Choose from Satay Beef, Satay Chicken, Satay Fish, Satay Pork, and Satay Okra.
Beverages are already included in the buffet price so you don't have to worry about getting thirsty. Aside from a selection of juices, coffee, and tea, they also offer Strawberry Granita and Mojito Granita.
Don't forget about desserts because you can also get a delightful taste of Asia with all these different sweets and treats.
The Vietnamese Coffee Tiramisu is a unique dessert that you can only find at Passport To Flavors.
Then there's the other Asian delicacies like the Khanom Tako, a Thai pudding with mung bean and panda custard. You can also try the Vietnamese Creme Brûlée, Jackfruit Fritters, Khanom Chan, and the Banana Tart.
There's even a dedicated Mango Sticky Rice cart where you can get your serving prepared by the chef topped with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream.
Passport To Flavors is available from April 1 to June 15, 2025 so you have time to accumulate those stamps and raffles entries to win that trip to Thailand, Vietnam, or South Korea. Thank you ibis Styles Manila Araneta City for inviting us and giving us a head start on our passport.
strEATs at ibis Styles Manila Araneta City
5/F, General Roxas Avenue, Araneta City, Quezon City
With Novotel Manila Araneta City and ibis Styles Manila Araneta City General Manager Maria Manlulu Garcia and Food and Beverages Director May Malagamba.
While having an impressive career spanning over three decades across the United States and Southeast Asia, Maria started in a rank-and-file position. With determination and an unyielding work ethic, her ascent through the ranks is a testament to her capabilities, as she transitioned from various roles to become a department head and, subsequently, a key member of executive committees responsible for the opening of six international hotels and the rebranding of three other hotels, showcasing her versatility and innovative approach to hotel operations.
Maria made headlines when she became the first female General Manager of Accor Philippines in 2021. Her appointment came during a challenging period, as she was tasked with leading Novotel Manila through the unprecedented hurdles posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Her ability to merge decisive leadership with a nurturing, empathetic approach has affected not only the hotel's operational success but also the morale and well-being of her staff.
Maria joined Novotel Manila Araneta City in 2015 as Executive Assistant Manager, a role that laid the groundwork for her subsequent promotions. By 2017, she had advanced to the position of Resident Manager, and in 2019, she further elevated her career by becoming the Hotel Manager. In 2021, she was appointed General Manager. Under her stewardship, the hotel has thrived, even launching the newly inaugurated Ibis Styles Manila Araneta City in 2023, further expanding the brand's footprint in the Asia-Pacific Region.
Maria's contributions to the industry have not gone unnoticed. In 2008, while working for Sofitel Philippine Plaza, she received a Mabuhay Award from the Association of Human Resources Managers in the Hospitality Industry, recognizing her exceptional performance in a managerial capacity.
Under her, Novotel Manila received the LISTeN Program Award for 2019 and 2023 as the top hotel for the midscale market in Asia Pacific and all Accor hotels in The Philippines.
More recently, Maria’s brand of leadership has led Novotel Manila to be honored as the Best Food & Beverage (F&B) Performer at the Accor Asia Awards for 2023, highlighting the hotel's commitment to excellence in food and beverage services, particularly its focus on sustainability and innovation—areas that Maria champions fervently.
In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the industry, Maria was awarded the Exemplary Leader Award at Asia's Best Employer Brand Awards for 2024 in Singapore.
Maria's journey exemplifies the impact of compassionate leadership, demonstrating that empathy and decisiveness can coexist to create thriving workplaces and exceptional guest experiences.
I was recently chosen by Accor Plus as their Member Ambassador representing the Philippines! This was really such an honor for me since most of their other ambassadors are from Australia and other Asian cities. As long time Accor Plus members, we always use our 50% dining discounts and complimentary stays to explore the many Accor hotels in the country. When I got promoted to an Accor Plus Gold membership last year, we were so happy with the free room upgrades we received every time we traveled and stayed at Accor hotels throughout Asia Pacific.
That's why I was even more surprised when I got chosen to tell my own Member Stories for the 30th Anniversary of Accor Plus. The shoot and interview was done a few weeks ago at Fairmont and Raffles Makati, another Accor hotel that is very close to my heart. Of course, we also got treated to the lunch buffet at Spectrum Restaurant and even got an overnight stay with breakfast after the photo and video shoot. So here's the video posted on the Accor Plus website. You can also read the full article and video on this link: https://www.accorplus.com/member-stories/kat-lee.
#accor @accor Accor plus members save 10% in addition to 15% discount for regular guests when staying in Vietnam. Details on story #accorhotels #accorplus #accorvietnam #vietnamhotels #vietnammembers #loyaltymembership #membership #club #accorclub (at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWDBdnmpkQm/?utm_medium=tumblr
Idly vada sambhar and chutney. Morning breakfast done right after a heavy night. #throwback @novotelimagica #AccorPlus #member https://www.instagram.com/p/BvuAnkgHRYE/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=56f0c4mxsdbl
