Fairmont Gold: An Exclusive Luxury Hotel Inside Fairmont Makati
A stay at Fairmont Makati brings its guests luxury at its finest. But what if I told you that there is another hotel inside Fairmont Makati that offers an exclusive enclave for its discreet and esteemed clients? I’m not talking about Raffles Makati, its next door neighbor featuring a six-star luxury all-suite hotel. I’m about to discover another area hidden away on the seventh floor which can only be accessed by registered guests called Fairmont Gold, an exclusive hotel within a hotel designed to fulfill the needs of the discerning business executives and leisure travelers.
My Fairmont Gold VIP experience began the moment I arrived at the private Fairmont Gold floor. A lady from the front desk escorted me to the exclusive seventh floor where a dedicated Fairmont Gold receptionist was already waiting by the elevators to handle my private check-in. Fairmont Gold offers a level of service and recognition that helps guests make the most of every moment. An exquisite tray of chocolate truffles were on the table as I entered my room to completed my check-in procedures. Now this definitely beats checking in at the lobby or at the lounge.
With just 60 elegant and comfortable guest rooms on the seventh floor, the Fairmont Gold Room provides a comfortable 40 square meter of refined ambience with its 10-foot ceiling space and floor-to-ceiling windows offering a magnificent view of the Makati central business district.
A King-sized Stearns & Foster luxury bed occupies the center of the room and it just feels so heavenly and relaxing. The rooms also comes with a 40-inch flat screen LED TV, high speed internet connection, and a large work desk for those who need to work on the go.
My happy place here would be its grand marble bathroom with a walk-in rain shower and deep soaker tub where I can enjoy a warm bubble bath in the evening. It also has oversized 100% cotton bath towels with fancy Rose 31 toiletries.
Other unique privileges presented to Fairmont Gold guests are personalized wake-up calls, complimentary pressing of a suit or dress, and a selection of DVDs, CDs, books and board games for guests to enjoy during their stay.
Aside from the elegant rooms, the main highlight of staying at the Fairmont Gold is its exclusive access to the Fairmont Gold Lounge. This is where a dedicated Fairmont Gold team extends a friendly, sincere welcome and ensures that the guest’s every need is met. This is also where private checkout can be done after your stay.
The Fairmont Gold Lounge is a living room extension of your hotel room, offering 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.
Throughout the day, guests can relax at the Fairmont Lounge with complimentary tea, coffee, juices and soft drinks available from 12:00nn until 11:00pm. They also have use of the Fairmont Gold Boardroom for up to two hours, depending on availability.
A variety of snacks are also available at the lounge, including cookies, nuts, candies, and marshmallows to go along with your coffee or even hot chocolate if you wish.
The Fairmont Gold Lounge is best suited for business travelers who want a more formal and private environment to conduct their businesses and meetings. But for leisure travelers and staycationers like myself, Fairmont Makati offers a lot more exciting amenities including a fitness center, swimming pool, spa, and other dining establishments for those who want the finer things in life (Read: Luxury At Its Finest at Fairmont Makati).
After the sun goes down, the Fairmont Gold Lounge offers an Evening Cocktail from 6:00pm to 8:00pm daily where hors d’oeuvres and specialty cocktails are served. This is a pre-dinner activity done by guests before going to their main dinner, but with the wide selection offered at the Fairmont Gold Lounge, I usually don’t need to have dinner anymore.
Guests can start with some slices of cheese which include Manchego, Bree, and Gyurere, or toss their own salad bowls at the Salad Bar.
I really like the sushi offerings at the lounge and was quite surprised with the quality of the items served. They included spicy tuna maki, tempura maki, and many others. I have stayed at numerous club lounges at different hotels in Manila, and I can honestly say that the Fairmont Gold Lounge has one of the best food selection in terms of quality and size.
Other delectable items you can find are the Smoked Salmon and Smoked Salmon Sandwich. They also have a platter of Cold Cuts including Turkey Pastrami, Air Dried Beef, and Black Forest Ham. The Herbed Potato Cakes are also a good appetizer to munch on.
The Barbecue Beef Burger Sliders can serve as a heavier course to fill those hungry appetites. These gourmet burgers taste like they came from a real burger joint and can give any burger restaurant a run for their money.
Then there are the Crispy Sesame Prawns for your crunchy seafood cravings. If you are a light eater, then these can serve as dinner itself. But if you want a full course dinner, you can always go down to Spectrum at the lobby floor for its daily dinner buffet, or walk next door to Raffles Makati’s Mireio on the ninth floor for a more sophisticated French fine dining experience.
If you decide to stay at the Fairmont Gold Lounge, then you can continue with their desserts like the Choco Passion Layered Cake, or their delicious Salted Egg Macarons among others.
The highlight of the evening cocktails is actually the selection of complimentary spirits and liquors thats guests can order throughout the night. I asked for some of the traditional cocktails like the Margarita and Cosmopolitan, but 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.
The next morning, a Deluxe Continental Breakfast was waiting for me at the Fairmont Gold Lounge. This is served daily for guests checked in at the Fairmont Gold floor from 6:00am to 10:30am on weekdays and from 6:00am to 11:00am on weekends and holidays. Guests actually have an option to have their buffet breakfast at Spectrum downstairs with its wider selection, or here at the lounge with its more private setting.
The lounge may have a smaller selection compared to Spectrum, but those who value their privacy and don’t want to ride the elevator down will be more than satisfied. Breakfast staples such as sausages, longganisa, hams, smoked salmon, bacon, and fried bangus can also be found on the table along with breads, cheese, donuts, fruits, cereals, and yogurts.
The breakfast buffet also comes with some heavier items like the Korean Beef Stew, so late risers like me can also treat this as their early lunch. There are just so many dining options here at Fairmont Makati and my only problem is where to store everything I ate.
My Fairmont Gold stay was truly a memorable and unforgettable VIP experience. I thought that Fairmont Makati already provides its guests with an elegant stay, but I did not realize that this hotel within a hotel offered so much more. If you want to have this exclusive and private staycation for yourself, book a Fairmont Gold room and experience what true luxury is all about.
