i was whisked off for a short 3D2N vacation to Manila, Philippines last last week, and it was like how fabulous can!!! it was my virgin trip to the Philippines, and it was definitely an unforgettable experience for me! (^-^)b
this trip was an all expenses paid trip through Nuffnang & Star Cruises, thank you so much for making this possible! ♥ i was incredibly excited when i first got wind of the news a few weeks before the actual date, but details were only confirmed a couple days before we took off, so packing for the trip was quite rushed and i had to bring my work along with me on the trip (>O<)
i stayed up almost the entire night to try to frantically finish whatever i could do, clearing emails and all.. thank goodness it was a short trip so it was easier to pack for the trip! mad stressful.
YZ came along with me on the trip! our puffy eyed morning faces OTW to the airport. sleepy but super excited!
still rushing work at the airport before our flight! zzz.
met Chris from Star Cruises, who was in charge of taking care of us during the trip and yay!!! all ready to check in luggage 😀 there were a total of four of us Singaporeans, Chris, myself, YZ & a writer from SPH!
our plane! we took a 4 hour flight via Cebu Pacific Air to get to Manila!
we were assigned the seats with the best leg room, lol. the escape exit aisle! wooo. four hours went by real quick and before we knew it, we reached our destination already!
airport shot! we were welcomed by Archie, from Resort Worlds Manila!
that’s Archie talking to us on the very short trip to Resorts World Manila, which is just right across from Ninoy Aquino Internation Airport! super convenient!
by the way, if you were as suaku as me, i didn’t know that there was a Resorts World in Manila as well! we were checked into Maxims Tower, which is part of RWM’s integrated tourist hub, combining lodging brands, restaurants, gaming facilities, entertainment spots and a luxury mall in one grand destination!
we were mad hungry, so while our rooms were being prepared, we had lunch at The Terrace, which is Maxim Tower’s dining club lounge!
food never tasted so good, serious! D: might have been a combination of hunger and the aftermath of a plane ride, but it was an excellent meal, the food was so so so goooood! check out my super huge and juicy steak! gosh. i couldn’t finish it by myself, luckily i had YZ to share it with me!
our personalized butler even served us two glasses of “welcome tea” upon helping us settle into our room! fwaah. how’s that for great service!
i wish i had a bathroom like this!
happy happy with the ginormously luxe suite!
oh, and lots of mirrors in the room, too! hehe.
there’s this really cool touch screen gadget where you can use to call your butler, room service, or information!
and when we stupidly called to inquire if they had a universal adaptor, the room service politely told us that all the power outlets in the hotel are already universal. LOL #stupiditymax but it’s damn cool!!! i’ve never seen a universal power outlet in any of the hotels i’ve stayed in previously before! oh apparently the LCD TV screen can also be used to connect to the internet with a wireless keyboard provided, but i didn’t try it cos i brought my macbook air along with me on the trip! super cool right!
i was totally impressed with our suite, but it’s no wonder, cos Maxims Tower is a 6 star standard, all-suite luxury hotel and the entire hotel only consists of 172 suites!!! every single suite is assigned a personal butler some more! mad posh and luxurious!!!
we had a spa session arranged for us, so after we got our luggage and what-nots all put nicely in our rooms, we headed downstairs to M Spa for some R&R!
that’s me and SB, the writer from SPH, after we came out from the steam bath! woa, damn steam until my complexion was super rosy and nice! we were served a pot of tea in the relaxation room while waiting for our massage to be ready!
wish i had a complexion like this everyday! LOL.
there’s a variety of massages available, and i chose the Absolute Deep Pressure Massage!
super super super super super shiok please. i’m pretty sure i fell asleep halfway through the massage! really needed one from all the facing computer and lugging stocks everyday. it was heavenly! ahhhh. definitely one of the best massages i’ve ever had.
after spa session, we were brought around for a familiarization tour of RWM, and one of the staff showed us around Maxims’ amazing suites! gonna showcase some of the extremely lavish suites available at Maxims, starting with the Signature Suite!
the signature suite kind of looks like ours, but even bigger! its name says it all, it is the signature suite of Maxims and is very very spacious and luxe in its decor and furnishings!
but moving on to the really VVIP suites, there are only three Royal Villas available at Maxims, and they are going for 2500 USD a night… D:
Maxims Tower Royal Villa offers over 500 square meters of personal leisure space, with a magnificent pool, impressive patio, and an elegant kitchen and dining room for you to hold your intimate dinners. Adding to its enticing indulgences, each Maxims Tower Royal Villa has its own massage room, offering a relaxing respite to hotel guests.
the villas face the hotel’s infinity pool, so this is the view when you step out at night.
so gorgeous!!!!
and here’s the pinnacle of luxury at Maxims, the Presidential Suite known as The Mansion! it’s 3000USD a night and it is ginormous!!
This 600 square-meter suite is a veritable urban oasis with two pavilions, its own lush garden and a private swimming pool. Only the choicest amenities ensure utmost comfort in its two spacious bedrooms with individual bathrooms, and the master bathroom with its own jacuzzi. The Maxims Tower Presidential Suite is the ultimate luxurious escape, with its private massage room, visual room, bar and other top-of-the-line features that will surely make your stay a one-of-a-kind experience.
how’s that for luxury living! :O
we were also brought around to other parts of RWM, including the Newport Shopping Mall, Cinema & Performing Arts Theatre and the casino, which are all connected together to form a huge integrated resort! it’s a tourism hub all on its own!
so after the tour, we were given some time to freshen up, and then it was time for dinner, at one of RWM’s restaurants! we had a welcome dinner hosted by RWM & Cebu Pacific Air, at Passion Chinese Cuisine, one of the many restaurants available in RWM.
all dressed up and made up for dinner!
YZ & I 😀
the food is prepared by Hongkong chefs, so you can expect it to be 100& authentic chinese cuisine! there was so many dishes, we couldn’t finish them D:
together with Chris & SB! Singaporean power!
during the dinner, we had a short presentation by Resorts World Manila on Grand Fiesta Manila (i’ll share more on that in an upcoming post) as well as an introduction by Cebu Pacific Air! Cebu Pacific Air even brought along their super cute looking mascot! it looks more like a dolphin or a whale than an air plane, if you ask me. lol. there were some quizzes and games, and i won myself a mini mascot plushie too!!! 😛
and here’s a short fact sheet on Cebu Pacific Air!
Website: www.CebuPacificAir.com
Twitter: @CebuPacificAir
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cebupacificair
other than the Singaporeans, there were also guests and media from other countries, including Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia & Hongkong!
full length shot of YZ & I outside Passion restaurant. the entire RWM is very posh looking and nice!
we retired back to our hotel room afterwards to rest and get a good night’s sleep for the next day of sight-seeing and activities ahead! 😀
my lovely dress
and ending off with a camwhore picture of me. HAHAHA.
will be updating again soon with day 2’s pictures and activities! we went sight-seeing and shopping in Manila, followed by a musical and clubbing at night! so happening right, woohoooo 😀
you can visit Resort Worlds Manila‘s website here, and Star Cruises‘s website here!
til the next update!