The Linden Suites in Ortigas Center, Pasig City

I have had the pleasure of staying at The Linden Suites several times in the recent past. Mostly for work-related functions back when I was still working for an FM radio station, but there were a couple of times when I have been able to spend a few days off and just kick back by hanging out here.

The Linden Suites is located right smack in the middle of the Ortigas Center, one of Metro Manila's more progressive business districts, as we've seen more and more outsourcing companies and multinationals setting up shop in the vicinity.

You also have a number of good shopping malls and restaurant strips around the Ortigas Center- more notably, Shangri-la Mall, SM Megamall and Robinsons Galleria- all three of which are along EDSA- and then you have The Podium (along San Miguel Avenue), MetroWalk along (Meralco Avenue), and Tiendesitas just a little bit ways off towards C5. All of these spots are within the general area of Linden Suites, the first three malls being the closest.

The Linden Suites is managed by the Hong Kong-based Swiss Belhotel International group. It has more than 160+ rooms, and you can choose to have a standard room (the Executive room), a one-bedroom suite, two-bedroom suite, or even a penthouse suite if you want to settle into more long-term accommodations.

Personally, I love getting one of the one-bedroom types. You get an adequately comfortable room that also comes with a kitchenette (with pretty much all the utensils you need to whip up a storm if you have to), and a nice little receiving area where you can just chill in front of the TV and catch on up your DVD viewing. Absolutely great if you have guests dropping by, or if you want to keep your family entertained for the weekend.

For me, the Linden Suites makes for an excellent destination for hosting a dinner party, or just relaxing with the family over a long weekend. It's very family-friendly; you can arrange to have baby-sitting services, rent a playstation for the room, or even grocery shopping arrangements if you need an extra hand getting things done with the kids around.

Ideal also for business travelers, the Linden Suites also has a business center with pretty much anything you might need to get some work done- broadband internet, conference rooms, laptops, overhead projectors, and even serviced offices if you might need one while you're in town.

If you need to relax, you can have a massage at the Health Center, or just stew for a while in the sauna, or take a dip in the indoor pool. I had a massage done a couple times myself- you can even choose to get it done in the comfort of your own room if you'd prefer. Just make sure you book well in advance.

As for food, you can ring up some room service, or head on over to the second level, which has the Azzurro Bistro and Bar. Alternately, you can head on out to Ortigas Center to check out the local nightlife, or if you even prefer, get some food delivered to your room from the many restaurants nearby.

I would have to say that The Linden Suites is a great place to stay whether you're traveling with the family, or if you're traveling on business. With the rates that they have, you easily get more for your money given the amenities and services available to you, even compared to a lot of hotels in the Makati or Manila area.

The Linden Suites is located at #37 San Miguel Avenue, Ortigas Center in Pasig City. You can check out their website here. For inquiries and reservations, you might try calling their 24-hour customer service hotline at (+632) 638-7878. AsiaTravel.com has a map to The Linden Suites if you want to go check it out.

Cheers, everyone!

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The Bellevue Hotel Manila

From the Travel notes of Renzie Baluyut.

The Bellevue Hotel Manila is a 5-Star hotel located in Alabang- one of the more upscale and rapidly developing cities at the southern end of Metro Manila.

Mostly catering to business travelers and the occasional medical tourism market, the Bellevue Hotel Manila is conveniently located a short distance away from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, two major shopping malls- Festival Mall some 2km away and the Alabang Town Center less than a kilometer away from the hotel.

Also very close by is the Asian Hospital & Medical Center, encouraging other guests to come stay while attending to their executive check-ups or other out-patient medical needs.

The Bellevue Hotel Manila has a free shuttle service to take you to the shopping malls mentioned above, or to the surrounding areas if needed.

The Hotel has some 222 well-appointed rooms and suites:

• Deluxe Room - Floor Area: 33 square meters
• Executive Suite - Floor Area: 61 square meters
• Premier Suite - Floor Area: 91 square meters
• Presidential Suite - Floor Area: 129 square meters

Many guests have praised the Bellevue Hotel Manila's cuisine- as buffet breakfasts are usually included in the accomodation packages. The spread includes a wide selection of food from Filipino, American, Asian and International stations. Buffets are also available for lunch and dinner.

Guests have also recommended the Bellevue Hotel Manila's well-equipped gym, beauty salon and spa.

A point worth mentioning is this: a number of guests have given the hotel high praises for running smoothly even when a category 3 typhoon ("Xangsane"/"Milenyo") hit the city in September 2006. The Bellevue Hotel Manila has power generators that kept it up and running even when the entire Metro Manila was without power for 2-4 days.

Other amenities include a number of function rooms and conference rooms, a business center, a pool on the second floor, a bar on the 20th floor and a pastry shop.

Check out the official website for the virtual tour. Average year-round price is US$182/night.


The Bellevue Hotel Manila
North Bridgeway, Northgate Cyberzone,
Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa
Metro Manila, Philippines 1781
771-8181
www.thebellevue.com


Other Sources:
http://www.travelmart.net
http://www.tripadvisor.com
http://www.asiarooms.com

Cheers, everyone!

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Ten Fun Facts About Singapore

musings on Travel and Leisure by Renzie Baluyut.

I miss Singapore. My girlfriend Cristina and I flew in for a visit early last year, stayed for about a week, and absolutely loved it there. We're definitely looking forward to visiting again sometime soon.

Since our last trip, we've been reading up quite a bit about Singapore- what to do, where to eat, what other places we could have missed the last time we were there.

Here are a few fun facts about Singapore you probably might want to know.

1. Did you know that Singapore is among the 20 smallest countries in the world?

Singapore has a total land area of only 682.7 square kilometres. That's just slightly larger than the entire of Metro Manila (636 sq.km.). The state of California alone has 400,000+ sq.km.

2. The Merlion, a half-fish, half-lion beast, is a fitting symbol of Singapore.

The "Singa" or lion represents the animal that a Sumatran prince saw which resembled a lion, and the fish is a tribute to Singapore's history as "Temasek", the ancient sea town.

3. Singapore consists only of one main island and 63 other tiny islands. Most of these islands are uninhabited.

4. Apart from Monaco, Singapore is the most densely populated country in the world, with 6,430 people per square kilometre.

5. Singapore is a stopover point for thousands of migratory birds travelling the East Asian Flyway.

6. Despite being largely urbanized, Singapore is the largest exporter of ornamental fish (25% of the world market).

7. Buildings in Singapore cannot be higher than 280 metres. There are presently three buildings of that height: OUB Centre, UOB Plaza and Republic Plaza.

8. The first population census taken in 1824 revealed that the total population was 10,683. The 2000 census showed that the population of Singapore is 4.2 million.

9. Nearly 9 out of 10 Singaporeans live in public housing flats.

10. Russell Lee, a pseudonym for a team of ghost-writers, is the hottest-selling local author in Singapore. His 11 volumes of True Singapore Ghost Stories have sold more than 600,000 copies to date.

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen. Ten fun facts about Singapore, for the next time you visit the Merlion City. For more food and travel tips on Singapore, you could check out the Uniquely Singapore website, or Lonely Planet's very own Guide to Singapore.

Cheers, everyone!

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