Manila Marriott Hotel- the newest 5-star hotel in the Philippines.

( courtesy of Manila Marriott Hotel.com )

It is common knowledge for business travelers and frequent flyers like me that airport hotels are disappointing. But today I got a pleasant surprise..... The MANILA MARRIOTT HOTEL was definitely an exception to the rule. Today tourists will soon bid goodbye to long airport transfers to their local destinations. MANILA MARRIOTT HOTEL has opened its doors to the public last October 2009.





Today, Iggy, Cris and I went to MANILA MARRIOTT HOTEL. Our plan was -- just to have merienda at the LOUNGE. But when I looked thru their menu -- I did not see anything that would interest me so I asked the waiter if their other dining outlets were already opened. He said that they have  a coffee shop called Marriott Cafe which was opened 24/7 and there was a steakhouse called CRU but that would still be opened for dinner.

We decided to have an early dinner instead...

The MANILA MARRIOTT HOTEL is situated in an entertainment haven in Manila called The Resorts World Manila Complex. This entertainment complex is one of its kind in the Philippines. It features the largest casino in the Philippines. MANILA MARRIOTT HOTEL is 20 minutes drive from the Makati business district and 15 minutes away from the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. One big advantage of this hotel is that it is right infront of the NAIA Terminal 3 ( Ninoy Aquino International Airport  )... so business travelers and tourists can already enjoy Manila's newest tourist getaway and relax within minutes of arrival.  In other countries you can classify this hotel as an airport hotel because of its proximity to the NAIA Terminal 3..... and knowing that you are so close to the airport really eases departure stress.  Another amenity this hotel offers are shuttle buses going to Makati.

As we entered the Marriott Cafe, I immediately liked the ambience of the place which was very casual, bright, and a very modern version of an all-day dining buffet restaurant. It has an open air kitchen where you can see the chefs prepare the meals to be served. It also has a  sumptuous buffet of local and international favorites from the Western world plus and equally irresistable ala carte menu to order form.

I found the staff at the Marriott Cafe very friendly, courteous and very accommodating.. Since I could not carry my plate and get food while balancing myself with a cane... one of the waiters followed me around the buffet tables while I was choosing what food to eat. According to their maitre d'--- the hotel has not formally opened... it is still in the " soft opening process ".... but I noticed there were a lot of people dining in the cafe already... Their buffet costs 1350 PHP net of taxes.

If you look well at this picture --- the murals of Marriott Cafe --those colored boxes  are made of BEANS ( they used corn kernels, mongo beans, white and read beans ) ... there was another divider near the buffet table that had boxes like these but contained colored BEADS...I thought the idea was very unique... Kudos to the interior decorator who designed the Marriott Cafe!

I liked their food stations... it was very organized...

Breads galore......

Do you know what kind of shellfish is that??? They told me -- it is called the ELEPHANT NOSE shellfish... you will also see this kind of shellfish in Japanese sushi bars.

Cris decided to try the seafood and dimsum section...

Iggy tried the Indian dishes ....

he also ordered a malaysian dish called  LAKSA... which he said tastes like the one he ate in Malaysia. Here they used fishballs instead of slices of fish. I tried it and it was good!!! You should try this -- although it is not readily available.. you have to order it.

As usual.... I had my MEAT!!!

Since it wasn't black angus.. ( they used topblade )... I asked the chef to slice it thinly. It was good... but it had a lot of " litid "..

Here are some photos of their desserts...

The best dessert which I recommend to try... is the leche flan.... It was so light and very creamy.. you should try it!!! it is the best leche flan I have tasted so far!!!

We also tried their ice creams...  The one I liked was the coconut sorbet... It was coconut milk with pinipig... very rich... and creamy!!..

What is a meal without having dessert?????  According to the maitre d' of Marriot Cafe --- they will be serving SUGAR FREE desserts for those people who love desserts but can't have them all the time...

So if you are traveling in Manila, Philippines ---- try checking in at the MANILA MARRIOTT HOTEL for your comfortable and luxurious accommodation. If you want a more secure place to stay in----  it would be hard to find a hotel in Manila more secure than the MANILA MARRIOTT HOTEL.

BON APETIT!!



how to get there:
If you are coming from Makati... go to the SKYWAY ramp at Arnaiz avenue/ Don Bosco and turn left at the Nichols interchange. Enter the Villamor Air Base and drive towards the NAIA 3 airport. Manila Marriott Hotel will be on our right when you get off the ramp.


MANILA MARRIOT HOTEL

No. 10 Newport Blvd.
Newport City Complex, Pasay City

tel. nos. 632 988 9999