Is this the new Chowking?

Let’s get this out of the way first: Chowking, a fastfood chain offering Chinese dishes, isn’t exactly known for having the nicest ambiance. More often than not, their branches tend to squeeze in as many tables as they can to accommodate their ever-burgeoning crowd who flock the chain for their good prices and decent selection. It’s not really my go-to for quick food (I’m more of a McDonald’s girl), partly because of the ambiance. But can I say, I think I just found the best-looking Chowking branch I’ve ever visited.

Almost finding peace at Kai Lodge (hotel review) – UPDATED

I’ve been seeing Kai Lodge for a while now since we decided to go to Bataan for a quick getaway. People keep talking about how peaceful it was there, so we thought it would be a perfect place to escape to.

A look into Vista De Las Islas (hotel review)

When I inquired with Bridgeway Travel and Tours about their Bolinao/Hundred Islands tour, they presented me with three package options: Promo (Php 3,850), Standard (Php 3,950), and Special (Php 4,200). The only difference I could see was the accommodation; promo joiners would be housed in a transient property within Alaminos, and standard and special joiners would be booked at Island Tropic Hotel and Vista De Las Islas Hotel, respectively. Oh, and hotel guests would get complimentary breakfast, too.

Why you should fly over to Swiftlets Inn (hotel review)

When the Motley Crew went to El Nido for a belated summer getaway, we had no idea where to stay since we were all first timers to the famed tourist spot. We were dreading the cost of lodging because everyone says El Nido would cost us an arm and a leg if we wanted our stay to be nice and comfortable. But a quick look at agoda.com brought us to Swiftlets Inn which, according to reviews, was both affordable and of good quality. Clueless and pretty much desperate since the trip was drawing near, we booked two rooms (one for two and one for three) and hoped for the best.

Hotel review: Pineapple Island Resort (Daet, Camarines Norte)

When we planned our camping trip at Calaguas Island, we knew we’d seek refuge from our attempt at roughing it, so we booked an overnight stay in a hotel in Bicol before heading back to the city. In agoda, only a couple of hotels popped up for the days we were headed there and one of them was Pineapple Island Resort. None of us had been there before, but the reviews were OK so we went ahead and booked a room.

Getting an eyeful of La Vista Hotel (hotel review)

When we were kids, my sisters and I used to go to this beach resort in Iba, Zambales almost every year with our parents. Why Zambales? It’s not where our family’s originally from. We just went there one year, fell in love with it and kept coming back.

The resort itself was far from perfect, to be honest; it was the familiarity and memories we took comfort in and encouraged us to go all those times. But as time went, the resort slowly deteriorated, and at that point we decided it was time to look for a new place. After sorting through different travel sites, we found La Vista Hotel & Beach Resort, which looked pretty good (and affordable, a big plus for us), and booked an overnight trip.

Busy being lazy at La Luz (hotel review)

There’re times when you go on vacation to try some new and exciting activity, and other times you just want to sit around and do nothing but eat and swim. If you’re aiming for a more relaxing escape much like the latter scenario, La Luz Beach Resort in San Juan, Batangas is a great place to start.

A short and sweet getaway at Subic Holiday Villas (hotel review)

When I was a kid, my family and I went to Subic Bay on a couple of occasions for a sort of getaway. They weren’t elaborate vacations at all, mind you; they were just three days spent eating, shopping, sight-seeing, more eating. Pure childhood bliss too fun to not repeat, so almost 20 years later, we got the chance to do it again. Back then, we stayed at a house in Binictican. This time, we stayed at Subic Holiday Villas. No one actually recommended the hotel to us. Budgeted travelers that we were, we logged onto agoda to check out what’s available and affordable and this place popped up so we booked a room and hoped for the best.

A humble but pleasant stay at Grand Quartier (hotel review)

Back in April, my co-worker Dani and I were invited to spend the night at Crosswinds’ condotel Grand Quartier. I haven’t gotten around to writing about it until now, so I hope you’ll bear with my really late review. Crosswinds is a Swiss-inspired residential development in Tagaytay City, and when they say inspired, they mean pretty much everything in it screams ‘Heidi in the mountains’. People who want to feel like they’re living in a Swiss chalet can either buy a house or have one built within the area, but enough about the real estate stuff. Let’s get on with our stay.

A wave of luxury at The Tides (hotel review)

When my friends and I planned our five-day stay in Aklan, we decided to include an overnight trip to Boracay since two of our friends haven’t been there before. In the process of looking for accommodations, one of us suggested The Tides Hotel because she had stayed there before and said it was a good one, so we decided to check it out.