We deserve some R&R after all those hours we’ve been clocking in at work. Painting the town red is one of the ways through which men unwind. When you have sore muscles and tired bones, a soft comfortable bed sounds more appealing than a night out with the boys. We’ve had the pleasure of having our own R&R right in the city when we were invited to the Dancing at the Maynila event. My wife and I got to paint Manila Hotel’s Maynila Ballroom red (this was our color of the night) and then enjoy the luxurious accommodations afterwards.
Manila Hotel’s Superior Deluxe King room is tops in my list. I had to fight the urge to get on the bed and snooze off right after we dropped our bags. But since we had a schedule to keep, we had to hold our thoughts about sleeping for later. As I explored the room, I was actually surprised to see that it did not look old at all. The management of the hotel evidently took pains in keeping the rooms modern without losing their Old World charm. The room was equipped with the latest technologies like wifi connection and the LCD television in the bathroom – it was the first time I saw something like that in a hotel. At P9,000 per night, I’d say this room is right on the money.
We had to make it to the cocktails at the Maynila Ballroom so we can also meet up with the bloggers. Wifey was all dressed up in a red number and I just had to dress ala Iron Man with my red and gold coat and tie.
We had our pictures taken with the other bloggers right before we went inside the ballroom.
Truth be told, I was looking forward to the cocktails more than to the dancing. I’m not much of a dancer; I’d much rather sing than shake it up on the dance floor. It was a ballroom dancing affair after all and I really had no excuse for sitting this one out.
So, off to the dance floor we went with the hotel’s dancing instructors. Guess what, I can do the Swing! This one is for the books. My wife will probably tell everyone about it in our family gatherings. She was also happy when she was given a bear stuffed toy as a surprise gift plus some chocolate and an organizer. The P1,200 that you have to pay for the event is worth it. This already covers your welcome drink, the Signature Party Platter, and a dance partner.
After the Dancing at the Maynila, we decided to hit the hotel’s bar, the Tap Room, for a nightcap. The drink and the music from the live band was enough to wind down our day. Thoughts of the luxurious comfort of our room was already too hard to resist. We were back in our room before the clock even struck midnight. We had a restful night and the morning seemed to come too soon.
We had the buffet breakfast that came with our accommodation package. The food at the Café Ilang-Ilang was delicious and filling enough for us to start the day with. We would have wanted to go for a swim at the hotel’s swimming pool but we had to make it to the checkout at noon. It was a memorable first time at the Manila Hotel, but it will definitely not be the last.
