We spent Good Friday to Easter Sunday last year at the Diamond Hotel, just so we could use the vouchers that came with the membership, and we enjoyed staying in Manila so much we decided to stay there again this year.
From our home in the north, we were in Roxas Blvd in just 20 minutes, could have been 15 if not for the re-routing before we reached the Quiapo area in preparation for the Good Friday procession.
The reception area was quite busy as it was already 2PM, after waiting in line for a few minutes, a pleasant Paulo greeted me. As usual, we requested for a room on a non-smoking floor, king bed, and a crib for S. He asked me if I specifically requested for the 9/F or any other floor preference, I told him not really, as long as our requests were considered. He gave me keys to a room on the 16/F, and even before we reached the room we somehow sensed Paulo's kind gesture to us.
He upgraded us to a Premiere Executive room, a corner one at that! With views of both the bay and Old Manila, plus the room was huge! The couch may already double as Ate J's bed.
So we happily, thankfully, and comfortably settled in our wonderful room, and took this shot of the afternoon sun before my Hub and I went to the hotel gym (in preparation for the numerous hotel buffets we would partake of).
Tried not to eat too much of the wonderful buffet, because it was, after all, Good Friday. The hotel's Seafood Buffet came with free flowing red or white wine, Hub went ahead and ordered chardonnay for both of us while I got food.
Food quality and selection is very good, comparable to Makati Shangri-La's Circles and Edsa Shang-ri La's Heat. Seafood were very fresh and desserts of course were wonderful. I'm not and never have been a fan of ice cream but I saw that they had salted caramel and I asked if they made it in the hotel, and they said yes. Decided to try it out and it was just tooooo good! Went back for 4 or 5 times heehee.
After dinner, Hub, A, and I went to Intramuros to visit the Manila Cathedral, which we also did last year. It was almost deserted if not for a few kids begging for coins, and a few other people perhaps completing their Visita Iglesia.
The following day, after brunching on the hotel's free buffet breakfast, we decided to swim then went out later that day to ride a calesa (horse-drawn carriage)!
The calesa ride was at P 350.00 per half hour, and since there was just a handful of people in Intramuros (in Metro Manila, generally), no traffic and no waiting in line to get a ride. We just went around the walled city and went to the San Agustin Church.
This photo above is the interior of the San Agustin, without any edits! So beautiful and solemn indeed.
We didn't stop too much during the calesa ride as the kids enjoyed just sitting in the moving carriage. We did however stop to take a photo of this Starbucks branch in Intramuros which I found to be very charming, it blended so well with the walled city's theme. Too bad it was closed though hehe.
Before checking out of the hotel on Easter Sunday, Hub and I again went to the gym for a while, since the kids just loved staying inside our room.
The gym wasn't big, and would get crowded with about 5-8 people inside, but it had a good line up of machines and equipment.
Also took photos of Corniche, where we had our breakfast and dinner buffets. The place was not as massive as Circles, would not even catch up to the size of Heat, but the decor and ambiance were tasteful, clean, organized.
View from the 2nd Floor
Chanced upon Paulo when we were checking out and again, we thanked him for the complimentary room upgrade. This Diamond Hotel is really starting to grow on me ;)
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