This condotel is almost like home

THE WISECRACK that instantly

springs from the lips of my

brother-in-law when he learns that his

wife and I will spend the weekend at a new condotel in

Greenhills is this: The word ''condotel'' is nothing more than a

contraction of ''a condominium with a telephone.'' (But isn't that

reason enough for my sister to take a break?)

Locating Le Gran Hospitality Residence is a breeze. We merely

follow the instruction of manager Linie Cortez on the phone to

make Club Filipino our point of reference. Turning left on

Eisenhower Street in North Greenhills in San Juan, we take note

of the row of highrises on the right with the 21-story, 185-room

Le Gran standing at the end of the quiet street.

Linie awaits us at the lobby

which features some Sanso

paintings on the walls. She

escorts us to the room

assigned us on the 21st

floor. It has a cheerful blue

and yellow motif--blue sofa

and yellow throw pillows,

checkered blue and yellow

bedspread. Even the

Cardinal ceramics on the

dining table and the pillow cases are in similar shades.

''We chose those colors so the room would feel alive, so you

don't feel intimidated,'' our hostess explains. ''You get to feel that

the room is yours. The colors make the room personal, unlike

the all-white motif in other hotels. We strive for a homey

atmosphere.''

At lunch we repair to Sabrina Bistro on the second level. The

outlet is named after the romantic movie of the '50s starring

Audrey Hepburn. Various interpretations of the eternally

elegant, pixie-faced actress in pencil, pastel and oils line the

walls.

The resto tempts the customers to, in Linie's words, ''discover

something new'' in the fusion cuisine that mixes the best of East

and West, as exemplified by such dishes as stuffed squid

umetsu (chilled squid stuffed with radish and served with soy

and mayonnaise), lapu-lapu and sake sinigang (billed as a light

lapu-lapu broth flavored with sake and tamarind), and mangoes

in noodles (an interesting dessert of crepe noodles tossed in

mango sauce and topped with vanilla ice cream).

While trying the house favorite, eggplant flamb (eggplant

sliced and sauteed, then flamed with brandy and deglazed with a

soy paste dressing), we listen to Linie recount how Hospitality

International Inc., a company incorporated only in December,

took over the management of Le Gran. This pilot project would

be followed by others in Alabang and Ortigas and, later, a resort

in Palawan.

Linie says the condotel, which had a soft opening in February,

is targeting business people with rooms that cater to their

requirements. We note that in our room, as in the others, there is

a working desk and two telephone lines so the guest can access

the Internet and make calls at the same time.

The introductory rates, which include breakfast, are P1,950 for a

studio, P2,600 for a one-bedroom suite, and P3,250 for a

two-bedroom suite. The rates go down for long stays of 15 days

upwards--an arrangement usually taken by foreign consultants

and representatives of pharmaceutical companies.

For visitors who have to stay in the country for a few months,

Linie cites the advantages of staying in a condotel instead of an

apartment or an expensive hotel: ''You have a maid and laundry

service without paying that much. No worries about paying

electricity, water and cable bills. There's a roof deck with a pool

and jacuzzi. There's 24-hour check-in...''

But the highest plus factor is the location. San Juan, like

Mandaluyong City, is in the heart of the metropolis--you're

midway if you're headed for Quezon City or Makati.

This condotel is near the Greenhills Shopping Center, but at the

same time a certain amount of privacy is assured. A guest may

either cook his/her meal in the room's kitchenette or walk to any

of the restaurants along Annapolis and other streets.

Linie, who worked as sales director of various hotels in Vietnam,

Cambodia, Indonesia and Burma says, ''Everything is within

walking distance. You feel that after everything, you're really

going back to a home.''

She says that the unit owners at Le Gran are mostly based

overseas. What Hospitality International does is to form a rental

pool and look for tenants for the idle units. It manages the place

like a hotel. If one is part of the rental pool, even if the unit is

not occupied, one still gets a share in the revenue. Thus, the

higher the occupancy, the higher the return for the unit owner.

At present, Le Gran enjoys a 45-50-percent occupancy, which is

admittedly still far from bustling.

My sister and I decide to try the location advantage. We walk to

Club Filipino to treat ourselves to a henna session and facial,

then wander through the cramped stalls at the Greenhills

tiangge. We buy dried plums, kropek and a refreshing

buko-pandan jelly at the Chinese grocery Dee, stop for bibingka

and frosted calamansi juice at Bangus Restaurant, and shop for

a few toiletries at Mercury.

Before the drizzle gets stronger, we walk back to the condotel to

make like couch potatoes before the television set for the rest of

the evening.

On Sunday morning, we are rudely awakened by disturbing

news of an American prince who flew to the sky and was

swallowed by the ocean.