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Home is where City Garden is
Source: Manila Bulletin
Author: By Annalyn S. Jusay
Date: 2005-04-26
 


You can never boast of knowing Manila until you live in it; and in this case, live and breathe in the nerve center of its once-raunchy, ever-glorious tourist district. I am talking of course of Ermita, that most exciting place which is as alive during the day as it is at night, subject of many F. Sionil Jose novels as well as home to numerous restaurants, bars, money-changing shops and people of diverse leanings in life.



During the recent Holy Week vacation, I did not choose to participate in the monstrous exodus out of Manila but instead opted to rediscover it, sans the maddening noonday traffic and its pedestrian-crowded streets. Manila, during the Holy Week, looked very much like a woman deserted by her lover and I thought to myself that this must have been what it was like during the 60’s when "overpopulation" was not yet a much-abused term.



For this long holiday, my choice of sanctuary was the City Garden Suites on Mabini St., Ermita. Situated in a major commuter route, the hotel is fairly easy to find. City Garden strictly has no "garden" but one will hardly notice it upon entering its airy lobby and hearing the warm greetings of the staff who are clearly oriented on the fine points of giving great service.



From the outside, City Garden Suites looks very much like a non-descript nine-storey hotel. Yet, what many people don’t know is that the hotel has been much in-demand among business travelers and discriminating tourists who love the top-of-the-line amenities and wonderful service it provides for its guests.



Established in 1992, City Garden Suites has 92 superb rooms of which only 47 can be placed under the category of standard, superior and deluxe. The rest are spacious suites ideal for long-stays and clients who want to experience basic home amenities while away on business. There’s the 25-square meter studio room as well as the much-bigger one-bedroom and junior suites with a choice of either a bath tub or shower, a fully-equipped entertainment area or a functional kitchen fitted with a stove, microwave oven and the like. The piece de resistance are the two penthouse suites which are 98 square meters each and are perfect enough for feeling and living the good life.



‘NOT JUST A ROOM NUMBER’



Of course you know how good a place is when you hear praises from the regulars themselves (about 60 percent of hotel guests are returning customers). Belgians Dr. George and Edith Zschalig who are happily retired in Romblon’s Sibuyan Island never fail to check in City Garden whenever they are in Manila. They find the hotel’s location perfect since it is near the shopping malls, Malate’s entertainment row and other familiar landmarks like Rizal Park, the US Embassy, Intramuros and the Cultural Center Complex.



"The best thing here is the service. The staff are very warm and friendly. We really feel like we are special guests and not just a room number," Edith notes.



"Considering the high quality of the standards it adheres to in terms of cleanliness, security, service and other things, the hotel is truly value for money," adds Dr. George.



Meanwhile, May, whose foreign boyfriend was checked in at the time of our visit, revealed that "he has always liked to stay in City Garden since everyone is so helpful to him even if he only speaks German and can only understand a little English."



A BUSINESS TRAVELLERS’ HOTEL



One-bedroom suites in City Garden Manila start at $60 for twin sharing with free buffet breakfast in Café Miranda. For large gatherings, the hotel has three function rooms complete with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment ideal for wedding receptions, debut parties and business conferences. There are other outlets like the Lobby Bar which merrily whips up the drinks of your choice and a cozy KTV Lounge for singing karaoke all night. The hotel does not have a gym and a swimming pool (the guests don’t seem to mind) but they have a massage service specializing in shiatsu, Swedish, reflexology and beauty treatments, all done in the comfort and privacy of your own room. The hotel also offers other basics like a business center and a transportation service which shuttles customers to strategic points and even tourist spots like Subic, Tagaytay and Corregidor.



It has also just installed wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi) in all of the rooms.



General manager Luchie Javier pointed out that everything about the hotel has been so designed "to fit the needs of the clients. We never fail to listen to what our customers are saying and we tailor our improvements along that line."



Director of Sales Jo-Anne Hilario said figures for the first quarter of the year have been very encouraging with the hotel’s average occupancy rate of at least 70 percent. "Tourism in the Philippines has received a boost because of the tsunami disaster in Asia and we hope this positive outcome will continue until the end of the year."



" City Garden Suites right now is positioned as a business traveller’s hotel. We have always been popular with Japanese and European nationals but in the future we want to tap the Chinese market as well," she added.



ENVIABLE LOCATION



The Manila establishment has a counterpart in City Garden Hotel Makati. This hotel also has an enviable location, being in the center of the bustling restaurant and entertainment row in Jupiter St. and Makati Avenue. What more, it is just a few minutes away from Rockwell Mall.



This writer thinks the best thing about this hotel is the view. You can choose to occupy one of the rooms which has a sweeping panorama of Makati’s tall buildings and busy streets, stretching from Buendia all the way down to Ayala. The same is true with their Roofdeck Poolside Bar & Grill which is located on the 23rd floor and therefore affords one the feeling of being "on top of the world."



The buffet breakfast at the Le Jardin Restaurant is also a must-try. Priced at only R295, it comes complete with soup plus a wide selection of appetizers, salads, entrees, and desserts. The egg station is where your omelets and other egg dishes are cooked in front of you by the friendly chef.



General manager Johnny Rios revealed that like the Manila branch, City Garden Makati caters also to businessmen and corporate clients. In fact, this group comprises the bulk of their guests.



"Since they are discriminating and well-travelled, we always strive to give them the best service. And they say that our facilities are already at par with the five star hotels in the area," he added.



City Garden Makati has 160 well-appointed rooms complete with one-touch Internet, cable, safety deposit box and other amenities. Aside from its food outlets, it also boasts of a fully-equipped gym, business center and three function rooms fitted with all the equipment needed for business meetings, conferences and the like.



Twin sharing in a standard room only costs R2,700 net per night plus free buffet breakfast for two at Le Jardin.



Our verdict: One doesn’t have to pay much in order to achieve quality. Staying at City Garden hotels in Manila and Makati is not only value for money. What is even more priceless is the way they make you feel that you are right at home, even though you’re far away from home.
 

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