My mom would claim that my love affair with hotels began with the The Peninsula Manila Hotel. While she was pregnant with me then very shortly after I was born and all through my early years, getaways to this five star hotel was a regular weekend occurrence.
I remember being very young, my yaya keeping a watchful eye on me to ensure I didn’t get into any mischief as I childishly explored the marbled halls. I remember gazing at a fantastic ice sculpture of a swan in the middle of the buffet table. And I remember the Swiss / German / Italian chefs taking pity on my suffering parents, allowing them to have a romantic dinner in peace, while they took me on a culinary tour of the hotel kitchens for the umpteenth time!
Now I’m 27 and back for more. No more toddling around after the head chefs. More like partying it out in Makati with friends before crawling back to the lobby past midnight, being pleasantly surprised to find the orchestra still playing for guests. Couldn’t let the perfect end to the night slip away, so we grabbed a table in the lobby, had a few snacks, sobered up with an amazing cup of hot chocolate and listened to the live classical music play on until 4 am.
What can I say? This love affair just keeps on growing.
The Peninsula Manila
Corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues,
Makati, Manila,
Philippines 1226
