Hotel Review: Parque Espana Residence Hotel

A home in a hotel. That's how you will feel when you check in at Parque Espana Residence Hotel located in Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang.

from parque espana website

If you want to feel like you are at home but at the same time in a hotel, this is the perfect place. From the very friendly hotel staff, to the spacious and organized rooms, you will have an experience like no other.

The receptionists in this hotel are nice and attentive, and will give everything you need. The prices of the rooms are not that bad as well. Let's just say it was worth it!

Here's A HUGE TIP: check in from their website. I discovered that when you book online, not only is it cheaper, but they give special promos like free massages that are only available IF you book online.

On the other hand, we got booked at their one bedroom executive which is Php 5,000 only; and I am emphasizing on the ONLY. Here's why:

1. You get to have this huge room all by yourself or with a partner. The room comes with a bedroom with super comfortable bed, a TV (well ours didn't work, there was a problem with the antenna), AirCon, closets, and a dresser.

The room also has living area which is big enough where you can enjoy a satellite TV, AirCon, and a mini balcony. They also have a dining area, complete with plates, utensils and cups.

The bathroom's toiletries are complete already. This kind of blew us away since it's the first time that we saw a complete set of bathroom needs. From towels to shampoos, to toothbrushes, to cotton buds, to lotions, to your shaving needs and even a sewing kit! Definitely feels like home. Everything is served to you already.

Plus, you get a kitchen, just in case you wanted to cook dinner or something; Which is really awesome by the way if you're the type of person who doesn't want to go out and spend much money on food.

2. Free use of their hotel facilities. You can get access to their board room, fitness center, swimming pool and jacuzzi.

3. When you wake up, you don't need to think about where to have breakfast because they will automatically give you (upon check in) complimentary tickets to an eat-all-you-can buffet breakfast in their resto, Bistro Del Cielo.

Their buffet breakfast was amazing. They have everything you need for a breakfast. From light meals to heavy, they have it there.

4. Also, you get to have room service till 11 pm, 1 complimentary parking and daily house keeping.

5. This is my most favorite: Free shuttle service to the closest malls. It is my most favorite because you don't normally see hotels offering this kind of service. Their shuttle is not the big ones you usually see on the road. Their shuttle service is actually the private one. Small car, with your own personal driver who is kinda nice as well.

One of the downfalls so far during the stay was that you have to pay for the internet or wifi. Yes, you get to have your own router and wifi access so expect it to be fast but you have to pay Php 100 which is good for 24 hours. Not bad, but we were expecting that there will be a free wifi.

THE VERDICT: If you want to enjoy your stay in Alabang or if you are in a vacation mode and just want to escape reality for a little while but you don't want to feel far from home, this is just the right place for you. The service, and the crew will even make your stay so much better. Although you might bring some more cash for some of their facilities and if you're the type that can't live without the internet.

Sweet Bella's Cafe: A definitely sweet stay

If you're a big fan of sweets, we found a perfect place for you to check out!

Sweet Bella's Cafe is owned by the daughter of Melo's Steakhouse. And true enough, cooking has been a thing in their family. From breakfast meals to desserts, name it, they all have it!

We were walking around Burgos St. In Bonifacio Global City (BGC) when we discovered this adorable cafe. We decided then to have a light meal since we had dinner plans already at about an hour or two.

As soon as you enter, you will be welcomed by such a delicious sight. You will drool when you see their delicacies that are displayed right when you open their door.

They also have this cozy, relaxing feel and look in their cafe. Seats are comfortable, the jazz music and the wonderful design of the cafe will take your stress away. Their sofas, and pretty much everything were pink too! It is also a perfect place for you to enjoy an afternoon tea.

Since we only wanted a snack, we ordered Croque Madame. It is made out of grilled ham and gruyere cheese with poached egg. It costs around Php 350. At first I thought for a sandwich, it is quite pricey. But when it was served to us, I figured it was totally worth the price.

I don't know if we were just hungry or the food was really cooked to perfection. The poached egg on top was just complements the sweet and tasty flavor of the ham and cheese. The poached egg was evenly spread as well. (yes, I noticed that too).

After we finished our sandwich, we were craving for more. As much as we wanted to order for some more, we were quite full already so we just head on to our dessert.

We ordered their best selling dessert, the Chocolata, according to the waiter,
this cake is rated one of the top 10 Manila's Best Desserts:

Their moist chocolate cake is covered with beautiful chocolate butterflies layered with ganache.

The way they made the cake was cute, especially the butterflies. It was really good at first, the cake was cooked perfectly as well. But for some who have low tolerance on sweets, (like us) you might not finish the whole slice. It was too sweet for us, but overall it was good.

We didn't get to try their meals yet but based on the serving, the look and the smell of the food of the people near us (who ordered some of their meals), I bet it is also yummy. I swear, it made me want to eat those meals as well (not kidding).

We will definitely go back to this place to try their other dishes. Aside from the relaxing ambiance and beautiful theme, the food here at Sweet Bella's Cafe is surely a must-try!

Aside from the bonifacio global city cafe, they also have a store in Makati City but for pick-up only (1730 Banyan St. Dasmarinas Village)

You can also visit their website: www.sweetbelladessert.com