Showing posts with label Staycation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Staycation. Show all posts

May 13, 2025

Mother’s Day Getaway at Palm Beach Resort

A few days after our Taiwan Trip, my mom was itching to travel, and she wanted to have a family outing again, but this time beach naman. So we started to look for beach resorts in Batangas and Subic, but most of the resorts that we checked were fully booked, and some resorts naman, do not offer full board meals. 

So I suggested the Palm Beach Resort, and fortunately, they have available rooms for us. My sister-in-law was the one who booked the resort and full payment agad at the time of booking. 

We booked 3 Casa Blanca Rooms with pool and sea view, the rate of the Premier Room is PHP10,500, and the De Luxe Room is PHP10,000. These rooms are good for 4 people. For 11 persons, the total expense for rooms is PHP31,000.

Inclusions:
Welcome drinks 
Room accommodation
Unlimited purified drinking water and Batangas-brewed coffee. 
Use of resort facilities: beach, infinity pool and jacuzzi. 
Complimentary wireless internet in designated areas 

Full Board Meals is PHP2,200 per person. This includes buffet lunch, PM snack, dinner, and breakfast with bottomless juice during meals. 

Meal Schedule 

Lunch: 12:00 - 2:00PM 
PM Snack: 3:30 - 4:30PM 
Dinner: 7:00 - 9:00PM 
Breakfast: 7:00 - 9:00PM 

For the driver, we paid an additional PHP2,200 for the driver’s quarter and packed meals. 

Check-in time is 2PM, but we still left early to avoid the traffic. My immediate family arrived past 10AM, and my family arrived past 11AM. Upon arrival, may nag-assist na agad sa amin sa parking so nahatid na agad kami sa reception. 


At the reception, the staff asked for the Tourism Fee Receipt (PHP50 per person) and informed us about the meal schedules, and she just said na nasa Cabana na yung mga kasama namin. We stayed at the Cabana while waiting for lunch and rooms. My sister-in-law asked if binigyan ba kami ng welcome drinks, waah! Nakalimutan kami bigyan so we went back to the reception to get our drinks, buti na lang malapit lang ang reception. 



Usually, the first meal is PM Snack, but we requested na lunch yung una just like our first visit. Lunchtime is 12NN, so we went to the dining pavilion before 12NN, but we were surprised kasi late na pala kami, actually paubos na yung ibang food nung dumating kami, so wala kami maayos na picture ng buffet spread, so I will just share the menu. 


Palm Beach Resort Menu 

Lunch: Molo Soup, Steamed Pandan Rice, Asian Vegetables, Bam-I, Sweet and Sour Fish, Chicken Inasal, Pork Adobo, Cassava cake, Seasonal Fruits, Iced Tea, and Brewed Coffee or Tea. 
PM Snack: Palmbeach Lomi, Spanish Bread, Turon with Caramel Sauce, Lychee Juice, and Brewed Coffee or Tea. 
Dinner: Minced Pork Soup, Fresh Garden Salad, Steamed Pandan Rice, Alfredo Pasta, Amatriciana Pasta, Fish Teriyaki, Chicken Pastel, Lechon Kawali, Buko Salad, Chocolate Revel Bar, Seasonal Fruits, Cucumber Juice, and Brewed Coffee or Tea. 
Breakfast: Champorado with Dilis, Homemade Spreads, Freshly Baked Breads, Steamed Pandan Rice, Scrambled Eggs, Boiled Eggs, Daing na Bangus, Pork Longganisa, Corned Beef, Seasonal Fruits, Pineapple Juice, and Brewed Coffee or Tea. 






I am not sure kung hindi pa sila nainformed na lunch ang start ng meal namin kasi wala kaming pwesto pa so naghanap ulit kami ng pwesto, Nag-improve na nung PM Snack kasi may reserved table na for our group. Also, mas marami na yung food choices compared sa first visit namin. 

Casa Blanca Rooms 


Check-in is 2PM, and they gave us the keys 15 minutes before 2PM. 

Premier Room 

Compared to Casa Isabel, our rooms are much better. It is spacious; there is a sofa bed, a separate shower, sink, and toilet. 





The staff will inform you kung ano yung laman ng room and ask you to sign the paper so that if ever may nawala, you need to pay for it. They always check the room upon check-out. 


Shampoo, Body Wash, Hand Soap, Dental kit are provided. When it comes to towels, hand towel and face towel, nagtataka lang ako bakit hindi good for four 4 persons lahat. We only have 4 towels, 2 hand towels, and 2 face towels. 

Deluxe Room 

The only difference ng Premier Room and Deluxe Room is walang sofa bed. Compared to our first visit, okay ang rooms namin; may hot and cold shower, and malamig ang aircon. There is complimentary bottled water. 



No more complimentary use of aqua shoes, but you can buy, PHP500 for a pair of aqua shoes. Overall, we enjoyed our weekend getaway; we ate, swam, and slept. 




Upon check out, we were surprised because the resort gave us a Mother’s Day Gift. Early check out kami para maaga din makauwi. 



March 24, 2025

Day 4 in Da Nang Vietnam

We only booked two tours for our 5 Days Trip in Da Nang Vietnam so on our fourth day, we no longer had any scheduled activity and just spent our time in the hotel. 

And because of the buffet breakfast, lunch, and dinner na kinain namin nung third day, feeling busog pa rin kami paggising namin ng Day 4. So we had late breakfast, brunch na rin para tipid. Since late na, hindi na ko nagtake pictures ng buffet spread kasi konti na lang ang laman. 





After our buffet breakfast at Table 88, we went back to our room to rest for a while before we swam. I was so thankful because, after a few days, the weather cooperated. At least we had a few hours to enjoy the swimming pool. The beach was off limits because of the rough waves so nagkayak na lang sa pool. The kayak is not free but I can’t remember the rate. 





Here is the list of Sheraton Grand Da Nang Resort Daily Activities. These may be subject to cancellation due to weather and sea conditions. 

8:00 -9:00 - Double Kayak | Front Beach 
9:00 - 10:00 - Stand Up Paddle | Front Beach 
10AM - 11AM - Sailing Boat - Hobie Wave | Front Beach 
16:00 -16:30 - Body Board | Front Beach 
15:00 - 16:00 - Swimming Lesson | Lap Pool 
6:30 - 7:00 - Morning Exercise | Front Beach 
7:00 - 7:45 - Meditation | Fitness Center 
8:00 - 9:00 - Basic Yoga Lesson | Fitness Center 
15:00 - 15:30 - Stretching Class | Fitness Center 
16:00 - 17:00 - Abs Class | Fitness Center 

Then we went back to our room, our initial plan was to visit Lotte Mart so we could visit the 4th biggest shopping center in Vietnam and the biggest shopping center in Da Nang but it started to rain again so we canceled our plan. 

We just ordered pizza for our late lunch. For dinner, we ordered calamari and rice. Actually, I just wanted to order rice kaso nakakahiya naman kung rice lang tapos room service pa so I added calamari na lang. The truth is, I brought some breads and Goldilocks Pinoy Deli Pouch kasi so ayaw ko na siya iuwi pa sa Pinas kaya yun ang dinner namin. Hehehe! 



We slept early because we had an early flight the following day.

March 10, 2025

Day 2 in Da Nang Vietnam

This school year is about to end and it also means, vacation na naman and I am supposed to plan for our travel itinerary but here I am, tinatamad na naman mag-umpisa. Ang hilig ko lang magcram. Hehehe! Anyway, last month I finished making our Da Nang Vietnam Photobook so this reminded me that I haven’t finished my Da Nang blog posts so I am pressuring myself to finish this series na. 


Day 2 in Da Nang Vietnam

We just stayed in the hotel for our second day in Da Nang, ate, and rested. We decided not to join the Hue City Tour because we wanted to rest and recharge. This was the supposed itinerary for that day. It was a whole day itinerary and binabasa ko pa lang napagod na ko. #signsofaging. 

Hue City Tour - $69 per person  

Inclusion: tour guide, transportation, lunch, seafood dinner, entrance fee, and tips  

- Stop at Hai Van Pass, Lap An for photos 
- Visit Thien Mu Pagoda; the oldest pagoda in Hue 
- Visit the Imperial Citadel; one of Vietnam’s seven UNESCO World Heritage sites.  
- Visit Khai Dinh King’s Tomb; the tomb of the 12th king of the Nguyen Dynasty  
- Lunch and seafood dinner at a local restaurant  

Buffet Breakfast at Table 88 







Since we had no tour for that day, hindi kami nagmamadali na magbreakfast. In fact, late na rin kami nagpunta sa restaurant para brunch na rin. We took our time eating and we just enjoyed our food para busog kami hanggang lunch. Hehehe! Table 88 serves Banh Mi and Pho and you can enjoy this popular food every breakfast. 




After breakfast, we explored the Sheraton Grand Da Nang Resort & Convention Center. This resort has a 250m infinity pool and the longest pool in Da Nang. Unfortunately, because of the weather, we could not enjoy the pool. Feeling ko magkakasakit lang kami kapag nagswimming sa lamig so we just stayed in our room. 





My son was busy doing his school assignments and I spent my time crafting. Yes, I brought my craft projects on our Vietnam trip so just in case wala ako gawin, magcraft na lang ako. 

For dinner, my son and I decided to stay in the hotel and we just ordered food “room service” na lang. We ordered fries and pizza while my husband and his colleagues went to Hoi An again for dinner. 



Sheraton Grand Da Nang Resort offers a shuttle bus to Hoi An and vice versa but the schedules are limited so they travel via Grab. 

Hoi An - Da Nang Shuttle Bus 

VNV80,000 net per person 
Complimentary for children aged 12 or below 
The shuttle bus is good for 14 seats only so book in advance. 
Arrived 10 minutes before the departure time. 

Schedule 
10AM - Da Nang - Hoi An 
12NN - Hoi An - Da Nang 
14:00 - Da Nang - Hoi An 
16:00 - Hoi An - Da Nang 

February 27, 2025

Courtyard by Marriott Bangkok Hotel

Just this month, my husband went back to Bangkok Thailand. I was checking my blog and seven years na pala ang nakalipas since our last visit. My husband's last visit was in 2018 when they had a team building and stayed at Modena by Fraser Bangkok Hotel. This year their company had a kick-off meeting held at Courtyard by Marriott Bangkok Hotel. 

Courtyard by Marriott Bangkok Hotel was the 6th accommodation that my husband has tried in Bangkok. It is a 4-star hotel located in central Bangkok. It is near Skytrain Station, restaurants, and shopping malls like Amarin Plaza, Big C, and Platinum Mall. 

This hotel is about 25 kilometers away from Suvarnabhumi Airport. They do not provide shuttle service but they have alternate transportation for THB1,800 per way. Their company arranged their round-trip transportation. 

Courtyard by Marriott Bangkok Hotel Room 

This hotel offers 314 contemporary guest rooms and 2 suites. The room is equipped with a working desk, couch, mini fridge, and coffee/tea maker. 



The bathroom has no bathtub. 



Since this was a company event, my husband just stayed inside the hotel for four days, so they ate breakfast lunch, and dinner at the hotel. 

MoMo Cafe 

The complimentary buffet breakfast is served at MoMo Cafe. It is an all-day dining restaurant that offers Thai dishes and international cuisines. The restaurant is open from 6:00 AM-11:00 PM. My husband enjoyed his breakfast and according to him, their buffet spread is much better than the other hotels he had tried in Bangkok, with more food choices.








This hotel has a fitness center, outdoor pool, and spa but my husband was not able to visit these amenities.


Courtyard Bangkok Marriott Hotel 
155/1 Soi Mahadlekluang 1, 
Ratchadamri Road, 
Bangkok, Thailand, 10330 
Tel: +66 2-690-1888
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