At the heart of Makati’s hectic business district lies Ascott Residences, one of the few ones in the city that features luxurious serviced apartments. Ascott Makati’s strategic location in Glorietta 4 serves as one of its strongest points, being surrounded with a vast array of shopping, entertainment and lifestyle complexes. It also allows the hotel to reach out to a wide and diverse market – from yuppies to expats, and even to couples who are getting married in Makati – which includes my sister-in-law and her fiance.
We had the 3-bedroom suite and each room was clean, well-appointed and about as big as a starter home (and they come with huge closets and bathrooms!). The suites come with complete facilities, including a fully equipped kitchen, a spacious dining area, a living room with a home theatre system, an extra bathroom and driver’s room. A suitable choice, indeed, for those looking for a sufficient and posh wedding prep venue.
While the hotel’s check-in and check-out service takes too long, worth admiring is this hotel’s sophisticated, contemporary elegance. One couldn’t help but notice the corporate glam that lied in every nook, from the cushiony minimalistic sheets to the lobby’s modern decors.
Bath tub in the master’s bedroom overlooking the Makati CBD
We were able to sample the hotel’s breakfast buffet in its in-house resto, Cafe on the 6th, before getting all prepped up for my sister-in-law’s 2PM wedding at NSDG.
Cafe on the 6th’s setup is a bit on the corporate side – nothing too fancy – but I do like the fact that they have a small, dedicated play area for the active tots.
For P1,000+ (complimentary for stay-in guests), I deem the menu lacking in variety and a bit pricey compared to other high-end hotels. Food was generally above average in taste (the scrambled egg tasted like milk and was just too squishy for me), but the selection consisted mostly of American staples such as bacon, hash brown, garden salad, Hungarian sausage, meatballs, scrambled eggs, cold cuts, pancakes, yogurt, cereals and fresh fruits.
This is how a pregnant woman eats (rice
for the equally pregnant husband)!
Main course
Juice station
Salad, cereal and fruit station
If you are craving for traditional Filipino or Chinese breakfast, then you’d be disappointed to know that Ascott’s only Oriental variations are the egg drop soup, congee and vegetable pancit – all of which are quite forgettable. The pancit was soggy and the egg drop soup was too bland.
Vegetable pancit
Another peculiar addition to the menu also was the Aloo Gobhi potato masala, which tasted pretty much like potato curry. Not really a fan of Indian food to begin with, so I won’t dare comment on it.
Potato masala
Dessert basically consisted of two kinds of pastries: Opera slice and Panama gateau. The opera slice had a nice, moist texture, although the rhum was a bit more overpowering than the chocolate. I liked the latter better because of its milder flavor and walnuts.
Panama gateau, Opera slice and croissant
Outstanding features of the buffet, though, in terms of assortment were the juice station (they had wild cranberry, guava, four seasons and orange), cold cuts section (consisted of brie, various hams, smoked turkey and salmon, and assorted cheeses) , and its wide jam and bread selection. They’ve got everything from bagels to croissants to slice bread, and even pretzels!
Cold cuts section
Cold cuts with edam, feta and cream cheese
Below were my favorites:
- Ascott bacon – really crunchy and tasty. Tasted like good ol’ chicharon. My husband had a plateful, if you wanna know.
- Hash brown – fried just right, very crispy outside but tender and moist on the inside
- Croissant – so soft and tasty, it doesn’t need the extra butter.
Grandma’s meatballs, Ascott bacon, scrambled egg,
Hungarian sausage and fish fillet in cream sauce
- Fish fillet in white sauce – doesn’t taste like fish at all. Creamy and had that nice, subtle hint of herbs.
- Egg omelette – Ascott serves omelettes hot and fresh right off the pan. Guests get to pick which ingredients to add (I had mine splurged with all the goodies – chicken, ham, bacon, bell pepper, onions, tomatoes, cheese – except chili and shiitake), then the chef cooks the omelette right in front of them.
Hash brown, pancake and deserts
Ascott’s breakfast buffet: maybe a 3.5 out of 5. But if you’re looking for a comfortable, modern place to stay in the city with amenities fit for an executive (and you have the budget for it), then Ascott is a pretty good choice.
The use of this 360° virtual tour of Ascott Makati is authorized by Traveloka.
