Frannywanny

 "When are we going to the hotel?" This is a common statement heard from our two little kulits here at home. At such a young age, they sure love going on staycations and well I don't blame them. A quick weekend R&R is one that we all need once in a while, right? A month ago, we celebrated Labor Day at Somerset Millennium Makati . It was perfect that we decided to check in on a Sunday so we were able to check out the Legazpi Sunday Market  and were reunited with some of our favorite market finds.  The hotel is located along Aguirre street which is part of Makati's busy business district during weekdays. Weekends, you get a different way chill vibe that I love. I grew up walking around this area as my parents' office was just around the corner and a lot of things have changed since then. I love that some restaurants allow al fresco dining during the weekends making it the perfect place to hang out, having a drink or two and enjoy a good catch up with friends an...

Move aside Zack and Cody! There's a new pair of twins in town who just loveeeeee having hotel staycations. Meet the #AngTwins, J & L!  My two very opinionated twins who would bug us on a weekly basis if they can go to the hotel. They just love the comfy and spacious bed, being able to swim to their hearts content, lazing at the bath tub and acting like fishies while their Daddy feeds them some snacks and just enjoying the outside world after being stuck at home for two long years.  Recently, we checked out Seda Vertis North  as they have a new Staycation Package that's perfect for the family! This was not our first stay at Seda though, the twins have been to this hotel back in 2019 and that was probably the staycation that made them fall in love with hotels. At age 2 then, they swam, enjoyed the delicious buffet spread at Misto and gleefully checked out the Vertis North mall next door. We stayed at the Premier Room then, so we got access to their Club Lounge as wel...

 "Mommy, Daddy can we go (to the) hotel?" Since the start of the year, this has been the favorite statement of the twins and they would really make it a point to bring it up every so often. Well, what can I say? They love going on staycations and staying at hotels just as much as Paul and I do. As they say, the apple does not fall far from the tree .  One of the reasons why they have also been asking was because they had such a fun time during our recent hotel stay last December at Quest Hotel  in Tagaytay . This was after a day trip to cousin M's farm in Batangas and since we didn't want to tire ourselves out with the long drive, we decided to stay the night in Tagaytay which is a halfway mark from Batangas to Manila (well..kind of). It was during the holiday rush so we couldn't go around that much as it seems like everyone decided to head to Tagaytay as well and the main roads were so packed with cars so we decided to stay and enjoy the hotel to the fullest. Th...

This year is all about FAMILY . It's the first year that we'e moved on from being a married couple to now a family of FOUR. For the past 3 months, we've done everything as a family. With the twins growing at rapid speed, they're starting to insist on what they want and that also means wanting to sleep closer to us and not on their crib anymore. Being fully aware of the dangers of SIDS (new moms, I urge you to read up on this), it's been a struggle trying to get my little L most especially to sleep on her own and not beside me or snuggling close to her Daddy. For several nights it has been endless cries and kicks until one of us would give in. My sweet little J has always been an independent sleeper from Day 1 but he would still wake up at the middle of the night wanting to feed and that's when he would refuse to go back to be let down on his crib. We're working on it and hopefully soon I'll gain back my space on our matrimonial bed once again. Aside ...

One thing that I love about living in the Philippines is how you have a lot of places to go to should you just want to take a quick breather away from the city. Take Metro Manila for example, you can either go North or South. For my family, we've always preferred the South and we would make the most of almost every 3 day weekend to head to our favorite weekend spot in Tagaytay. For the past decade though, we have noticed how Sta Rosa, Laguna particularly Nuvali has fast been developing. It started with several residential villages followed by three commercial establishments by the Ayala Group and recently, there's Seda Hotel , which is operated by the same group. In addition to that, they've also developed an ecozone where sports fanatic would head to for some wake-boarding action or if they just want to go boating.

Every year, Paul and I would make it a point to celebrate our wedding anniversary. On some years we went out for a nice dinner date but more often than not, we'd take the weekend off for a nice R&R at a hotel of our choice. This year, we decided to check out Marco Polo Ortigas Manila  for one full weekend of non-stop eating and relaxation. After all, this will be the last wedding anniversary where it's just the two of us. Next year, we will be joined by our beautiful twins so looks like it will be a family getaway from then on. Marco Polo Ortigas Manila opened just a few years ago when we were already in Singapore making us even more excited to check this hotel out. Personally, I'm a fan of the Marco Polo group as my family and I used to frequent their hotel in Hong Kong many many years ago. One thing that I'll always remember about Marco Polo is its spacious room. The one in Hong Kong is also adjacent to one of our favorite malls -- Harbour City, making it so co...

There's really something about staycations that I love so much. Some would tell me that they don't see the point of staying that night at a hotel especially when you have a home in the same metro. Yes, that's true but sometimes it's just good and healthy to take a break from your regular routine to unwind and simply do..nothing. So, a week after our return to Manila, Paul and I joined our blogger friends for a fun weekend staycation at F1 Hotel Manila . We're no strangers to this hotel as we had the privilege to stay here 2 years ago . This time, we're back with our friends from the KTG and after our LuzViMinda lunch, we all headed up to our respective rooms to rest up until dinner time. Checking in was a breeze as we were directed to the Premier Lounge . It's located also at the same level as the hotel's check-in lobby only you get a dedicated staff to assist you and while waiting you can even help yourself to some of the snacks and drinks availab...