Philippines,Travel

Celebrating Mother’s Day at Acacia Hotel (Philippines)

Acacia Hotel Manila Review

We absolutely love staycations, as you can probably tell by now, but no one looks forward to them more than Luke! Sometimes, he would even include that in his prayers (“Thank you God for hotels…”)

So you can just imagine his face when I told him we were invited to stay at Acacia Hotel Manila for Mother’s Day! (Hint: It looked pretty similar to his face in the photo above!)

Acacia Hotel Manila Review

We checked-in on a Sunday and there was surprisingly no traffic going to Alabang. Luke slept in the car and continued his nap all the way through the entire check-in process.

The Warmest Welcome

Acacia Hotel 6-min

When we opened the door to our suite, SURPRISE! I wanted to shout “WOW, LUKE, BALLOONS!!!” but he was still sleeping. Haha. I think Luke felt there was something going on though because he immediately opened his eyes!

Acacia Hotel 4-min

The first thing he saw was this photo of us and he said “BAGUIO!” Heehee. Yup, it’s one of our photos from the photoshoot we had at Baguio!

Acacia Hotel 5-min

It didn’t take long for Luke to notice the balloons all over the room and he was at them in no time!

Acacia Hotel Manila Review

Luke was so excited to push all the balloons out of the bed. He thought that was the whole point of them being on the bed. Haha.

Acacia Hotel 1-min

True story: One day, Mor was reading to him a book and one line said “the most wonderful place ever…” Luke then excitedly blurted “HOTEL!” (FYI, the book was actually referring to Heaven!)

Acacia Hotel 9-min

I know it’s Mother’s Day, but all the gifts on the bed were for Luke, not me! Haha! Not complaining though. Thank you Acacia Hotel team for your thoughtful surprises for Luke! Up until now, he’s still playing with the toys!

Acacia Hotel Manila Review

But guess what? His favorite surprise was this mini robe set complete with a pair of mini slippers! It’s the first time he’s ever had his own robe and hotel slippers!

Welcome Head & Shoulder Massage

Acacia Hotel 10-min

After settling in, we were given a complimentary 15-minute head and shoulder massage.

Acacia Hotel 12-min

Sorry Luke, massage is only for mom and dad. Hmm… why are you watching so intently?

Acacia Hotel 13-min

A-ha! He also wanted to do give us a massage! Haha! Good job, Lukey!

Acacia Hotel 14-min

Here’s your reward: your very own head and back massage too. Hehe. Looks like he’s enjoying it.

Acacia Hotel 15-min

… or maybe not. Hahaha. After playing around, we decided to change and go visit the pool.

The Pool

Acacia Hotel 21-min

As I’ve mentioned before; when staycationing with kids, the pool area is a must-visit.

Acacia Hotel 20-min

You get a nice city view of Alabang from the pool.

Acacia Hotel 17-min

But my favorite view will forever be this bunny!  Instagram #BabyOOTD thanks to Charlie Banana and BabyMama for the swim diapers, Banz for the swim shoes and Acacia Hotel for Luke’s awesome mini robe.

Acacia Hotel 18-min

The pool water was a little cold that afternoon so we decided to go to the jacuzzi instead.

Acacia Hotel 19-min

Ironically, the heater was unfortunately not working at that time. But good thing the water wasn’t as cold as it was in the pool. So we went in and it was no problem; Luke loved it! In fact, it actually took us a while to convince him to go out after.

Dinner at “A Steakhouse”

Acacia Hotel 22-min

Famished from our swim session, we were more than ready to have dinner at A Steakhouse.

Acacia Hotel 23-min

A Steakhouse is Acacia Hotel’s fine dining restaurant. Excited for our gourmet meal! We were told it’s gonna be Surf N’ Turf tonight.

Acacia Hotel 25-min

Of course or little traveler also gets his own gourmet meal: Spaghetti and Meatballs! Hehe.

Acacia Hotel 24-min

Let’s begin!

Acacia Hotel 26-min

One very remarkable thing about Acacia Hotel was the food: it was REALLY good! Our Surf N’ Turf meal was amazing and I enjoyed every bite.

Acacia Hotel 27-min

Towards the end of our meal, we were given a special box! What’s inside?

Acacia Hotel 28-min

Cupcake! Fun fact about Luke: He doesn’t really like sweets and cream-based food (usually, except pasta) which means, he never really liked cupcakes either. So when the whipped cream touched his lips…

Acacia Hotel 29-min

Hahaha. This was how our faces looked like literally 1 second before he barfed!!! Oh man (lol!) Good thing I was able to quickly move the cupcake out of the way. Hehe.

Mother’s Day Isn’t Over Yet!

Acacia Hotel 30-min

And as if all the surprises earlier today weren’t enough, flowers and cheescake were waiting for us when we got back to our room!

Acacia Hotel 31-min

I won’t be celebrating Mother’s Day if not for my little bunny so thank you Luke for coming into my life. Or rather, thank You,  Jesus for giving me my Lukey!

Breakfast at Acaci Coffeeshop

Acacia Hotel 35-min

Woke up to a beautiful morning, ready to explore the rest of our home for the weekend. But first, it’s time for breakfast! And a buffet spread is waiting for us at Acaci Coffeeshop.

Acacia Hotel 32-min

Since it was Mother’s Day weekend, there were a lot of people staycationing as well. This means, breakfast was jampacked! The staff were so helpful though and they would offer to get drinks and food for us, even though it was buffet style!

Acacia Hotel 34-min

Luke always has this serious expression where he crosses his eyebrows as though thinking of something super important. He’s been doing this since he was a newborn. Hmm…

Acacia Hotel 33-min

Thank you for all the coloring sheets and crayons!!

Bubble Bath Time!

Acacia Hotel 36-min

The activity Luke was looking forward to the most: BUBBLE BATH! And this time, I’ll just share one photo because we’ve overkilled it already with too many bubble bath photos from our previous staycations. Haha!

Playtime at the Rooftop Garden

Acacia Hotel 38-min

After bath time, we took a tour around the hotel. It was almost 12nn but we were still so full from breakfast that we didn’t mind having late lunch.

Acacia Hotel 39-min

Acacia Hotel has this rooftop garden. Did you say big, open, outdoor area? In that case, you can just leave us here for a while…

Acacia Hotel 41-min

Acacia Hotel 42-min

Acacia Hotel 43-min

Acacia Hotel 44-min

We love playing in wide open spaces! I wish we had more of these spaces in Metro Manila. (And I wish it’s not always super hot either so we can enjoy more of the outdoors!)

Acacia Hotel 40-min

And here’s Mor trying to make Luke laugh, which explains his mischievous expression. Haha.

Lunch at The Lobby

Acacia Hotel 46-min

And then it was time to eat again. We are definitely enjoying #TheAcaciaLife

Acacia Hotel 45-min

What really impressed me most with Acacia are two things: the people and the food! Everyone was so friendly with Luke, it’s crazy! They were all engaging him in conversations and giving him high fives. So sweet!

Acacia Hotel 49-min

Chef’s Trio of Mushroom Soup with Truffle Oil (P265) Puree of shitake, oyster and button mushrooms blended in a thick, flavorful soup. My favorite.

Acacia Hotel 60-min

Lobster Bisque (P180) Rich, smooth and cream bisque made of fresh lobster meat. The bowl arrived with just lobster bits, without the soup. And then the server came and poured it in.

Acacia Hotel 50-min

Crispy Nori Shrimp Salad with Wasabi Mayo and Shoyu Glaze (P225) We had it split in two, which is why you can see two plates here.

Acacia Hotel 51-min

Pan Fried Snapper with Marinara Risotto (P685) served with asparagus, saffron and beurre blanc. Luke devoured the risotto like there was no tomorrow.

Acacia Hotel 48-min

Look at this happy little boy!

Acacia Hotel 52-min

Lately, Luke has been so interested in chefs (he likes their hat!) and watching people cook. So he was a little “starstruck” when he met a real chef during lunch! Haha. And speaking of chefs…

Junior Chef Experience

Acacia Hotel 53-min

We were invited to take a peek at the Junior Chef session happening that afternoon! Luke even got to wear a chef’s hat like what all the other kids were wearing!

Acacia Hotel 54-min

Acacia Hotel offers this program to kids during summer. (They also have a Junior Hotelier program, which I would love for Luke to do when he’s older!)

Acacia Hotel 55-min

The kids were so funny, I wish I was able to record all the cute things they were saying. But the session was put on hold as the general manager called for everyone for an impormptu meeting at his office!

Executive Meeting with the General Manager

Acacia Hotel 56-min

We met with Mr. Bobby Horrigan, the general manager of Acacia Hotel Manila and he led such a fun discussion with the kids about what it’s like to be a hotelier! The way he told stories was so much fun that I won’t be surprised if the kids were encouraged to become hoteliers in the future too!

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Just look at Luke’s listening very intently. Could he be a little hotelier in the making?

Our Overall Acacia Experience

Acacia Hotel 37-min

Acacia Hotel Manila prides itself as being #FilipinoLikeNoOther and they really deliver on that promise. The hospitality and service we experienced was extremely impressive. In fact, it was so much like our experience at The Four Seasons Sayan in Bali, and that’s saying a lot!

Acacia Hotel 58-min

Thanks for letting Luke try his hand at being a hotel porter too! Haha!

I wish I was able to take a photo with everyone who was so kind to us, especially our server at A Steakhouse during dinner who kept Luke entertained the entire time (Hi Jessica, Luke still remembers you when we talk about our stay at Acacia!)

Acacia Hotel 59-min

Thank you Acacia Hotel for making me feel so special this Mother’s Day. Giving us an awesome staycation is already a gift in itself but the little surprises were such wonderful cherries on top!

We’ll be back next time!

(NOTE: THIS POST IS ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCE LAST MAY 2017.)
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33 Comments

  • Reply
    Monique Galang
    June 11, 2017 at 2:05 pm

    More like its luke’s day! I love staying at the hotel when i was kid, living like a princess haha Just eat, sleep and yes pool! The smile on luke’s pictures says how he enjoyed!

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      June 12, 2017 at 9:52 pm

      Haha, yes it was more like Luke’s day for sure!!

  • Reply
    Violette
    June 11, 2017 at 3:34 pm

    It looks like so much fun and what a beautiful hotel! I hope you had an amazing time!

    http://violettedaily.com

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      June 12, 2017 at 9:52 pm

      Thanks Violette! We had an amazing time!

  • Reply
    Bella
    June 11, 2017 at 10:59 pm

    Wow, this seems so cozy!

    Hugs Bella, http://nouw.com/bellss/borja-blogga-30383096 // Instagram: bellaskoog

  • Reply
    Pamela Leon
    June 12, 2017 at 2:25 am

    Aww seems like you had an amazing time! It’s great to spend some time with the family, specially in an awesome hotel as this one! xx

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      June 12, 2017 at 9:54 pm

      Yes, I agree!

  • Reply
    Candace
    June 12, 2017 at 8:16 am

    Wow, what an amazing staycation! I felt like I was there just by looking at your pics and reading your posts. It’s so amazing how they involved Luke in each activity. I’m sure he had the best time!

    http://www.thebeautybeau.com

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      June 12, 2017 at 9:52 pm

      Thanks Candace! It was so nice of the hotel to include Luke in everything. He had an amazing time!

  • Reply
    Benita James
    June 12, 2017 at 6:09 pm

    Wow! You had an amazing mother ‘s day. The hotel looks so beautiful.

    Bernie, xx
    The Style Fanatic?

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      June 12, 2017 at 9:51 pm

      It was wonderful and the hotel was really nice!

  • Reply
    Tamara
    June 13, 2017 at 12:11 am

    Looks like you had such an amazing time!

    XoXo,

    Tamara – LoveofMode.com

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      June 13, 2017 at 9:30 am

      I did, thanks Tamara!

  • Reply
    Dolce Nina
    June 13, 2017 at 12:36 am

    Love the photos! xoxo

  • Reply
    Patricia
    June 13, 2017 at 1:52 am

    Your photographs are absolutely amazing!
    Looks like the perfect mother’s day 😀
    kisses
    xx

    https://thathappymess.com/

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      June 13, 2017 at 9:30 am

      It really was wonderful!

  • Reply
    Monica . Mes Voyages à Paris
    June 13, 2017 at 6:02 pm

    Amazing pictures and looks like you had a great time!! Great post!
    xx
    Mónica Sors

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      June 13, 2017 at 8:30 pm

      Thanks Monica!!

  • Reply
    Angeli
    June 13, 2017 at 9:48 pm

    I love the overload of happy luke photos!!

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      June 14, 2017 at 1:12 pm

      Thanks Angeli!! He was super duper happy!!

  • Reply
    Eena
    June 13, 2017 at 11:42 pm

    SUPER belated happy mother’s day, Sheena! I’m glad you had a great time with your family and that you got to be pampered and all that :) I’m loving the hotel’s vibe and their great hospitality by the way!

    ? cabin twenty-four

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      June 14, 2017 at 1:13 pm

      Hi Eena, thank you!! We were so pampered at Acacia Hotel Manila; it was wonderful! You should go try and stay next time, I’m sure you’ll love it!

  • Reply
    Ashley
    June 14, 2017 at 1:40 am

    What an amazing stay!

    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

  • Reply
    mel
    June 14, 2017 at 6:10 am

    This is so cute! It looks like you had an amazing Mother’s Day! Your family is so beautiful :)

    xx, mel
    http://melinspired.com

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      June 14, 2017 at 1:13 pm

      Thanks Mel, we did! It was wonderful!

  • Reply
    districtofchic
    June 16, 2017 at 2:25 am

    What a incredible stay! I bet this was such a wonderful mother’s day!

    District of Chic

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      June 16, 2017 at 4:10 pm

      It really was!

  • Reply
    Ines
    June 16, 2017 at 8:26 am

    I hope you enjoyed ! This hotel is amazing !

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      June 16, 2017 at 4:10 pm

      We really enjoyed! It was amazing!

  • Reply
    Zorica
    June 30, 2017 at 5:05 pm

    Great photo selection.
    I can tell that you’ve had a blast.
    xx
    https://theonethattravels.wordpress.com/
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_zn7IqrAY1I44bRuN6dH-Q

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      June 30, 2017 at 7:02 pm

      Yes we really did! It was a memorable Mother’s Day!

  • Reply
    Eya Greyjoy
    November 20, 2019 at 11:39 am

    You have such a beautiful family, Mommy Sheena ?? It is so overwhelming ?

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      November 20, 2019 at 10:40 pm

      Thanks Eya! So sweet!

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