Our Acacia Hotel Experience

I was lucky enough to win an overnight stay at Acacia Hotel from Lissa Kahayon. Perfect since we were planning on doing a staycation somewhere in the Metro before I give birth to Juro.

ACACIA HOTEL MANILA

Shade, shelter and strength. Just like an Acacia tree, these are the main characteristics that embody Acacia Hotel Manila. To provide comfort like a shade; a safe haven such as a shelter; and a strong and stable place that guests can keep coming back to. A true home away from home.

Acacia Hotel Manila is 20 minutes away from the airport and easily accessible through the Skyway and South Luzon Expressway. It is located at the corner of Commerce Avenue in Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang where it is surrounded by business and commercial establishments, including two premiere malls in the city, churches, hospitals and upscale residential areas. Its prime location makes it within easy reach to almost everything. Although a highly-urbanized area, guests will enjoy the laid back and serene environment that Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang has to offer.

Acacia Hotel Manila is proudly 100% Filipino. It is a new brand that promises to showcase true qualities of Filipino hospitality and at the same time offer world-class hotel service.
The hotel is owned by Corporate Holdings Management, Inc. (CHMI) through its subsidiary CHMI Hotels and Residences, Inc. and is being managed by Acacia Grove Hotels.

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Acacia Hotel is a 40-minute drive from San Juan City (on a no-traffic day that is), it was the quick getaway that we needed without traveling far from our home. It was also timely that we decided to have our staycation the weekend of Father’s Day, perfect treat for the hubby. I have to admit I was too relaxed and was on a vacation mode that I wasn’t able to take more detailed shots of the hotel.

The concierge area will greet you the moment you stepped outside the elevator. It would’ve been nice if there was even one staff waiting from the basement parking to assist us or at least ask if we need help with our luggage.

We were wondering why the elevator leads only up to the third floor, only to find out there’s another set of elevators on the other side that lead to the higher floors of the hotel.

Time to get checked in.

Acacia Hotel’s Deluxe Room.

Console table stores a mini refrigerator and mini bar with coffee, tea and snacks. The room has a 40-inch television with cable, easy wifi access, remote control for room temperature, a full size desk with mirror, and a lounge area where you can read or have coffee.

Safety deposit box, laundry bag & shoe mit, bathrobe & slippers, iron & iron board, (kudos for including an iron board!) and an emergency light all neatly placed inside the room’s cabinet. Did I mention it uses automatic light with motion sensor? What a cool way to save energy and easier, it doesn’t require switching the lights on & off every time you open the cabinet.

Hubby & I are very meticulous when it comes to bathrooms, he especially is keen and prefers clean, fully functional bathrooms even in our home. So he was impressed (and so did I) when we checked the bathroom. Lookie, there’s even a weighing scale tucked under the marble sink.

I love that the hair dryer is mounted on the wall and there’s a vanity mirror to go with it as well!

We also love that the bath tub is separated from the shower.

While Acacia Hotel states that it is proudly 100% Filipino, it bothers me that they use imported toiletries like the other hotel that promotes all things Filipino, read my open letter here. I hope Acacia Hotel would consider locally made products that truly depicts 100% Pinoy. Sadly, I wasn’t able to write to them during our stay but I do hope they read this post and take my suggestion into consideration.

It also baffled me why they didn’t bother install a bidet? While most hotels even boutique ones have bidets in their toilets (even in their common restrooms), I wonder why they didn’t put one? It was hard tuloy to wash Gabbie without one, I’m hoping they would install a bidet on all their toilets.

The view from our room.

The advantage of having one of the rooms on the 3rd floor is that you get the swimming pool as your view. Lovely!

Gabbie enjoying the view.

Sadly, the weather was bipolar and we weren’t able to swim during our stay.

After checking in and having a feel and tour of our room we head out to explore Acacia Hotel even more.

Stairs that lead to the 2nd floor mezzanine where the function rooms are located.

The gym is conveniently located on the 3rd floor.

The open space of the hotel that’s also located on the 3rd floor. There’s an elevated area which I think can be converted into a stage, perfect to host an intimate gathering or occasion.

We saw a bride do her wedding prep photo shoot.

Come the next day of our stay I was quite excited to try the buffet breakfast, I guess its my favorite part of staying in a hotel. I am a sucker for American and Filipino breakfast food so I was really looking forward to trying Acacia’s.

The Lobby of Acacia where buffet tables are set up, is open for dinning and even for meetings from morning until midnight. I wasn’t able to take photos of each buffet table as I was taking turns getting food while watching and feeding Gabbie. There’s nothing fancy about the set up and the food was that of a typical breakfast buffet menu.

Hubby’s breakfast.

Gabbie’s breakfast.

My breakfast. I was a bit disappointed, food wasn’t as plenty when it comes to variety and that the taste was so-so. Good thing there’s a pastry section where I helped myself with a few breads & jams. It took a few minutes longer for our chosen table to be cleared and for coffee to be served to think that they weren’t understaffed. It also took around 30 minutes for food to be refilled, I was really craving for french toast and pancakes but sadly, after an hour of waiting I got to try their french toast but the pancakes were never refilled. I also ordered an omelette from the omelette station, the chef asked if he can bring my order to our table instead so I pointed where we were seated. After 30 minutes or more the omelette was never served so I went back and asked for it and to my horror, the chef forgot my order! Sigh. I was really disappointed. My husband also noticed the chef seemed like a novice because it was evident he was struggling trying to flip an omelette.

After 48 years, my omelette and french toasts were available just when I’m almost done eating, I do hope they improve their service next time.

Moving on, because Gabbie wasn’t able to swim in the pool, she decided to swim in the bathtub instead.

Good thing my toiletry kit is always packed with a bubble bath soap, bubbles definitely is one of Gabbie’s weaknesses.

Gabbie sure did enjoy the bathtub!

THE VERDICT:

Amenities: 4 clovers

It’s not a boutique hotel nor is it a big one but it offers a pool, a gym with sauna, function rooms, a restaurant, and even a clinic.

Cleanliness: 3.5 clovers

As a family that suffers from allergic rhinitis, we were glad that the room was clean enough that none of us had an allergy attack.

Service: 3 clovers

Friendliness and hospitality are really important if you’re running a business such as a hotel. But quality service is more than those two characteristics, I sure hope they’ll improve and train their staff to work and serve faster especially when it comes to food and dining.

Food: 2.5 clovers

The breakfast buffet was quite disappointing as I was really expecting it to be hearty and filling. I have yet to try their food at their Acaci restaurant.

Overall Look & Feel: 4

Acacia has a modern yet minimalist interiors. The structure of the hotel exudes simplicity yet beams elegance.

Overall Rating: 3.5 clovers

A great place to relax and enjoy. We definitely felt like it was our home away from home.