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| Linden Suites |
Address: 37 San Miguel Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Manila, 1600 Metro Manila, Philippines
Tel: +63 2 638 7878
Website: http://www.lindensuites.com/
Dates of stay: 4-6th Feb 2015
Room Category: One Bedroom Suite
We stayed at Linden Suites during the weekdays when G had to work. Ortigas is a bustling business district (one of the few business districts) and I suppose it was also convenient for him to visit his clients.
I arrived later in the evening and was picked up by G at the airport. Taking a taxi into the city, I experienced a taste of Manila's infamous traffic.
The modest hotel entrance has security staff to check your handbags and metal detectors, though I really question the legitimacy of it all. It is not just the security screening at Linden Suites, but all over Manila, you will have a few security staff to check your bags before you enter the shopping mall/building premise. Metal detectors line up the entrances and causes a line of impatient shoppers waiting to enter the building.
The staff is checking your belongings for stuff-you're-not-suppose-to-carry. They aren't really checking though, just poking their wooden sticks in your handbags and just following the motion of it. They aren't really checking for threats, really, they're just chatting with each other. I guess they're just giving a (false) sense of security to their owners and guests.
We were lucky enough to be upgraded to a One-Bedroom suite with a separate living room, kitchenette and dining area. It was nice because I could eat at the dining area while watching TV and make a mess on the table, it than retire to the bedroom for an afternoon nap without worry that I'd sleep in the aftermath of my breakfast mess. I know I am such a pig!
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| Dining/Pantry area |
It also included a coffee maker which made me really happy! I love a hot pot of freshly brewed coffee every morning. It was the first time using such a machine, but it was pretty straightforward. Pour the coffee powder/beans into the net/filter, pour water into the container above and let it boil and coffee will drain into the pot!! It is fragrant and oh so good! They only had powdered creamer in the room, which I didn't like, so I had to get the in-room dining server bring me a small jug of hot milk for the coffee.
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| COFFEE MAKERRRRR! |
The One Bedroom Suite also comes with a 7 cubic foot fridge (the standard size commonly found in households). It is perfect actually if you're staying for a long period of time and wish to cook in your room. There's also a kitchenette after all.
Friends and colleagues told me not to wander out alone and to wait for G to return after work to go out together. However, as rough as Manila can be, Ortigas seems pretty OK. I only wandered to the nearby 7-11 to get some snacks and also to the Megamall about 8mins walk away. Sadly, whatever that they have in Megamall was what Singapore malls have also (at almost the same price). Those on sale or discounted items were not that nice and the only few items I bought were a pair of earnings and postcards.
After my scrumptious lunch of French Onion Soup and Truffle Linguini, I wrote all 10 of my postcards and wanted it to be sent out on that day itself. Thus, I called Operator, Front Desk and even the Business Center. Operator has no idea what I'm talking about. Front Desk say they do not have any postal service and asked me to try the Business Center. I went down to the business center.. guess what! They asked me to go to the post office myself. I really wonder how can this be a business hotel if they do not even provide simple postal services. I mean, the hotel compendium actually states to call operator for stamps!
Anyhoo, I got that sorted out in my next hotel.
Overall, it is a nice place to stay as the rooms are big and it's very well located in a rather safe neighbourhood (maybe cause it's in the CBD). I feel that the hotel needs to read what they put into their compendium & improve their anticipation of guest's needs.
