Last weekend, I found myself trapped in a casket trying to decipher clues to escape from a locked room. The same afternoon, I literally stepped inside paintings and navigated around the biggest interactive art museum in Asia. Nope, I wasn’t traveling to some exotic location abroad. I was right in Quezon City, where I’ve lived for years!

It was fun rediscovering the city thanks to a staycation courtesy of Microtel UP Technohub and Microtel Acropolis. Sometimes, we take the locations nearest us for granted, but as I’ve found out, there’s lots of fun stuff you can do in the metro. We really enjoyed playing a scenario in Mystery Manila, a real-life escape game room just walking distance from the hotel, and visiting Art in Island right beside Cubao Expo, which is a short drive away. I highly recommend these two fun activities for friends and families.

With Microtel Marketing Communications Director Dandi, Monique of The Boho Travels, Mai of Budget Biyahera, Kaiz of MissBackpacker & Edgar of Pinas Muna at Mystery Manila. Photo below taken at Art in Island.

For those who are looking for a place to stay in the area, Microtel Acropolis offers cozy and affordable accommodations. Here’ a quick look at the hotel’s features. Warning: This post is a bit heavy on the food.

LOCATION

Microtel by Wyndham Acropolis is located along E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, walking distance from vibrant commercial and residential development areas. Right across the street is Eastwood City, which hosts an array of establishments such as shopping malls, cinemas, banks, upscale restaurants, fast food franchises, clubs, and department stores. There are lots of wellness establishments and spas in the area as well, which makes it ideal for business travelers.

The excellent Tito Chef restaurant is located at the Ground Floor of Microtel Acropolis. Photo courtesy of Microtel.

ROOMS

All rooms are spacious (25 to 30 square meters big) enough for business and leisure travelers. Families or larger groups can opt to get adjoining rooms. The hotel’s no-frills, limited service standards mean you get everything you need for a clean, safe, and secure hotel stay without the unnecessary additions of an expensive room. The rooms come with the usual amenities like TV with cable channels, individually controlled air-conditioning, IDD and NDD phone, a full-sized bathroom running hot and cold showers, safety deposit box, refrigerator and free WiFi in the common areas.

Enjoying the free WiFi in our Double Room with comfy queen-sized beds. Photo courtesy of roommate Kaiz. 

HOTEL AMENITIES

The hotel caters mainly to business and corporate clients, many of whom work as long-term consultants in the BPOs just across the street. Guests can be sure to expect efficient services when utilizing meeting facilities and function rooms in Quezon City. The hotel has several conference / function rooms for business meetings and events.

One of the meeting rooms. Photo courtesy of Microtel.

Meanwhile, leisure travelers can enjoy a clean, safe and comfortable base for their urban escapades with the practical provisions in the rooms. I can imagine this would be a good base for out-ot-towners attending events or groups of friends who plan to go on late-nights out in the Eastwood area who would rather stay safe in the city instead of commuting at late hours.

DINING: TITO CHEF

One of the major draws of Microtel Acropolis is Tito Chef, their in-house dining establishment. The restaurant is a partnership between Microtel Acropolis and Chef Menoy Gimenez, known for his successful Tito Chef Restaurant and All Things Culinary located in BF Paranaque. The restaurant has a unique and progressive bistro menu that serves comfort quality food in an elegant setting. We really enjoyed our candle-lit Earth Hour dinner here and will definitely come back for the food. All the dishes served were well-portioned and beautifully presented.

We started our meal with a bowl of Truffled Mushroom Puree, a heartwarming puree of shitake, oyster and porcini drizzled with a bit of truffle oil essence. The deliciously decadent soup was a sign of good things to come. It was followed by a Spicy Kung Pao Wanton Salad. The crispy fried chicken wantons added a unique crunchy texture and dimension to the refreshing mixed greens Asian slaw salad. The siracha vinaigrette provided a good kick.

The highlight was the Aussie Lamb Paella, tender lamb morsels in classic paella with chorizos and garnishes, encased in a circular pastry shell. The presentation alone was a work of art that it seemed like a shame to eat it. But once we tasted the tender pieces of lamb mixed with the subtly spiced rice, it disappeared off the plate all too soon.

The best-selling Cedar Grilled Salmon was another hit at our table. Fresh salmon fillet smoked-grilled over cedar wood, served with a fresh petit salad & caviar topped mashed potatoes. Heaven on a plate right there.

I was starting to get full when two more dishes were brought out – Barbecued Chicken Jambalaya (barbecued chicken leg served with flavorful jambalaya rich casserole) and Teriyaki Glazed Grilled Chicken (broiled chicken thighs glazed in a zesty teriyaki sauce with grilled leeks, carrot batons and Japanese rice.)

To cap the meal, there was a trio of their bestselling desserts including Dulce De Leche Cheesecake, La Opera (coffee flavored layered chocolate torte) and Nutella Sansrival (toasted almond sansrival cake with Nutella buttercream).

Breakfast the next day was also served at Tito Chef. I was expecting the usual breakfast staples, but I appreciated the good selection, which included crispy fried tilapia, pancit bihon, fruits and bread, cereals and a salad bar. Not bad. Tito Chef provides all the hotel’s culinary needs from breakfast buffet, Thursday and Friday lunch buffet (P550; served from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm), all-day dining hub and in room food and beverage service. The restaurant is open to all diners even if they aren’t staying staying in the hotel.

WHY YOU SHOULD CHECK IN:

With its prime location providing convenient access to key establishments such as shopping malls, cinemas, banks, restaurants, and clubs, Microtel Acropolis is an ideal hotel for corporate travelers who want easy access to the business districts of Ortigas and Makati. The hotel also has affordable packages and promos for out-of-towners, families, couples and barkadas who want to enjoy an urban staycation near entertainment districts in Quezon City.

CHECK ROOM RATES & AVAILABILITY HERE.

ADDRESS & CONTACT INFO:

Microtel by Wyndham Acropolis is located at E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Brgy. Bagumbayan, Quezon City.

• Contact number: +63 (02) 962 8899, mobile: +63 (927) 557 2602, fax: +63 (02) 477 3063
• Email: acropolis@microtel.ph
• Website: www.microtel-acropolis.com