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Staycation in Alcoves Makati

Kara Santos

The intense thunderstorm last October 1 seemed to come from nowhere. I had just come from a media trip in Malacanang where the weather had been very hot and sunny. As we were heading to our drop-off point, sheets of rain came pouring down from the sky. When I finally hailed a cab, radio broadcasters were announcing that many Northbound roads were not passable, with some areas in EDSA already waist-deep. Tired commuters were interviewed on air, recounting how they had to wade through floods because vehicles were at a standstill.

I felt really grateful that I just had to make my way from CCP to Makati instead of slogging through EDSA to get back home to Quezon City. After the long day of walking, navigating through traffic, and the sudden crazy downpour, checking into Alcoves for a long-planned staycation / early birthday celebration with high school friends, was a relief. Really thankful that everyone else arrived safe despite the weather and horrible traffic.

Alcoves is an apartment hotel owned and run by well-traveled siblings (a lawyer, doctor & former professor/law student) who decided to set up their own establishment catering to tourists and balikbayan Pinoys. They offer private apartments in several prime locations in Manila. Each space is unique, designed and furnished by the siblings themselves as a fun, homey space where travelers can relax and unwind.

LOCATION

Alcoves 4BDR Penthouse unit in Makati, Legaspi Village, where we were checked-in, is a great option for large families, barkadas and groups. The 120-square meter space is tastefully decorated, clean, spacious and comfortable. The location is great too, since it’s less than a 5 minutes away from Greenbelt 5. There are major shopping districts, museums and restaurants in the vicinity.

LIVING ROOM

The living room felt very bright and cheerful, with several comfortable couches, a leather sofa and rocking chair surrounding the 50-inch TV with cable TV access mounted on a wall with a graphic tree mural in the background. I loved the use of modern graphic prints, the landscape / nature photos decorating the space, and the lighting fixtures.

We spent most of the time in the living room since I had brought a Magic Sing which I easily connected to the TV. There was a clearbook that contained all the instructions on how to operate the TV, appliances, and most importantly indicated the WiFi details!

KITCHEN & DINING ROOM

The unit has a fully equipped kitchen with everything you’ll need to cook and dine inside. There’s a refrigerator, a cooking range, pans, microwave, toaster-oven, plates, glasses, and electric kettle for coffee. The hosts even thoughtfully left a jar of 3-in-1 coffee and a liter of water in the ref for us.

Our original plan was to have dinner out in Glorietta, but since everyone got stuck in traffic on their way to the place, I ended up just buying pizza and fried chicken and we stayed in for dinner. Delivery hotlines were down, but since the place is just walking distance to Greenbelt 1, I didn’t have to venture far to find food. There was also a convenience store right next to the unit’s building, which made it easy to head down again for beer and chips.

ROOMS

The apartment has 4 bedrooms, 2 of which are loft-type rooms with wooden spiral staircases. There are a total of 3 queen sized beds (in the 2 loft rooms and in one ground floor room), 2 twin beds (in bunk bed format) and a sofa bed. The unit also has 2 full bathrooms (toilet and shower) as well as a 1/2 bath (toilet only). I forgot to bring a towel, so it was nice to see that the bathrooms had clean towels, as well as complimentary toiletries (soap, bath gel, toilet paper), just like in a hotel.

Rodessa, who had come all the way from Cavite with my inaanak 2-year old Abi, arrived first and got first pick of the rooms. Since she had a young kid, she got the room with a queen-sized bed that didn’t involve stairs.

Sab picked the room with the bunk beds, which had a nice view and its own balcony (good for smokers).

I went for the cozy loft room above the bunk bed room which had a trap door leading to a small balcony overlooking the living room.

Liza got the other private loft room above the dining room. The loft beds both had this cool lighting all around the bedframe and most of the rooms were also decorated with nice landscape shots.

Unfortunately, another friend Joy (and child Maxine), wasn’t able to make because of the bad weather, but the space was more than enough for all of us. In fact, the space can easily fit more than 10 people comfortably! If you add mattresses on the floor, and make use of the sofabed, it can even accommodate larger groups.

PERSONAL TOUCH

What sets the place apart from most hotels in the Makati area is that Alcoves service is “host oriented.” The owners made sure to have someone welcome me in and show me how to use the stuff around the house. Unlike business hotels which can feel so utilitarian and will charge you for every little thing, Alcoves feels more like a home.

Before leaving, I browsed through the guestbook and saw all the comments of previous guests. The most previous entry said:

“We were a family of 11 and the place provided comfort and convenience at one of the nicest areas to stay in Manila! We will be back! Maganda ang Pilipinas!”

We had a fun time just hanging out, catching up and belting out emo songs. It was a fun alternative to eating out and watching a movie at the mall. Best of all, we could stay up as late as we wanted since we didn’t have to worry about getting home. With its homey vibe, amenities, and great location, Alcoves offers a good value-for-money option for families and barkada staycations compared to traditional hotels.

MORE PHOTOS HERE

Alcoves is located in Legaspi Village, Makati.

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