Sunday, April 14, 2013

Home Away from Home: A Family Staycation at The Exchange Regency Residence Hotel



There are many reasons why people don't get to travel out of town as much as they want to. For my family of six, we usually lack the perfect timing. Plus, the logistics of traveling with a special child poses a lot of challenges because we basically have to bring a lot of his medical and mobility equipment along.

And so, for the longest time, we didn't get to go much out of Metro Manila. We'd just usually spend an afternoon at a mall or get together with my mom, siblings, and their families at my sister's house here in Alabang. 


This past weekend, we finally got to unwind as a family via an overnight stay at The Exchange Regency Residence Hotel in Ortigas Center. It was the perfect choice for a family staycation because:

1. The suite room is large enough for all of us to comfortably move around in. It's exactly like a condo unit with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, kitchen, and dining area with plates, utensils, and drinking glasses already set up on the table. Since the boys have all grown bigger and taller, we were provided with an extra bed in the living room for one of them as they all won't fit in one bedroom.  


2. The ambiance of the place is really, really relaxing. For two days, we got to escape the heat of summer in this home away from home and got to rest from the hustle and bustle of our regular routines.  Thoughtful touches such as paintings, indoor plants, and display vases added to the homey atmosphere. Although I brought my laptop for posting a few photos and checking my social media accounts, I resolved not to do any writing for 24 hours and simply took pleasure in the company of my loved ones.



3. TER Residence Hotel has great daytime and nighttime views. Since we got a corner room on the 25th floor, we had a could see the stretch of Julia Vargas Avenue all the way to Laguna de Bay from my, and hubby's bedroom and a view of Meralco Avenue from the kids' room.


4. The hotel is easy to find. It is the tall building at the corner of Exchange Road and Meralco Avenue. And since my second son would be coming from his dorm in Recto to meet us there, I told him to simply ride a G-Liner bus with the Taytay, Rizal signboard and get off at the gas station at the corner of Ortigas and Meralco Avenues where hubby would fetch him with the car. He had no difficulty whatsoever traveling to where we were.


4. There are no corkage charges so we got to freely bring in food and beverages The place is also conveniently located near a lot of food establishments and ATM machines. You can have coffee at Tully's or dine at Benassi which are located just outside the building. For our late lunch after checking in, hubby and I walked to Ruby Road and ordered take out from Uncle Cheffy, one of our favorite restaurants. We also stocked up on big bottles of water, juices, and soda which we chilled in the ref. For dinner, hubby and I strolled along Meralco Avenue and checked out the establishments in and near Metrowalk. We ended up buying a whole chicken, several pieces of barbecue, and shrimp sinigang that only cost us around P500+ and brought them back to the hotel. 

At the 3rd floor
5. Lots of very nice amenities located at the third floor made our staycation more fun. Our special child, James, who loves the water, was able to enjoy the warm water (as did I) in the jacuzzi while his dad and brothers swam in the cold waters of the big pool. After swimming, the boys hung around the game area and played some pool as well as checked out the substantial equipment in the gym. Small children, on the other hand, would surely love the kiddie pool and play area. If you play mini golf, bring your equipment and swing some rounds at the putting green. I would have loved to relax in the sauna inside the women's locker room but didn't have time to do so. 

Inside a Deluxe Room
6. Dedicated Wi-Fi routers per room ensure you won't have heavy competition when it comes to bandwidth. Five of us have smartphones and we all got to check our emails and other accounts with ease using the high speed internet connection.

7. Friendly staff are always ready to give assistance. When we couldn't figure out how to make the SkyCable Digibox work, somebody from Housekeeping immediately came to the rescue. After eating lunch, we found out we forgot to buy dishwashing liquid and sponge outside, and another staff provided us with what we needed to wash the dishes. In addition, we deeply appreciated one staff member who offered to pray over James when he saw him and my hubby waiting for me and the boys to finish taking photos inside the game room.

Inside a Premier Room (which has a walk-in closet)
8. Affordable rates will motivate you to plan more weekend stays at The Exchange Regency Residence Hotel. If you're a business traveler, it's also a good place to be in because their Deluxe and Premier rooms have desks you can do your work on. Choose from the following:

Room Type                                Weekday Rates            Weekend Rates
Deluxe Room (2 persons)            P3,300 nett                    P2,800 nett
Premier Room (2 persons)           P4,300 nett                    P3,800 nett
Suite Room (4 persons)               P6,300 nett                    P5,300 nett

Rates are inclusive of set breakfasts (during weekdays), in room Wi-Fi, individually controlled air conditioning, flat screen TV and DVD player, kitchen area with refrigerator, microwave, and electric stove, and iron and ironing board upon request.


But wait! If you want to get a really great deal, use your BPI Credit Card and get 55% off the room rates! This promo is good until July 31, 2013. In addition, TER Residence Hotel also accepts guests who'd prefer to stay longer than several days. Call and ask for their discounted prices for longer stays.

I also have to mention that TER Residence has secure parking areas in the basement levels which set my mind at ease because we stayed once at a hotel in Pasay and found our car with a long gash on the hood in the morning.

A well-rested family the morning after :)
If you need somewhere to hold meetings and events, check out the the hotel's Function Room with its floor-to-ceiling windows that have a magnificent view of the Ortigas skyline as well as the latest in audio-visual equipment. 

There are much to be discovered at The Exchange Regency Hotel. Browse their website for more information. Log on to www.theexchangeregency.com, email reservations@theexchangeregency.com, call (+632) 3129999 or fax (+632) 3129998. For promo updates, like their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter (@TERHotel). You may also want to check TER discounted rates at agoda.com

The Exchange Regency Hotel is managed by Hospitality International Inc. www.hii.com.ph


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