by Penny Angeles-Tan | Feb 11, 2023 | Food & Beverage
Celebrate the journey of love this February with a romantic sojourn and an array of delectable dining selections at The Manila Hotel.
Valentine Room Escape
Bask in the spirit of love with our Valentine’s Day room offer at a special rate of P10,000 nett (inclusive of breakfast buffet for two, dinner buffet for two, and a deluxe room accommodation) where couples can indulge in a luxurious overnight stay in a Deluxe Room. Enjoy our signature breakfast buffet and take pleasure in our romantic dining experiences at Café Ilang-Ilang.
Exquisite culinary journeys at our famed Café Ilang-Ilang
Intricate yet sumptuous flavors of local and international cuisines shine throughout our famed Café Ilang-Ilang. With an extensive selection of buffet delights, satiate your tastebuds this Valentine’s Day.
To better accommodate our guests, the dinner buffet will have two seatings on February 14 and 15, with only 350 persons each time. The first seating will be from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM while the second seating will be from 8:30 PM to 11:00 PM. A designated waiting area will be provided for guests arriving early for the second seating. Senior citizens will be prioritized. Regular buffet rates apply.
Embrace romance and glamour at the Champagne Room
Food is a love language, and if it happens to be the one you speak, there’s no better place to indulge than in the most romantic room in Manila—The Champagne Room. The fine-dining restaurant welcomes guests to the sophisticated culinary landscape of delectable European fare.
Our exquisite Valentine’s degustation dinner menu is offered at P6,000 nett per person and will only be available from 13 to 15 February 2023.
Valentine Gift Selections

The Manila Hotel also presents its signature offerings as ideal gifts this Valentine’s season. Inspired by sweet moments and little acts of love, the hotel’s well-loved pralines and smashable chocolate heart (P1,480 nett) double as thoughtful presents to loved ones or as an indulgent date night dessert.
For reservations and inquiries, please call (632) 85270011 or (632) 530015500 or email re************@************el.com
For more information on the hotel’s offers and updates, please visit www.manila-hotel.com.ph or follow The Manila Hotel on Facebook and Instagram.
About The Manila Hotel
The Manila Hotel is situated in the heart of the City of Manila. Defined by its history, elegance, and world-class service, the Manila Hotel maintains to be the choice hotel of the most distinguished clientele. Over the years, The Manila Hotel continuously provides the best services and amenities for a truly memorable experience. It has more than 500 well-appointed rooms and 22 function rooms.
Apart from these, the hotel offers five-star relaxation and wellness experiences with the Manila Hotel Spa and Manila Hotel Health Club. It has 6 dining outlets, each offering a unique culinary adventure:
- Café Ilang-Ilang which is a favorite spot for its extensive selection of international buffet delights;
- The Champagne Room with its Old European style fine dining and also hailed as the most romantic room in Manila — features French cuisine in a posh, fine-dining setting;
- Tap Room, an Old English pub-inspired outlet where one can enjoy an evening of jazz music;
- Lobby Lounge which is ideal for casual dining, aperitif, post-dinner nightcaps, or leisure meetings;
- Red Jade is a fine-dining restaurant that serves authentic Chinese cuisine; and
- The Deli offers the hotel’s signature pastries, breads, chocolates, and pralines.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Feb 10, 2023 | Book Reviews
Accidental Vegas Daddy by Ruby Emhart was fun to read. I confess I was mostly smiling as I was reading it. From start to finish Mason and Kenzie (Lynn) are humping like bunnies just about every time they are within a few feet of each other. It is like there is a magnet pulling them together each time.
I couldn’t help but laugh at how much of a thrill they got from making out in semi-public places. That fear of getting caught upped the heat by a thousand!
But, of course, the story can’t be an uncomplicated HEA. Enter Mason’s sister who happens to be Kenzie’s best friend with whom she made a pact in college never to get involved with exes or family members. Also enter Rebecca, Mason’s “betrothed” from an arranged marriage planned by his father. Add to that Mason’s reputation for being a playboy. All that didn’t make life easy for these two lovebirds.
A few are left unanswered, though.
- What is so special about Marin Digital, Kenzie’s small publishing firm, that so many big companies would offer to buy her company, including Mr. Media, Mason’s company?
- What is Alice’s damage that upon finding out about Mason and Kenzie, she ends up alienating both of them by roping in Rebecca? I thought she was smart.
- Since when did Conrad become “dad”? After Mason and he had that long overdue talk how long did it take for them both to reach that point?
If you are looking for something not too heavy, check out Accidental Vegas Daddy by Ruby Emhart on Amazon for only $0.99 or free with Kindle Unlimited.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Feb 8, 2023 | Book Reviews
I hesitated to read The Bogeyman’s Woman by Sam Crescent only because I don’t usually like mafia romances … mostly as it feels wrong to romanticize something bad but Ruin is mafia adjacent. I rationalize so that my mind will accept it. It helps that in the story we don’t really see too many instances of Ruin doing this job, although it does happen, and his targets are bad people so I see Ruin as an executioner simply meting out justice.
The story, though, is not about his job, not really. It is about how Ruin falls for his target, Callie, from the moment he sees her picture. This leads him to investigate why there is a hit on her while falling even more hopelessly in love.
Callie is a simple girl living a simple life. There is nothing about her that stands out unless you count her penchant for knitting. She has no social life and generally keeps to herself so how is it even possible that she caught the attention of a capo?
The Bogeyman’s Woman by Sam Crescent is a story of their courtship. Reading their courtship and romance develop was quite thrilling. This story is available on Amazon for 3.99 if you’d like to read it, too.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Feb 7, 2023 | Advocacy
Sterling Bank of Asia’s (SBA) annual CSR Activity, tagged as Kind Heart Gives, turns green this year as they conducted an environmental initiative at Masungi Georeserve in Baras, Rizal.
Masungi Georeserve is an award-winning conservation project dedicated to conserving the Masungi landscape in Baras, Rizal. Joined by 50 SBA employees, the activity allowed them to participate in the reserve’s “Nurture-a-Grove” reforestation campaign.
Sterling Bank of Asia is committed to fulfilling its role in upholding environmental and social responsibility.
“Sterling Bank of Asia takes part in saving the denuded forests around the reserve. It is also one of our ways to strengthen our sustainability efforts and to give back to the environment,” said Arlene Siongco, Head of Human Resources Group at Sterling Bank of Asia.
“We’d like to thank Masungi Georeserve for welcoming us. Activities such as these are necessary for the company as it is one of the ways we uphold environmental appreciation and conservation,” said Cecilio Paul San Pedro, SBA’s President and CEO.
The Masungi Georeserve project has been awarded for protecting the 60-million-year-old limestone formations and more than 400 species of flora and fauna in Baras, Rizal.
For more information, visit https://www.sterlingbankasia.com/.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Feb 6, 2023 | Book Reviews
I didn’t know what to expect when I opened the pages of Stolen: A Cupid’s Academy Story by Jayce Carter. The only thing I knew for sure was that it was probably a young adult/teen story as the book cover has “academy” written on it. The preview gave a hint that there would be a romantic element so I was curious to see how that would play out.
To my surprise. the romantic aspect is not a central theme of the story. It is there to add depth and help us go through Mara’s journey.
The author did such a good job of setting the tone that I found it easy to slip into the character of Mara. I was depressed when she was and happy when she was. A big chunk of the book is depressed because she is, but it didn’t pull me down. I found myself immersed and invested in the story that once I started I couldn’t stop reading until my eyes gave up on me. I open my eyes in the morning and the first thing I do is reach for the tablet to read.
I just have one question, though. Why is the title Stolen: A Cupid’s Academy Story by Jayce Carter when the institution is called Larkwood Academy? That aside, excellent job, Jayce Carter! I look forward to more of your books.
The ebook of Stolen: A Cupid’s Academy Story by Jayce Carter will be available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble on February 7, 2023, for $2.99.
You must be logged in to post a comment.