bayview park hotel – Jellybeans in the City

6 reasons to staycation at Bayview Park Hotel Manila

With the loosening of quarantine restrictions, we Metro Manila denizens are now able to venture out of our homes and explore more of the metro.

If sight-seeing in Manila is in your itinerary, why not eliminate the hassle of long drives and traffic jams by booking a staycation at Bayview Park Hotel?

Let me share with you six reasons why this would be a good idea.

1) You can situate yourself in its historic and happenin’ backdrop

Situated along Roxas Boulevard, the hotel is at the hub of the action, with rows of restaurants and scenic attractions only short distances away.

2) You can relax and unwind in comfort in one of its well-appointed rooms.

Whether for a short visit or a fairly long stay, Bayview Park Hotel’s rooms are furnished and stylishly designed to keep you happy and comfortable.

Its 30sqm Superior Room, for instance, comes with either a queen-size bed or two single beds and is equipped with airconditioning, cable TV, WiFi access, NDD/IDD telephone, 110/120V electric outlets, a safety deposit box for your important items and a coffee and tea maker.

Bottles of mineral water and daily newspapers are also provided.

The rooms also comes with full toilet and bath equipped with tub and shower (hot and cold water available), and provisioned with consumables such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, dental kit and tissue paper.

When you look out from your window, you can take in the view of the stretch of Roxas Boulevard, overlook the US Embassy and survey the expanse of the glittering Manila Bay.

3) Staying inside the hotel also affords you with opportunities for physical activity.

There’s no need to feel cooped up in your hotel room in between your sight-seeing adventures. Take a revitalizing dip in the hotel’s roof deck swimming pool, or workout some sweat in the fitness gym equipped with a treadmill, stationary bikes, a stair climber and strength training equipment.

Your little ones can also enjoy some fun play time in the Children’s Activity Center which is open on Saturdays and Sundays.

4) You can feast on great eats in the area!

Foodies will definitely get their fill of gustatory delights from restos easily accessible from the hotel.

Bayview Coffee Shop

The hotel’s cafe, located at the lobby, serves international cuisines as well as local favorites. It’s perfect for breakfast or quick snack breaks during your staycation.

It is open daily to serve hotel guests from 6am to 10pm.

Ilustrado Restaurant

For a taste of Filipino cuisine, carefully crafted with European influences, check out Ilustrado Restaurant.

It is located at 5440 General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila, open daily from 11.30am to 2.30pm and from 6pm to 9pm. For queries and reservations, call +63 2 5273674 or +63 939 9206822, or email catering@ilustradorestaurant.com.ph.

More information on Ilustrado Restaurant here.

Garden Dining by White Moon Bar

For Asian fusion dishes and a distinguished wine menu that you can enjoy al fresco, drop by Garden Dining by White Moon Bar.

It is located at The Barnyard, Manila Ocean Park, Luneta, Manila, open for outdoor dining Thursdays to Sundays from 11am to 8pm. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 85677777.

More info on Garden Dining by White Moon Bar here.

390 Degrees

For imaginative takes on Western dishes served in generous portions while in a luxurious setting, hop on over to 390 Degrees.

It is located at the Ground Floor, Sequioa Hotel Manila, Aseana City Business Park, Entertainment City, Paranaque, open daily from 10.30am to 8pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 82845110 or +63 921 2446502.

More info on 390 Degrees here.

5) There are so many exciting sights to see!

Manila is the site of many historic, cultural and entertainment attractions that can be easily visited from the hotel.

Rizal Park, for instance, houses the Rizal Monument (to commemorate the execution site of national hero Jose Rizal) as well as an Open-Air Auditorium, Independence Flagpole and the Central Musical and Dancing Fountain, along with the National Museum Complex which, in turn, houses the National Museum of Natural History and National Museum of Anthropology.

Within its grounds, you will also find Manila Ocean Park, the country’s first world-class marine theme park and premiere educational entertainment destination.

Manila Ocean Park Reopening — Jellies Exhibit

More info on Manila Ocean Park here. Click here to book your tickets.

With just a short drive separating Bayview Park Hotel and Rizal Park, checking out these attractions is a breeze!

6) Enjoy an exciting deal when you book your staycation online!

Book your stay in Bayview Park Hotel’s Superior Room for just Php2,222/net. This promo will run until January 31, 2022 (with stay period until June 30, 2022, and is exclusively available at its website.

With this awesome deal, you can enjoy a comfortable stay in the hotel with great savings, plus all the interesting sights and delicious foodie adventures that the area has to offer.

Clearly, exploring the delights that Manila has to offer is even more enjoyable if you do so from #YourHomeByTheBay, Bayview Park Hotel.

Bayview Park Hotel Manila is a 3-star hotel located at 1118 Roxas Boulevard corner United Nations Avenue, Ermita, Manila. With a 75-year history as the preferred destination for both leisure and business travelers, it provides unparalleled service and exclusive privileges for its guests at affordable and friendly rates.

To know more about Bayview Park Hotel’s offers, visit its website or follow it on Facebook and Instagram. For bookings and reservations, contact the hotel via:

+63 2 85261555

bookings@bayviewparkhotel.com

Photo Credit: Photos of Rizal Park and National Museum of Natural History by Erykah Rose Raton on Unsplash

Pictures of the hotel were taken during my stay before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bayview Hotel GM Eugene T. Yap: Leading with compassion

A good leader possesses not one but a combination of many good qualities. For Bayview Park Hotel Manila’s General Manager Eugene T. Yap, his best assets stem from his innate compassion for people and the desire to always provide service that only gets better over time.

Mr. Yap took his seat as the hotel’s General Manager in 2002, but he has been with Bayview Hotel Development Corp., the company that owns and operates the hotel, since it acquired the property in the late 1980s. At that time, he was serving from the company’s head office in Makati as part of the legal team that handled the property acquisition. Later, he was tasked to look over the structure’s renovations and repairs.

It may seem like a stretch for a corporate lawyer to work in the operations and management side of a hotel. After getting a business degree at the University of Santo Tomas in 1985, Atty. Yap pursued a legal career and went straight to law school at Manuel L. Quezon University, before passing the bar exams in 1990. But as he recalls, “You know how children usually dream what they always see? When we were younger, whenever we go to restaurants or hotels and service is given to us superbly and we feel happy about it, you tend to feel like you want to work in those types of service. At that time there wasn’t really much of a ‘hospitality industry’ to be spoken of so I wouldn’t call this my childhood dream. But when our company acquired Bayview, I simply began to love the property.”

The passion to serve people became Yap’s main drivers at work. “In the hospitality industry, we serve our guests and we take care of our employees. In the legal practice, we also take care of our clients and our staff. So, in this aspect, they are really not much different,” he says. He believes that good service can only be provided to hotel guests when the people working behind the scenes are also being valued by their leader, so he strives to give them a good working environment and has even adopted a program called the Managers’ Initiative. Through this program, employees are encouraged to pitch in their suggestions on how they can improve the hotel’s services, amenities, and even marketing efforts, and gives them the platform to explore their ideas. He also puts value in having a work-life balance among his employees and even with himself. “I always set a time limit for work because when you are enjoying the work, you tend to lose track of time and you should never lose time for your family. It is also important for me and my staff to recharge once in a while so we can provide better service to our guests when we return to work.”

When asked to describe his leadership style, “You can say relaxed but still professional. I believe in accountability where each one is responsible for their own actions, but I also believe in learning from others. I am forever a student of the hospitality industry so I try my best to learn from all people.” He constantly keeps a listening ear open for comments and suggestions from every person who walks into the hotel because he believes that “Guests are your best teachers.” He says, “How do I know when I’m doing a good job? When I see guests smiling. When they are satisfied with your service, that guest will keep coming back and keep asking for you. When the guest starts needing you, that means you’re doing something right.”

Not only at Bayview Park Hotel does Mr. Yap apply his mantras of good leadership. He also takes pride in being the president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP). As leader to the organization, he aims to leave a mark in the industry through his “leadership by accommodation,” which is founded on understanding, being approachable, and being reasonable. “Just keep on giving the best available service to your guests and don’t forget to give your employees the pat on the back that they deserve. When you start receiving compliments from your guests and loyalty from staff, that’s where success comes in.”

Details and images provided in a recent press release,

Spend your holiday at Bayview Park Hotel Manila, “your home by the bay”

Roxas Boulevard is a historic avenue, being near to many culturally significant landmarks such as the Rizal Monument, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Philippine International Convention Center, the Malate Church, the Manila Zoo, the Walled City of Intramuros and more.

Checking these sites out or simply enjoying Manila Bay’s famous sunset might be in your holiday wish list but Metro Manila’s severe traffic situation, especially during the holiday rush, can be quite a hindrance.

Why not explore Roxas Boulevard and its nearby attractions to your heart’s content, on Christmas or New Year’s Eve even, with no need to worry about the drive home by staying at Bayview Park Hotel Manila?

Priding itself on being “your home by the bay,” Bayview Park Hotel Manila offers you the comforts of home while giving you easy access to the bayside’s myriad attractions, especially during the holiday season.

Sate your hunger from a day of wandering and get on with the merrymaking with the hotel’s Christmas and New Year’s Eve Festivity Dinner. At only Php950 (net) per person, you can indulge in an all you can eat dinner buffet with a free-flowing selection of cocktail drinks from 7pm to 11pm on December 24 and 31.

Choose one of its 283 well-appointed guest rooms, beautifully furnished with a balance of space, function and design, for your holiday haven. Here, you can rest in ease and comfort after a day of sightseeing and festivities.

And with the hotel’s Christmas and New Year’s Eve Festivity Package, you can enjoy a restful stay in one of these tastefully furnished rooms (with free Wifi connection for the “always-on” types) at even more affordable rates: Php5,888 (net) for a Superior Room and Php6,888 (net) for a Deluxe Room. The package includes overnight accommodation (maximum of four persons: two adults and two kids), buffet breakfast for two, Festivity Dinner for two, Late Checkout until 2pm as well as free use of the hotel’s facilities (including the fitness center and the roofdeck pool).

Revel in its festive holiday decor. I’m sure the kids you’re with (and the kid in you!) will find joy in the hotel’s surroundings, especially its cheery Christmas Tree at the hotel lobby.

Who knows? You just might see the hotel’s bear mascot wandering around to spread cheer and holiday wishes to the guests.

Spending the holidays at “your home by the bay” can make the experience even more enjoyable and memorable!

To book your room or reserve a table, call +63 2 5261555 or email bookings@bayviewparkhotel.com.

For more details, visit www.bayviewparkhotel.com.

Disclosure: Photos of rooms and “I Love Bayview” as well as information on the Festivity Room Package and Dinner were provided by Bayview Park Hotel Manila. All other images are mine, taken during the 2018 Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony which I was invited to attend.