Home sweet serviced residence

MANILA, Philippines – They’ve got all the five-star comforts of a hotel, the luxury of space that seems to be out of place in the cramped city, and the charm and warmth of home. Such is the beauty of the Ascott and Somerset serviced residences.

“There’s so much flexibility for our guests to create their own personal space and to spruce it up so it feels as close to home as possible,” says Joanne Golong-Gomez, Somerset Millennium residence manager and director of sales and marketing for Ascott International Management Philippines.

The gracious women of Ascott literally walk members of the press through the fascinating world of serviced apartments one busier-than-usual workday, making them feel so much at home. With their female touch, attention to the finer details, and their tender loving care, the women of Ascott provide guests a home sweet serviced residence.

“At Ascott Makati, we try to make everything very personalized,” declares general manager Lew Yen Ping. “Our ‘As You Like It’ feature caters to our guests’ individual tastes and preferences.”

The comfy, inviting beds inside the serviced residences at Ascott and the bed weather outside prompt somebody to ask, “Do you have a pillow menu?” “Yes of course!” comes Yen’s quick reply. She adds in jest, “The men will find everything on our extensive pillow menu, except maybe for a new wife … You can have goose-down pillows if you like.”

Sofa, so good? Yes, you can have extra sofa cushions — the Ascott staff will make sure you get them in your favorite color, too — or a different cushion color if the one in your apartment does not sit well with you, or your own paintings hanging on the walls.

Almost everything can be personalized for guests. The Ascott host also arranges all the activities for guests, like the security orientation, city tour, and golf.

Surely, Ascott’s “As You Like It” campaign likes guests to be as cozy as possible during their stay.

Familiarity is a word that’s not alien to Ascott. “In a hotel environment, the staff gets to know guests on a service level,” notes Ascott lifestyle manager Susan Salcedo. “At Ascott, we get to know our guests on a first-name basis. So our staff will say, ‘Good morning, Mrs. Robinson! How was your day yesterday?’ I make it a point to know all the long-staying guests. When I meet them, I sit down with them to know their problems, big and small. We will do for our guests what we can to the extent that if we need to shop for them, we will do so. If they’re looking for something and I know where to get it, I will get it for them.”

We ask Susan: What exactly does a lifestyle manager do? “The concept of a lifestyle manager is something that was developed here at Ascott Makati. Basically, I handle all F&B operations and the Ascott Fitness Center. I also oversee the Ascott Business Solutions, a facility which features office suites and function rooms, enabling executives to set up their business headquarters or hold trainings, meetings, and seminars in an exclusive environment.”

Ascott welcomes guests with its signature teddy bear. You give your teddy a bear hug and embrace everything that living in a serviced residence has to offer.

For instance, Somerset Millennium, located in the heart of Legaspi Village, Makati, has a selection of spacious and comfortable serviced residences ranging from studios to one- to two-bedroom units with a lounge, stylish contemporary interiors, comprehensive kitchen amenities, cozy bedrooms, entertainment system, and high-speed broadband Internet connection. Residents are never lacking in sports and recreation facilities, too, what with Somerset’s fitness center, outdoor swimming pool, and Jacuzzi. Towering at 30 storeys is Somerset Salcedo Makati. With a wide choice of living space for individuals and families, from cozy studios to bigger three-bedroom serviced residences, it’s got a heated indoor pool and sauna on top of what its baby sister Somerset Millennium offers.

Perched amid the shopping hub of Ayala Center and the corporate offices on the country’s Wall Street, Ascott Makati boasts refurbished units, spacious living areas, state-of-the-art entertainment system, a lush garden landscape, a modern fitness center, aero studio, outdoor tennis courts, and its Café on the 6th.

There are in-room spas; you can have a massage (day rate is only P750) in the locker room or at the cabana by the poolside.

Added treats for guests are the Ascott Unwind activities held every month to give them a chance to bond and foster camaraderie and a sense of community. “We like to pamper residents with a special activity every month like a wine tasting event,” says Yen. “One time, we offered a complimentary 10-minute massage each Friday for a month — a nice, relaxing way to end a tiring week! This summer, we had a barbecue at the poolside area and gave out ice cream which the kids really enjoyed.”

Truly exceeding guests’ expectations with unexpected details, Ascott, Somerset Millennium and Somerset Salcedo, Makati are among a premier collection of Ascott International serviced residences in over 50 cities in Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Gulf region.

Always going that extra mile, Ascott provides those extras that make guests’ stay extramemorable. “Our bathroom products are by L’Occitane — our amenities are truly luxurious,” Susan Salcedo says with a hint of pride. “We have a big swimming pool and we’re personalized in that we offer swimming lessons at a very good rate. We have a green eco bag that guests can bring home.”

She’s quick to point out, “It’s very gratifying working here. I’ve probably worked the same long hours abroad but here, I’m happy. It feels like a home, not a hotel.”

And, says Susan, because it’s a home — your own home away from home — it comes complete with a washer-drier, a fully serviced kitchen with an oven, a microwave, a refrigerator, a set of plates, cutlery, ironing board, a safe, a big closet, Wi-Fi everywhere, and even a gym. You’re ready to move in.”

She hastens to add, “We also have a small kiddie playground and a day care center. We’re complete, and we even have couples who have checked out already but still send their kids to our day care center. We always try to think of what else is lacking, what else we can add.”

Ascott is certainly not lacking in food, glorious food! Because aside from the gracious women of Ascott, there are its great chefs like Dennis Edillon Jr. and Carla Pascual.

“What we try to produce in our kitchen is more of comfort food, not the hotel type of food,” says Dennis. “We offer a variety of cuisines and we vary our menu because most of our guests are long-staying.”

A truly beefy offering is the Ascott burger that uses 100-percent pure beef and is really huge with everything on it. Hot sellers, too, are the Filipino dishes like sinigang and kaldereta served at Café on the 6th. And speaking of the 6th floor, Ascott Makati has a herb garden on that floor. Chef Dennis tells us that here, they pick the fresh herbs daily to add pizzazz to Ascott’s assorted food offerings.

Dennis shares, “If a guest requires a chef to cook something for him, it’s not a problem. Once, we had a guest who was looking for gluten-free bread. It was a good thing we were able to buy gluten-free flour.”

Today’s press lunch, lovingly cooked by the chefs of Ascott, is enough to warm the heart on a cold rainy day. For starters, we have tomato tarragon soup, the tarragon picked fresh from Ascott’s herb garden. We let a prawn sit on our romaine salad with Caesar’s dressing.

The main course is a medley of roasted lamb leg served with lentil risotto, fruit and mint chutney and fresh mushrooms, and pan-fried salmon in sherry-sauvignon sauce served with pesto mashed potatoes, spinach, and baby vegetables.

As a fitting finale to a great day and a glorious meal, young pastry chef Carla Pascual whipped up a sinful repertoire of chocolate desserts. We stuff ourselves with the calorific goodies that land nonstop one after the other on our table. Then we look at Carla’s enviable slim figure and she explains, “I do boxing to burn the calories.”

The women of Ascott sure know the way to their residents’ hearts.

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This year, Ascott celebrates 25 years of life at the top. To thank its customers, Ascott has introduced a series of promotions and rewards. They can look forward to an unprecedented grand prize of free stays for the next 25 years. For details on the promos and reservations, visit www.the-ascott.com/25anniversary.