24 hours at Sofitel

Manila, Philippines - Let’s do this backwards, shall we? Let’s start on Sunday, because there’s nothing more luxurious than waking up on a clear, bright and cool Sunday morning, and seeing nice views outside your window.

The view is Manila Bay. I’m looking at it from a balcony at Sofitel Philippine Plaza, where my husband R. and I are staying for the weekend.

The truth is, I had planned on waking up tres early — had even set my cell phone’s alarm clock — to take advantage of the hotel’s location and run around the CCP Complex. I had done that once before when R. treated me to a weekend there. I did Sofitel, CCP, Macapagal Highway, and Mall of Asia, but I was in such a hurry to end my run because I was excited to have breakfast at Spiral (it has the best muesli — neither too thick nor runny — and you can sprinkle it with shaved almonds and dried fruits).

Anyway, on this particular Sunday, the alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m. and I can’t get up; my head sinks lower in the piles of down pillows. Husband R., who sees me struggling every night to fall asleep (I’m insomniac) and every morning to wake up, opens one eye and says: “Don’t bother.”

So I don’t. At 7 a.m., we grab coffee, toast and cereal at the Club Lounge. R. happens to look out and sees, just beyond the hotel’s parking lot shaded by green canopies, an outdoor basketball court. It’s obviously for the staff only; the hotel offers its distinctively shaped swimming pool, 24-hour fitness center, tennis court, mini golf and jogging trail to sports enthusiasts.

But right after breakfast, R. grabs his basketball from his car and heads for the court to shoot hoops.

Decadent Sunday Brunch

For brunch, we head down to Sofitel’s flagship restaurant Spiral, which is on top of everybody’s list when you ask them what their favorite buffet restaurant is.

On Sundays, it’s even more special.

At 12 noon, the sommelier starts opening the champagne bottles for Spiral’s Champagne Overflow (P2,441+). You know it’s time because you hear that familiar popping, one cork after another, and people begin drifting to this section of the restaurant (that corner between the cheeses and patés section). You have Christophe Carte Verte, Piper Heidsieck, Opera Brut, Lambrusco, Duca Salaparuta, Proseco, and Asti Spumanti — not a bad selection when you can drink all the champagne you want from 12 to 2 p.m.

What I love about Spiral is its wide selection of breads and cheeses, from multi-grain to baguette and pita, from gouda to boursin to feta and gruyere. I like munching on stuffed green olives, dates, almonds, figs, and different patés — all these delightfully small-plate foods. 

Spiral’s appetizers are perfect with the champagne. I don’t know which one it is, but my favorite — after trying four other labels — turns out to be a sparkling red wine. No, it’s not rosé, it’s sparkling red! It’s actually the first time I’ve tried it and I love it — it has everything I like about red wine and the fizziness of champagne.

If you’re the kind of eater whose appetite for appetizers is big, Spiral will not disappoint. You have a section devoted to fresh oysters and mussels; a Japanese section with melt-in-the-mouth salmon and tuna sashimi, and different kinds of sushi and noodles. For the main dishes you have an Indian section with vegetarian, lamb and chicken curry dishes, naan and roti; a Chinese section with Peking duck, noodles, dimsum and the best taro puff; and several carving stations. Then there’s the dessert: the chocolate-chip cookies are a hands-down winner, and that’s not just my opinion — even people who are on a perpetual diet leave room for these cookies.

There are simply so many dishes that those who go to Spiral for the first time feel overwhelmed by the choices. Here’s a tip: Pick only dishes that you really like or ones that you don’t normally eat.

And go enjoy the Champagne Overflow. It’s Sunday, you’re forgiven for having alcohol before dark.

Relaxing Saturday

The day before the champagne lunch, I am actually frazzled when I get to Sofitel. Traffic is bad on a late Saturday afternoon and I have to lug my laptop with me to finish some work. My husband R., who arrives a few hours later, has his laptop with him, too. I tell him: “You know, even the househelp get a day off.” 

We hang out in the Club Lounge, enjoying cocktails and the quietness of the space. At 7 p.m., we go to Le Spa for our massage. I’m never able to drag him for a massage, but this time he agrees.

Le Spa is a wonderful space that’s designed to relax you just by being there. At the sitting area, we are asked to choose from a variety of massage oils. I choose lemongrass; he chooses eucalyptus.

For two hours in the couples massage room, we both drift in and out of sleep, stirring only when they gently wake us up with the sounds of a bamboo rainmaker.

The massage room has a veranda that looks out to the pool and the outdoor Sunset Bar. In the evenings, cultural performances are held here. Tinikling and maglalatik are just two of the dances they perform, and the three sets are always interactive because the dancers ask foreign guests in the audience to participate.

If you’re staying in Sofitel, you wouldn’t want to leave your room, so forget any plans you make for the evening. We made plans of catching a movie at MOA, of taking a walk, of shopping after our massage, but in the end, we just went back to our room, ordered room service for dinner and watched Night at the Museum 2 on the DVD.

This 609-room hotel — designed by National Artist for Architecture Lindy Locsin and National Artist for Landscape Architecture IP Santos — is the only one in Metro Manila with balconies in all rooms. You fully appreciate the Filipino-ness of this hotel — even as the appointments appeal to a world-class, universal taste and even if it is run by the French Sofitel group “Bonjour!” the operator says every time you lift the phone.) — because of its design. The designers understood that when you’re near a bay, you want to actually feel near the bay.

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Sofitel Philippine Plaza is located at CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City. Call 551-5555, 551-5610, e-mail room.reservations@sofitelmanila.com.