The Cocoon experience

MANILA, Philippines - I’ve lived in Quezon City for most of my life. So it’s one of those places that will forever be enshrouded with that irreplaceable feeling of familiarity — a metaphysical blanket of hominess, so to speak. And throughout the decades of my life, despite the obvious growth of the country and expansion of certain areas in QC (with the introduction of numerous townhouse complexes in New Manila, previously dominated by sprawling single detached homes, and the mushrooming of yet more dining and entertainment establishments along Tomas Morato and Timog), QC still retains the laid-back easy-going feel of a suburban area on the fringes of skyscraper-dominated Ortigas and Makati.

So it is with the feeling of some rarity that you discover, tucked away from the main drag that is Timog, a quaint boutique hotel with the somewhat mysterious name Cocoon. The façade itself, albeit simple and understated, somehow calls attention to itself: its earthy pastel exterior highlighted by wood framed windows makes it stand out from other buildings and establishments in the area as well as the modern design of its moniker with the “O” and “Boutique Hotel” in vibrant lime green.

As a concert promoter I am always on the lookout for comfy hotels and the Cocoon immediately piqued my interest. I was of course skeptical — you simply can’t judge a book by its cover. So although the exterior of the hotel certainly stood apart from other establishments in the area, it’s of course the innards of a hotel that make it truly worthy.

The lobby, while small and compact, still manages to breathe. Thanks to the provision for a high ceiling as well as large tinted windows, which allow light to illuminate the area but repress the heat of the sun, keeping the interior cool. The antique Steinway piano is also a nice touch as well as a series of framed kalesa wheels, which maintains the constant theme of wood and earthy pastel tones.

The rooms, especially for a hotel in Quezon City, are a definite unexpected highlight. Typically you would expect the stark basics, but a Cocoon room exudes an instant warmth due to the wood floors and wood textured walls (all reclaimed wood from old homes) as well as a number of quaint accents in the form of little sculptures and figurines that are actually pleasant and not senseless clutter.

A tremendous surprise is that even their standard deluxe rooms are outfitted with deep soak bathtubs and the bathroom is visible from the bedroom area via large corner windows that have colonial-style blinds, giving the room a beach resort feel. All the rooms also boast super comfy beds and bedding with 400 thread-count, 100 percent Egyptian cotton bed linen, memory foam mattresses and 90 percent goose down duvets. 

But the coup de grace for the hotel for me is the deck on the sixth floor. This was what would make bands happy. A pool. Fresh air. Deck chairs. And of course a bar. As it is a boutique hotel this area may not be expansive but it is well spaced, tastefully laid out and downright comfy.

So far, I have had dozens of artists stay at the Cocoon Hotel, including legends Billy Sheehan, Mike Portnoy, Derek Sherinian and Tony MacAlpine. The list includes Pierce The Veil, Sleeping With Sirens, Bring Me The Horizon, Tonight Alive, Cannibal Corpse, As I Lay Dying, Dragonforce, Coheed& Cambria, A Skylit Drive, Circa Survive, and Amoral. In fact the entire international roster of this year’s Pulp Summer Slam essentially took over all 40 rooms of the hotel, making it a boutique hotel that became a rock & roll convention of sorts.

All of these top level artists had an outstanding stay and thankfully gave your friendly neighborhood promoter no complaints! And that is very cool. Apparently the Cocoon Hotel is top-rated by Trip Advisor and I would like to think the collective millions of Twitter followers of the above mentioned group of artists and musicians worldwide has contributed to this online accolade.

That said, booking the entire property is I believe ideal for large groups as well as small conventions. Not only does this give you the run-of-the-house, so to speak, it also establishes an air of exclusivity as well as security. And it essentially means if you are on premise, you are part of that exclusive “club” — not something you can typically do with a hotel that has 500+ rooms! So everyone you see are “friends,” which is very comforting.

I recently took time out to experience Cocoon firsthand as a customer instead of as a host, and truth be told I barely got out of bed, which was essentially a lay-down couch for me. I became a “bed potato” pretty much for the duration of my stay. The only time I really stirred was to get a massage on the second floor spa. And with no exaggeration, the massage was one of the best massages I have had in years. Although I have indulged in top-end spas that cost 10 times more, the skill of my masseuse was remarkable. The room may have been basic with not much room for extravagant décor or aplomb but the heated massage bed and the service was all that was needed to distinguish this hidden gem as one of the best places to get a massage in Manila.

For Quezon City, Cocoon is clearly the top choice for the traveller or the discerning leisure seeker that needs to find a little peace from the nattering pace of urbanity.

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Cocoon Boutique Hotel is at 61 Scout Tobias corner Scout Rallos Streets, Bgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City. For information, call 921-2706 to 08, 0917- 5567893 telefax  413-7281, or visit www.thecocoonhotel.com.