Lotus Garden of earthly delights
Mabini, the fabled street that runs through social realist novels and cinema with its long nights and red lights, is not what it used to be. Interestingly enough, the area has become a hub of bars with diverse offerings (aside from the usual ice-cold beer, showbands and inexpensive thrills such as pool and dart games) as well as hotels that offer pocket–friendly rates. For foreign businessmen who check in at hotels in the Mabini area, every good joint is just a stone’s throw away. They could go to their meetings, exhibitions and seminars in, say, the nearby US Embassy along Roxas Boulevard, the PICC and the World Trade Center in Pasay during daytime, and at nighttime get a sampling of the Mabini nightlife. Beer and avant-garde art at the Oarhouse in Mabini, or blues and rock “n” roll at the Hobbit House at 1212 M.H. del Pilar street in Ermita. Walk a bit further and there’s Malate with even more varied delights.
One hotel that offers access to the essentials and the extras is the Lotus Garden.
It is so convenient to be billeted at the Lotus Garden Hotel, on the corner of A. Mabini and Padre Faura streets, since it is within walking distance to Robinsons Place, good restaurants in Ermita and Malate, and even a really good bookshop for the culture vultures (F. Sionil Jose’s La Solidaridad).
“Our hotel is very near the establishments where businessmen and leisure travelers usually go — the US Embassy, malls, restaurants, and establishments with live music,” enthuses Lotus Garden’s charming senior account manager Nikka Gañac.
But the hotel executives are quick to add that accessibility is not Lotus Garden’s only quality.
“You have to admire the cleanliness of our rooms,” says resident manager Armina Mendiola. “The members of our staff are hospitable and very accommodating. They make it a point to be friendly to our guests.”
The hotel boasts 86 guestrooms and 42 deluxe rooms with dinette. Rates are very affordable — from the standard room (P1,500) to the executive deluxe (P3,200). “We plan to add 30 additional rooms by next year,” informs Mendiola, who adds that the immediate goal for them is for Lotus Garden to get its four-star ranking.
The Lotus Garden offers venues for live-out and live-in seminars, as well as social functions like debut, wedding, baptismal and other special occasions. It has three spacious function rooms that can seat up to 200 delegates — Palmera, Anahaw and Rapis.
One factor that foreign businessmen and leisure travelers like to stay at the Lotus Garden is the well-equipped business center. Of course, it has the usual workstations and wireless Internet, but the business center also offers local tours, visa extension and passport services. It is also an agent for Cebu Pacific, Negros Navigation, Seair, Asian Spirit and Air Philippines.
The hotel also has its own resto-bar called Cilantro (run by Ibarra’s) where guests can partake of native and continental cuisines.
“We get encouraging feedback from our frequent visitors,” concludes Mendiola. “Most of them tell us that Lotus Garden is their second home because of our hospitable and very accommodating staff. They come from various fields — manufacturing, trading, pharmaceutical firms, recruitment and travel agencies, or even banks. But all of them are one in their desire to find a home away from home.”
* * *
Lotus Garden Hotel is at 1227 A. Mabini st. corner Padre Faura st., Ermita, Manila. For inquiries or reservations, call 522-1515 local 14, telefax 523-2575, e-mail at sales_lgh@citygardenhotels.com, or visit www.lotusgar-denhotelmanila.com.
