MANILA, Philippines – The first thing you’ll notice is the roof. Compared to other buildings at the Filinvest Corporate City in Muntinlupa City, this edifice has a distinct top you can almost say it has a certain attitude to it. Boasting a design of sharp angles branching skyward wrapped in subtle curves and warm color palettes, Vivere Hotel’s top floor is just as impressive as the rest of its 31-story facade.
As impressive as the roof is, it all starts out at the lobby. For years, being a resident of the great south, I have passed by Vivere and wondered about its “really interesting” roof design and front entrance seemingly covered with plants and ivy. All questions were answered as I stepped past the threshold and into a refreshingly resort-like reception area. Under the warm lighting is a nature-inspired design of pocket grottos bubbling with fresh water and live koi swimming about. Peppered with various native artworks, the lobby gives a sense of well-being and lightness.
Guiding us through everything Vivere has to offer is general manager Elvie Sanchez-Quiazon. She says, “Vivere is a Latin word meaning ‘to live.’” As Elvie shows us, living a relaxing life starts out with security.
A short elevator ride leads us to one of the floors where one can appreciate the open-air atrium. Stepping into the first hallway we see, people need to open a glass door with a keycard. Only registered guests can enter the hallways leading to their rooms. Once they get past that, guests can indulge in some of the most tastefully designed rooms in the metropolis.
Most of the rooms offer great, unobstructed views of the city and outlying provinces. Benefiting from recent renovations are over 15 different room types to choose from, ranging in size from 34 to 73 square meters. Guests can have the standard Superior, the one-bedroom De Luxe, Business and Premiere, and the two-bedroom Imperial, Regal and Royal suites.
For business people who make up a large segment of Vivere’s market, the rooms at the executive floors promise to deliver everything an upwardly mobile individual needs. Starting at 34 square meters, the biggest room type here goes up to a fairly respectable 149 square meters. Choose from the studio-type Penthouse Superior, the one-bedroom Prime Executive and Premier Penthouse, the two-bedroom Penthouse Imperial and Regal, the three-bedroom Regency Suites and Vivere Grand, and the two-bedroom with study room Presidential suite.
Guests at the executive floors benefit from additional privileges such as full, personalized butler service and use of the Executive Lounge and all of its amenities, including complimentary three-hour use of its meeting room, free breakfast, cocktails in the early evening, and express check-in/check-out.
Past guests may notice the changes in room architecture and design. Where once there was heavy and dark woodwork, now there is a much lighter aesthetic. All rooms have a unique blend of modern design and a Filipino touch. Most of the décor makes use of native materials — from the framed lanzones branches to the capiz window frames hanging by a wall right next to replicas of French windows in certain rooms. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the sporadic entry of color highlights that’ll invade your field of view from time to time. Against a conservative and subdued background you’ll often run across a neon green lamp, a deep blue flower pot, or a bathroom splashed in striking red.
With each room type having over seven different design variants, a stay at Vivere can be truly unique, seven times over if you wish.
Each room is standard equipped with a flat-screen TV, kitchenette, mini-bar, safety deposit box, cable TV and wired broadband Internet access. A unique bathroom amenity is Vivere’s own chemical-free soap, which guests themselves reportedly want to buy from the hotel.
The lobby and many of the common areas have Wi-Fi connectivity. Guests can cook in their rooms and the Vivere staffers are more than happy to provide an electric stove, dinnerware and the like. A 24-hour nurse and doctor are also on hand for medical emergencies. Six function rooms can accommodate a total of 300 people for any and every function. Elvie attests, “We are the only hotel that has passed international safety standards of different multinational companies in the Alabang area.”
Figuratively and literally, Vivere’s crowning glory is located at the 31st floor. Here, guests can find a spa, a fitness gym with trainers to assist guests, and a sauna. But the kicker to answer everyone’s question is the Skylounge.
Taking your dining experience to a whole new level, the Skylounge offers an al fresco setting. Enjoy a wide menu of Asian, European and American dishes in a nature-inspired design right beside an infinity pool overlooking the Laguna Bay. And did I mention the view? In the daytime you get a clear look of everything — from faraway Makati City to the horizon just past the bay and the province of Laguna. At night, the Skylounge becomes the romantic hot spot in the city, amid a background of city lights, the cool breeze, and light music. No wonder many marriage proposals happen here.
Another infinity pool is located at the fourth floor, carrying the distinction of being the first of its kind in Metro Manila.
It’s what one expects from a five-star deluxe hotel. Vivere is in a unique position to provide the best facilities and amenities while surrounded by numerous tourist destinations. At least three shopping malls surround the hotel — Metropolis in the east, Festival Mall in the nearby north and the upscale Alabang Town Center in the west. In between all of that is a multitude of restaurants and retail stores. A 24-hour shuttle that goes to any and every point in Alabang rounds out the superb services the hotel offers.
Even with Vivere having a wide range of world-class amenities, Elvie attributes the hotel’s success to one thing: “Our selling point is the people we have here. We really choose the people who have a positive attitude. We focus on service and the comfort of our guests.”
That’s probably what I felt when I first entered the lobby of Vivere, the sense that I would be well taken care of during my stay. It’s something that everyone wants; it’s how everyone should want to live.
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Vivere Hotel is located at 5102 Bridgeway Avenue, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City. For inquiries or reservations, call (632) 771-7777, fax at (632) 771-0158, e-mail at fnbinformation@viveresuites.com or info@viveresuites.com or log on to www.viverehotel.com.ph.