Life is smooth as silk at Seda

MANILA, Philippines - There’s nothing like Bonifacio Global City. Often known simply as BGC, the streets here are electric, the buildings fresh and vibrant. The area is a haven for new things, new concepts and ideas come to fruition. It’s the kind of location where work and leisure come together to make the perfect urban lifetyle that people only dream about. Out of that dream comes Seda BGC.

Located at 30th Street in the sprawling business district of BGC, Seda is the hotel that comes to mind when you put together everything that the city has to offer and is a reflection of its culture. Here, the city’s energy flows through each floor in a showcase of art and technology.

From the lobby to the top floor, the contemporary interiors are highlighted by signature pieces from designer Kenneth Cobonpue, and the walls are highlighted by the works of Tom Epperson and Jaime Zobel de Ayala. Wi-Fi covers the entire building, letting you check in to work, connect with loved ones, or simply show off the beautiful interiors for everyone to see on social media. At the lobby, a bank of iMacs lets guests do the same. All of these make Seda the urban lifestyle hotel for the modern traveler.

Andrea Mastellone, Seda group general manager, says the brand has accomplished much since debuting its first hotel in BGC in December 2012. “We put together our expertise, myself and the team, following the guidelines and the vision of the owners.” The owners being the AyalaLand Hotels and Resorts Corp. “We transferred the vision into a practical action which resulted in building four hotels and many more under development.”

The three other Seda hotels are located in Cagayan de Oro, Davao and Nuvali in Laguna, all of which follow the same pattern as their BGC counterpart. The experience can be described as smooth as silk, apt when the name “Seda” is actually Filipino for silk. Guests know this firsthand when introduced to the hotel’s standard paperless check-in procedure. Everything flows smoothly here, from the lobby all the way to the guest rooms.

Utilizing warm, neutral colors relaxing to the eye, Seda’s rooms are a showcase of comfort the moment you walk in. All the creature comforts are here, from the high-definition TV that can also connect to your laptop via a media panel, to the cozy bed where you can sleep a whole day away. It’s the ultimate statement on business and leisure: choose to relax or work here. Either way, it will be a comfortable time.

Adding to that comfort is convenience. This time, in dining. Seda pioneers the dine-in-a-box concept of room service in the country. Guests on the go may call the dining extension to order. Before heading off, all they need to do is pick up their orders from the front desk, stored neatly in an environment-friendly food packaging that they can take anywhere and eat anywhere. It’s fresh and fast casual dining.

“We are the first hotel to do this in the Philippines. As an urban lifestyle hotel we are attuned to the evolving needs of modern travelers,” enthuses Mastellone. “As a boutique hotel, we can make fast decisions to implement (this kind of) innovation.”

Speaking of dining, Seda has two facilities to satisfy its guests. Misto restaurant, located at the lobby level, is a glass-walled modern restaurant with an al fresco feel. Serving international and local cuisine, Misto is present in all Seda properties. The second one, however, is only present at the BGC location and Nuvali — the Straight Up Bar at the rooftop. With a commanding view of the cityscape, the bar ensures a healthy nighlife after a hard day’s work.

In terms of location, who can ignore the draw of BGC? From Bonifacio High Street to the multitude of restaurants and a major shopping mall, it’s hard to resist not viewing the city as its own weekend destination. Mastellone adds: “We cater to corporate because this is the nature of an urban lifestyle hotel. But we have a component of leisure as well. Weekenders come here to enjoy the Fort, and High Street, and other activities.”

Seda is set to cause a ripple among travelers who want to experience the best in modern Filipino hospitality. Mastellone knows this and is proud of what they have accomplished. “The rewarding aspect for me here is to see the development of a Filipino brand, to see the passion that the staff put into becoming brand ambassadors, and showing everybody what Filipino hospitality truly is.”

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Seda BGC is located at 30th St. cor. 11th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. For more information, call (632) 945-8888 or (632) 588-5700, e-mail at bgc@sedahotels.com visit http://www.sedahotels.com/.