R&R with a capital V

MANILA, Philippines - In the already bustling confines of Alabang is a towering structure that spells R&R with a capital V.

Located barely an hour’s drive from Manila, Vivere Hotel is worth the trip down south. It has been a favorite choice of place to stay among foreign and local tourists alike since it opened in 2001.

With its first-class accommodation, dining and business facilities, Vivere is sure to deliver. The hotel offers a number of suites and rooms, which are elegantly designed with a distinct Asian flair to suit every guest’s desires. Guests can choose from a studio type, a one-bedroom suite, a two-bedroom suite or a three-bedroom suite. Each one is also equipped with living room and dining and kitchen area to provide guests with utmost comfort and convenience.

Located on the 29th floor of the hotel is the Executive Lounge exclusively for guests with a high taste for luxury and fine living. Equipped with a 36” television set, audio and office equipment, and a library of local and international publications, the lounge is the perfect place to hold both personal and business meetings.

When you want to take dining to greater heights — literally and figuratively — the Vivere Skyline is your perfect choice for an al fresco gastronomic feast. Located at the 31st floor, it promises a breathtaking view of Laguna de Bay and the metropolis, no matter what time of the day. The live musical ensemble that plays every Thursday and Saturday is just a bonus treat.

To provide guests with only the best, Vivere is also equipped with modern and top-of-the-line facilities. At the private oasis that is the Forest Stream Spa, guests can indulge in soothing massages, body scrubs and aromatherapy baths. Hotel guests can also celebrate the healthy lifestyle by visiting the Fitness Edge Gym, where licensed and friendly gym instructors will assist them. Vivere also claims to have the largest hotel business center in the country, providing guests with all the facilities and services to conduct business without having to leave the hotel premises. Busy dads and moms need not worry anymore because the Kid’s Playroom will take care of the “little guests.” There are educational toys in the play center to keep the children kicking up their heels all day long.

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But wait, there’s more. For guests who are seeking for a more nature-friendly retreat, the hotel introduces the Vivere Azure Boutique Resort in Anilao, Batangas. Perched on one of the best diving spots in the Philippines, Azure is an inviting beachfront resort that perfectly fuses comfort and seclusion. For the ultimate in personalized luxury, the trend is to “think small.” Astute travelers tend to shy away from the standard hotels offering nondescript luxuries and prefer the hip boutique hotels instead — small, exclusive, with character and style unlikely to be found elsewhere. The boutique resort asserts that there are still travel discoveries to be made even in a place as convenient as Batangas. The resort invites you to discover a tropical paradise amidst an endless sea of azure waters that sparkle and gleam.

All 13 suites are designed with varying degrees of eclectic elegance and functionality, with names that call to mind a sense of escape and fancy (suites are fittingly named Cobalt, Indigo, Escape, Sapphire, Aqua, Elixir, Elan, Rejuvena, Enchant, Anima, Zephyr, Ultima and Azure). Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors and breezy balconies give guests an ultimate viewing pleasure of the sea, which is an ever-changing backdrop of the serene sunrise and spectacular sunset each day. Although furnished with modern comforts such as an iPod dock, DVD player and the like, Azure stays true to its beachside ambience with a ceiling lined with woven straw, wooden fixtures and trimmings made of seashells.

Its various dining areas — Z’ Café, Cenare and Coco Bar — are well equipped to accommodate intimate feasts for any number of guests. What’s more indulging than a delectable meal complemented by a stunning view of the horizon. The pool area is also one of the best spots in the resort. The Edge, the resort’s infinity pool, offers the best vantage point to enjoy the scenery.

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While most boutique hotels offer only pampering and privacy, Azure adds something more to the already enticing package. Since Anilao is famous for its excellent dive sites and marine life, the resort offers its guests an extraordinary encounter with the diverse underwater creatures of Anilao.

Non-divers are also not left out as the resort provides a myriad of other outdoor activities: snorkeling, kayaking and island hopping to the nearby islands of Maricaban, Sepoc and Sombero. Schools of fish swim alongside snorkelers in Sepoc’s clear and shallow waters. It is also an eagle and crow sanctuary, to the delight of resort guests.

There is also Meditare, the in-house spa where gifted masseuses oblige guests with calming treatments in the outdoor massage huts or in their own suites. Ablaze, the game room, is fitted with all elements for taking it easy: a pool table, a selection of game boards, a well-stocked library of CDs, movies and pocketbooks.

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It is interesting to note, though, that these two escapes — Vivere Hotel in Alabang and Vivere Azure in Batangas — are managed by a woman who works hard to make sure that guests who leave the frenzy of everyday life to experience, explore, indulge and relax in a life of leisure will have their most memorable one. A seasoned hotelier, Vivere GM Elvie Sanchez-Quiazon shares the secret to her effective and efficient management: “I have faith in God and in myself. I love what I do and I enjoy it so much like it is not work. Also, a positive winning attitude is important. I value my great team.” 

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Both Vivere Hotel and Vivere Azure affirm that there is more to life than just work. They exist to remind busy-bodied urbanites the value of periodically taking time off from the pressures of work.

While a weeklong sabbatical is but a dream for most, everyone can certainly spare a weekend and a couple of hours on the road. As stress level rises, so does the desire to take a break.

Try Vivere and you are certain to have a great one.