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A stay at the family-friendly Hyatt City of Dreams
When City Of Dreams opened in February last year, it was the latest luxury integrated casino resort in the Las Vegas-style gaming and hospitality hub called Entertainment City. Three hotels are located here, all catering to the upmarket crowd: ultra-luxury Crown, stylish and trendy Nobu, and business and family-friendly Hyatt.
Of the three, the Hyatt brand is the one perhaps most Filipinos are familiar with. The old Hyatt on Pedro Gil in Manila was taken over by another hotel chain in January 2015. Hyatt resurfaced at City Of Dreams and is now a two-tower, 362-room property. I recently spent a weekend there and discovered a few things that make it a good option for tourists and local weekenders alike.
Location
A definite advantage of Hyatt City of Dreams is its strategic location: it’s just 10 minutes from the airport, and it will be even closer once the flyover being built from the NAIA to Entertainment City is finally completed.
The hotel is also about five minutes away from SM Mall of Asia, which should make shopaholics giddy. Also in the vicinity are the CCP Complex, the World Trade Center, the Metropolitan Musuem, and Intramuros.
There is a downside, however: the hotel does not have its own parking lot. Guests driving their own cars have to park at the City Of Dreams lot adjacent to the main building, which is about a 5-minute walk from the hotel lobby. It's a bit of a hassle, especially if you have kids in tow, but you can try to catch the free shuttles going around COD.
Rooms
I stayed at a deluxe room and it measures a very spacious 60 square meters. There are floor-to-ceiling windows framing a view of the coastal road and the ongoing construction of a different section of Entertainment City. I’m sure it’ll be a stunner when everything’s done in this part of the city.
The room itself is done in muted shades of mustard and tan, with a maroon carpet and a king-sized bed in immaculate white. I liked the his-and-hers sink with deep washbasins that minimize splashes. There’s also a rainshower feature and a bathtub, perfect for a warm soak at the end of a long day.
Pool
Hyatt has its own swimming pool, as do Crown and Nobu, and it's great if you're with the entire family. But you might be out of luck if you're looking for some peace and quiet; it can get pretty noisy and rowdy, especially with all the other families with toddlers and young kids splashing around and enjoying the weekend like you.
Food
At the Hyatt, the main dining outlet is the Café, with a buffet spread that rivals what other luxury hotels in the city have to offer.
For lunch, try the carbonara in the pasta station, and the roast beef in the carving station. For dinner, there’s fresh sushi and tempura in the Japanese station or tasty dimsum and noodles in the Chinese station.
Of course, there’s a complete breakfast spread to start off a new day. The bacon is crispy, the pancakes fluffy, and there’s even a Filipino selection that includes danggit, adobo, and taho.
Meanwhile, the Lounge is an intimate bar just off the lobby that serves classic and creative drinks as well as bar chow. Must-try is their tuna tartare; pair it with their signature Mango Passion cocktail.
Honeymoon Package
I wasn’t on my honeymoon, but I got a kick out of the rose petals, balloons and chocolate mousse cake that greeted me when I opened the door to my room after dinner.
The hotel also provides a box of chocolate pralines, a bottle of wine, and “a special surprise” for those availing of this package—which is targeted towards lovers in general, and isn't limited to newlyweds. Maybe I’ll come back here after I get married so I can find out what that “special surprise” is.
The little things
More and more luxury hotels are opening in the city, with near-identical features and amenities, so often, it’s the little things that make a world of difference.
At Hyatt, I liked that there’s a help-yourself iced tea and water station by the lobby. It may not be much, but you can’t deny the wonders a refreshing cold drink will do after the scorching heat outside.
However, here's another inconvenience: Hyatt's lobby is directly linked to the City of Dreams casino, which may be oft-putting to some and is, of course, off-limits to people under 21 years old. Guests can access the mall and Dreamplay via the elevator.
Finally, I found it nice that hotel staff greeted me by name as soon as I checked in. In the hospitality business, kindness and familiarity go a long way, and it’s always a good sign when hotel staff take the time to smile and say hello even though they’re obviously busy doing other things. — BM, GMA News
The Honeymoon Package at Hyatt City of Dreams is available until December 31, 2016.
