Marco Polo Hotel, Manila

There's something quite exceptional about Marco Polo Hotel Ortigas but I couldn't particularly identify what it is other than that we know it is a Forbes 5 star brand.

I stepped down the car took the lift to the 24th floor where there it was, a festive lobby in luxurious aesthetics with warm smiles welcoming me at the check-in counters. The entire hall was spacious and packed with guests but not a single moment did it feel chaotic.

Already high up, we moved higher to the 34th floor to our room and what a bliss it is to step right into a space of elegance and sophistication. The daylight from the curtain wall and the yellow light drawn from the fixtures of the room create an ombre of glow that inspires calmness and relaxation.

You pull your curtains to the sides and you are faced with a panoramic view of the city with pockets of lush greenery and pods of skyscrapers alternating each other. This view is revived in the interiors of the room being accentuated with earth tones to maintain the divine scenery.

The floor is covered with a spread of high quality carpet that makes walking inside the 38-sqm room such a pleasurable mundane thing to do.

Marco Polo Hotel, as a five star brand has been an expert in hospitality, proven once again by a welcome platter of fruits and a bottle of wine. Pair these efforts with touches like a Nespresso coffee machine which is increasingly becoming a trend, brings the bar higher.

As a Forbes rated Five Star Hotel, Marco Polo meticulously gives attention to detail. The bed, the linens and the pillows form a tricky part of the entire hotel experience. Too soft then an uncomfortable feeling becomes bothersome in the next few hours, too firm and it can lead to back aches. And this is why the details of the bed require closely scrutiny and Marco Polo's version of comfort did not disappoint. The linens were of high quality, high thread count the pillows’ tender cushion were perfect enough to bring me in a deep slumber.

Dressed in marble, the bathroom and the glass wall that separates it from the bedroom is a unique element that defines a more distinct character of the brand, drapes can be pulled down to keep some privacy but the see-through bathtub crossing over the entire room is an experience some people may find interest in. With complimentary bath salt in each room, it was impossible not to self pamper.

But with such a stunning view, why would you miss taking a dip at the hotel's infinity pool? Laid on the 22nd floor, it is an oasis in the sky and as an indoor pool, it is always a perfect time to go for a few laps, spoil yourself afterwards in the sauna and a vanity room that might as well be a salon.

To make a complete remarkable experience, buffet breakfasts are usually the crowning glory of every staycation. Breakfast served at Cucina takes the effort to deliver that kind of experience.

An entire spread of international cuisine awaits the morning person eager to fill up an empty stomach. Each corner has something to offer, Asian, Western and even the more specialized cuisines such as Filipino and Vegetarian. It was a morning feast unlike any other hotel.

As a pastry lover, it was such a delight to check out the array of sumptuous baked treats at Cafe Pronto. Although the breakfast at Cucina was more than enough to take me on a gustatory adventure, I always have a space for some freshly baked pastries, and Cafe Pronto is exactly what I have in my imagination.

The interiors of Marco Polo is a visual delight where panache and artistry meet together to bring out a stylish and modern appeal. The intricate selection of furnitures, orchids and other floras such as succulents make a subtle and calm sensation rather than an overwhelming vibrance.

After looking closely on every aspect of what Marco Polo has offered, it is still difficult to identify which one in particular sparked that special feeling. When you get the chance to experience various hotels where most of them have the essentials, you have to rely on that feeling you get that ribbons the staycation experience. And that feeling is very apparent at Marco Polo, I'm not able to single out one from the list of checkboxes I have gathered in my stay because I think that it is the combination of all the remarkable details, from the most profound such as the beddings to the simplest such as the warm smiles, assembled altogether in a such a way that it feels innate in the Marco Polo culture, and thus, makes the brand worthy of its second name, a Forbes Five Star Hotel winner.