First, some notes.
- The photo of Conrad in the thumbnail and the banner is one of the hotel's official photos. It's not mine. The rest of the photos in this post are.
- We paid for our booking, and this review is an accurate recollection of our experience as customers.
Denise and I wanted our third wedding anniversary to be extra special. Hope had just weaned, and a date for mom and dad was long overdue.
I had been to Conrad Manila many times for work. Though I had never stayed as a guest, I’ve always loved the spectacular sight that greets you as soon as you enter the lobby: the glistening expanse of Manila Bay set ablaze by the tropical sun. I knew that would be the best backdrop for our brief honeymoon, so I booked a room with a view. What we saw when we opened the doors to our suite was far beyond our expectations. It was breathtaking.
A suite surprise courtesy of the wonderful people at Conrad
The room itself was amazing. For our family vacations, we‘re used to much more modest accommodations. But to mark the occassion, a bit of a splurge was in order, and boy did Conrad deliver. We had so much space, way more than we needed. There was a separate powder room, and the main bathroom was huge, luxurious, and impeccably clean. The bed was perfect.
Our suite room came with access to the Executive Lounge, and that’s where we headed soon after we checked in. Afternoon snacks and evening cocktails were served, and we enjoyed just hanging out and watching the sun set.
Afterwards, we went to the spa for our couple’s massage appointment. We started with a hot bubble bath, followed by aromatherapy and reflexology. The whole experience was immensely satisfying, and I woke up two hours later to my wife’s laughter, with the therapists nowhere to be seen. Apparently, I had been sound asleep and snoring loudly for a while. It was the best massage I ever had, despite remembering only 80% of it.
A prelude to the most relaxing massage I've ever had.
It has to be said that aside from the picturesque setting and the tasteful amenities, the service made our stay so much more pleasant. I told them in advance that we were celebrating a special occasion, and asked if they could arrange for flowers (which I had purchased at a nearby flowershop) to be placed in our room. To my delight, the flowers were there, with an accompanying complimentary slice of cake and bottle of wine. The bedroom also had a wonderful surprise that you’ll have to see in my pictures to fully appreciate! My heartfelt gratitude goes out to everyone at Conrad who took care of us.
So my wife and I ate the surprise cake and drank the wine in bed to cap off a most romantic day.
I don’t remember much about breakfast except that it was delicious and filling. We enjoyed ours al fresco as the air was fresh and cool.
In the end, the only complaint we have is that the experience was over too soon. It’s something we are eager to fix, so we‘re definitely coming back later this year.
If you’re looking for a memorable, relaxing vacation at a unique location, I can’t recommend Conrad Manila enough.
