Our Family's Lakwatsas: Our Favorite Overnight Get-Aways #1 Boys' Pick

We will be having a long weekend on January 21-23 because of the Chinese New Year celebration. Because of work and school, we seldom have the flexibility of scheduling our vacations and so we, most of the time, grab the opportunity of a declared holiday to go out-of-town.

Although this, of course, has its disadvantages. Dahil karamihan sa mga tiga-Metro Manila ay mga taling gaya namin at kapareho naming mag-isip. The rates are higher. The crowds are definitely bigger (so many people jostling for the same konting amenities). And the rest and relaxation you may have earned from your vacation would suddenly disappear at the horrendous traffic that would surely be waiting for you in either the north or south luzon expressways.

This Chinese New Year Weekend we opt to just stay home and recuperate (financially and physically - a vacation from our vacation!) from our last out-of-town trip. For those who have not yet made plans, will post here our favorite overnight get-aways - the first, our boys' favorite, doesn't entail a long drive and will be perfect for a not-so-long-weekend like next week.

Boys' Pick - Hotel Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila

We are a member of the Accor Advantage Club. For 7-8K per year, the benefits include:

- Up to 50% discount when dining in participating hotels and restaurants.
- Unlimited 15% discount on beverages in hotels across Asia.
- Complimentary one night's accommodation valid at over 340 participating hotels and resorts across Asia Pacific.
- Minimum 10% discount off the best rate of the day on accommodation, plus member exclusive offers.
- Transferable 'Member for a Day' certificate to give to family and friends.
- Exclusive Members' website for news, events, comparison of offers and to book online.
- Priority access and special offers for Europcar rental, major tours, attractions and events.
- Enrolment in A|Club at silver level so you earn 50% more points.
- Earn and redeem A|Club points at more than 2,300 Accor hotels worldwide.

What convinced us to sign up for the first time was that we figured we'd be getting our membership fee's worth with just the 1 night accommodation - the complimentary night isn't restricted so you can use it even during holidays, you just need to book way, way, way ahead of time :) We also love to eat and 50% off at the country's best buffet is too tempting a deal to pass up.

We first used our complimentary night during Gael's 5th birthday. Arn and I will never forget his reaction when he saw how huge our room was. (we upgraded the complimentary standard room to a suite - upgrading also gave us access to the club lounge with its free food and cocktails :). Upgrading costs around 5k) The bed was sooo soft, the pillows, oh, you would just want to lie down and sleep the whole day and night away. There's a tv in the sala and also in the bedroom and since we did not have cable tv yet during that time, our boys had the time of their lives watching Cartoon Network, Disney Junior and Disney Channel. The pool's kid-friendly but not heated so better put body warming oil on your kids' backs before they swim. There's also a playground just near the pool and a Kid's Club where dating parents can leave their children when they go have their cocktails at the Club Lounge or when they want to maximize the bathtub in the suite, hehe ;) Included in the complimentary package is the buffet breakfast (unli champagne in the morning, anyone?) for 2 adults - kids eat free.

What we liked most about our Sofitel experience is how near it is to our home. We had the benefits of an out-of-town mini-vacation without the hassle of a long travel. For this year, we will avail of our complimentary night on Black Saturday-Easter Sunday (we have this booked last October 2011 pa, hehe). We are also looking forward to our complimentary night's stay in Diamond Hotel so we can compare the experience.

(If you are interested in becoming an Accor Advantage Club Member, you can contact my agent, Robert, 09166359986. Just tell him I referred you. :)

Photos (Disclaimer: Since I didn't think of blogging about our travel experiences before, pardon the quality of the photos.)