12 for 12: Fairmont Makati and Buffet Breakfast at Spectrum

Jan 23, 2016. Today we're heading off to Fairmont Makati for a staycation. The 2nd for the month. Chea was gifted with a GC.

Thirdy at Fairmont Makati

The two times I've eaten at Fairmont (first at an event in one of their function rooms, the 2nd on Chea's birthday) I always came away loving the food. It's my first time to stay here, so hopefully, I'll come away loving the hotel stay as well.

Chea checking us in. The big blue plastic bags are full of toys. Lol.

We left a bit earlier this time around so we managed to get to Fairmont just in time. Chea checked us in while I took pictures of the lobby area with Thirdy.

Near the entrance

The walkway between the reception area to the left, and the lobby/lounge area to the right

The bar by the lounge area

Lots of chairs if you just want to hang around

The reception desk

After about 10 minutes or so, we walked towards the evelator area, which was past the bar, and the other set of elevators that goes down to the parking levels.

The bar

The elevators

What I like about Fairmont Makati is that it's smack dab in the middle of the Glorietta and Greenbelt areas. It's actually connected to the Glorietta Mall, and shares the parking area with them. So you have mall access via the sublevels, and or via the street level walkways.

So if you're a tourist and wants to get your shopping-on, all the establishments are within walking distance. You won't run out of places to shop or eat. Not to mention there's a lot of other activities nearby.

Our room

We went to our room, 820, assisted by one of the bellhops who carried my plastic bags full of toys. I'll be meeting some of my buyers while staying at the hotel. Business and leisure, baby.

Im taking the pen and paper home. Lol.

Desk in front of the bed, towards the left

TV directly in front of the bed. A bit small.

Some AV inputs for the tv hidden in the desk

After we dropped our stuff on the floor, we took pictures of the place.

We got a two bed room. It's fairly standard and almost the same layout of most hotel rooms nowadays.

With the cabinets along the short entrance to your room one side, and the bathroom on the other side.

This cabinet has a lot of drawers. Sweet

Flat iron and ironing board

Thirdy playing with a pen

Small chair and table beside the window, with a lamp

Both beds are on one side, with a desk and a tv at the foot of it. We didn't get floor to ceiling windows, just halfway. And the view isn't something to rave about as well.

The view

The cabinet beside a bench with drawers

Top open

Bottom open

There's a cabinet with utensils and coffe pot on top. While at the bottom was where the personal ref was hidden.

Beside that was a chair with pull out drawers. Pretty nice if you want to put away some stuff, but I seriously doubt anyone would sit there too long as it's not comfortable.

The beds are pretty basic, with a bed side table in between. They have a pad of paper and pen which i used most of during our stay listing orders.

The sink and the bath tub to the right

Shower behind a glass panel. Couldn't take a better picture because of the small space

The toilet behind frosted glass

Toiletries

Another shot of the bath tub

The bathroom is average in size, but they managed to squeeze in a bath tub, a shower area, and a cubicle for the toilet bowl. That way you could at least shower and use the toilet at the same time if you're a couple.

My biggest complaint is that the main door to the bathroom is a sliding door without locks!

If you're a couple, that's fine. But we have a young kid with us who'd walk into any room as long as it's not locked. So Chea and I had to alternately use the bathroom lest Thirdy follow us both into the bathroom.

Thirdy trying out the bed while watching TV

I was a bit sleepy so I slept the afternoon away, while Chea's relatives dropped by. They went to the pool while I slept so I didn't get to take pictures of the pool.

At about 6pm, we went out for dinner. We went to Glorietta via the underground level.

Thirdy waiting for our pasta

We ended up at A Venetto in Glorietta 3. I wanted some truffle oil pasta but was willing to settle for any pasta since we were already hungry.

Plain garlic oil pasta. Large serving for 200 pesos

I always liked A venetto since their pasta come in big servings which you can share. I ordered a plain garlic oil pasta which only cost 200 pesos but could feed two people already.

Carbonara

Pizza. Didn't get to take pictures of the rest of the orders

I'm not sure if Chea's other relatives had tried this place out, as they ended up ordering a lot of food and had to take some of them home.

With our appetites sated, we went back to our room at Fairmont. Chea's relatives stayed a few more minutes before leaving for respective homes.

It was a fairly uneventful night, and before you know it, it's morning already.

So we went down to Spectrum and had our breakfast.

Ready for breakfast. Place looks great with high floor to ceiling glass windows.

Now, we were just here a week ago to have lunch, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. However, their breakfast option isn't as good as their lunch offerings.

The buffet bar is almost an L shape. The longer side offers the usual breakfast offering with bacons, eggs, congee, some soup, noodles, and a few main dishes (which I didn't bother to open), and the other side made up of pastries, fruits, salads, cereals, juices and bread.

That being said, it's still a good sized offering especially for breakfast. But it's nowhere the size of Makati Shangrila or Solairs, or other bigger hotels. Still, I was hoping for some unique dish that I haven't tasted anywhere else, much like the time when we had lunch here or the time I attended an event.

Still, the food tasted great. I guess I was expecting too much after having been treated to two great experiences in the past.

Bacon as always

Hash browns

I dont eat congee at breakfast buffets as its too heavy

Five main dishes

Noodles/soup anyone?

Thirdy loves champorado

Pandesal

Cold cuts and cheese

Only three juices

Cereal

Coffee

Fruits

Bread!

Thirdy and his chocolate drink

I'm a light eater what can i say?

I love flaky bread

After breakfast, we went back to our room, prepared our things and took baths. We checked out a bit early at 11am since we had to meet another buyer at Trinoma.



Fairmont's a pretty upscale hotel. Lobby is pretty average in size, but with a lounge area that could sit about 80 or more people. The design and decoration is pretty modern and snazzy. There's even of those well dressed ladies whose only job I think is to greet visitors. I'm stereotyping, I know.

Since we didn't pay for the stay, I don't know what the actual cost for the room and breakfast was.

But for those who are just staycationing (there's that 'word' again), there really isn't that much to offer. Except for the exclusivity (it does feel exclusive especially with lots of security men with guard dogs around), there isn't much you could do while staying the entire day in the hotel (Except the gym, spa or the pool.

As a tourist, you'd enjoy it because it's in the middle of a commercial district with tons of establishments at arm's length. But if you want a relaxing atmosphere, I'd advise you to just stay in your room as everything right outside the hotel is packed with people.