Hotel Review : Back at Discovery Suites Ortigas

For those who have been following me on Instagram, you may have noticed the continuous photos that I've been sharing during my recent visit to Manila. We spent 6 amazing days eating, spending a lot of time with family and catching up with our closest friends too.

One of the biggest highlight of our trip (and reason for our flight home, in fact) happened a week ago when my one and only sister Pan tied the knot with my new brother-in-law E.  It was such a joyous occasion for both families and everything went perfectly as planned. Of course, we got my sister's dream team to thank for too.

The most crucial time was the night before and the day of the wedding. This was where a lot of last minute preparations took place and the endless pouring in of suppliers come the wedding day. So, when my sister was scouting around for that perfect bridal suite for her on-the-day preparations, we unanimously agreed that Discovery Suites in Ortigas was definitely the best choice. Of course, Paul and I also wanted to make sure that we're there for the bride-to-be every second of the way so we also got a room to stay the night where we can spend more time bonding with the entire family too. In fact, even my new brother-in-law and his family booked a couple of rooms in the same hotel too and it was so nice of Discovery Suites to ensure that we were all on the same floor for easy coordination and communication.



As you may know, Paul and I are no strangers to Discovery Suites Ortigas. This was also where we spent our first night as husband and wife as well as to celebrate our first wedding anniversary a year after. The hotel has indeed played an important role in our married life more importantly during those special milestones for the past 5 years.

What I love about Discovery Suites is how they keep a very good record of their guests. This helps them give a very personalized service which in effect makes us, the guests, feel really welcomed and special. Take our one-bedroom suite for example. We entered and were surprised to see a picture frame of our photo sitting on the dining table. I'm not quite sure how they got hold of that photo but it sure made us feel delighted and happy from the moment we stepped into our suite.

They have updated the look of their suites as we noticed that it now has a more modern feel contrary to the fully wooden interiors before.

I also love how each room comes with a small but well equipped kitchenette. You can heat up some food here or even prepare a meal. In my opinion though, if you're just staying the night, save yourself from the hassle and just enjoy a meal at 22 Prime which I'll tell you more about in the coming days.

Take a peek into our bedroom. Do you notice something special? Not really?

Okay, how about this? Yes! They gave us personalized pillow cases which I believe they do for returning guests. This really was the one that made me go "awwwww!!" I loved it so much that I immediately called the front desk to ask if I can take these home. The answer? YES! Provided, I leave the pillows behind. Haha!

Our bathroom had a nice bath tub that Paul loved very much, a glass shower enclosure with rain shower head. My only request is really to have a bidet installed in the toilet as only the one-bedroom suites do not have this but the 2-bedroom ones has. Boo!

Discovery Suites has made sure that we won't go hungry all throughout our stay. Look at all the goodies on our dining table! My sister also had the same set of cookies, pastries and fruits waiting for her in her bridal suite. Paul and I loved the cut-up fruits though as well as the welcome drink which was so refreshing after running around doing last minute errands.

Let us take a peek at my sister's bridal suite. She got a Two-Bedroom Suite where she and Mommy stayed in one room and the other room was where we set up her bridal gown and other items for her BIG day. Papa opted to prepare at home to ensure he doesn't leave anything behind but joined us just in time for the pictorials the next day. The room set-up is very similar to our One-Bedroom Suite except it has two rooms! One with a queen size bed and another with two single beds.

Her Two-Bedroom Suite was very spacious. I can really attest to this as at some point there were more than 20 people in her room on the morning of her wedding day and it still didn't felt too cramped.

I really had to make sure that I fit perfectly into my Matron of Honor gown so in between errands, I excused myself for a quick one hour workout at the hotel's gym. I'd say, the gym was very simple. There weren't a lot of machines available but all the basic necessities were in there. I used the bike, the elliptical machine as well as some weights too and I was good to go! I just noticed that they don't offer complimentary bottled water as I brought the one given to me in the room. That was kinda odd.

After our family dinner at 22 Prime, we all went back to our rooms to rest as we will have a very busy day the next day. Paul and I were surprised to see two cute baby elephants on our bed with a single stemmed rose in between them. So cute!!

Our beds were turned down and on the floor were these "Good Night" linens with our bedroom slippers too. This is one of the best evening turn down service that I've ever had among all the hotels that we've stayed in. They also prepared a pot of chocolate fondue for our evening snack. Wow!

We all had a very good sleep that night in preparation for my sister and E's special day...

At exactly 6AM, my alarm went off and right on the dot, the phone rang with my Mom calling to wake us up. It was time for a quick shower then breakfast as the suppliers will start coming in by 8AM. This is it!

We all headed down to Restaurant 5 where each room got a couple of breakfast passes. We knew we will be busy that day so we needed to fuel up as much as we could! I started with some cold cuts and a glass of fruit juice.

I also checked out the hot dishes and went for the congee which I turned into something that tasted like arroz caldo. Yum!

We also tried the sausages with some garlic rice too. I noticed that there's a good variety of Filipino, Western, Asian and even Indian dishes in the line-up.

One thing that we all love about Discovery Suites is the superb service rendered by every single staff in the hotel. From the helpful doormen and bellboys, to the hospitable front desk officers, to restaurant staff and even the housekeeping crew too. I like how they would put their right hand onto their left chest while greeting you. It really makes it feel more sincere and heartfelt. In a way, it's very Pinoy too.

Discovery Suites will always play a special role in our lives as it has been our top choice to celebrate a special occasion or a milestone in. Even my sister and E spent their wedding night there and it looks like they will be following the same tradition of going back for their anniversaries in the years to come. I guess, it's true that hotel and it's facilities may be one thing that will attract guests to visit but it's the service that will make them want to keep coming back.

Check out Discovery Suites located in 22 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. It's right across Podium Mall and it within walking distance to SM Megamall, Robinsons Galleria and all offices in the Ortigas Center. Visit their website for more details.