February Delights at Hotel Elizabeth Baguio & Cebu

 Here are the sweet deals and activities coming up for Hotel Elizabeth for the month of February!

Hotel Elizabeth Baguio

 

Hotel Elizabeth Cebu

Panagbenga Flower Festival Activities at Hotel Elizabeth Baguio

Hotel Elizabeth

Central Reservation Office:

+632 912 2691

Email Reservations

Hotel Elizabeth on Facebook!

When In Vegas... Go Big or Go Home!

Remember Hangover?

Yep, I was a lucky brat that had a room with THIS view in Vegas.

I had a short business trip to Sin City, and only had one night to stay.

Cebu Spanish Seconds at Ipar's

Ipar's Restaurante Y Bar De Tapas

Before the main Sinulog Festival, I promised Mr. S that I'd take them around my favorite Cebu restaurants, and at the top of his list was a revisit to Ipar's for some tapas and some Paella. 

The last time I took him with Sea Princess Tessa, they absolutely loved Ipar and his Spanish fare.So I made arrangements with Ipar himself to make us a special menu so Cay & Mr. S could sample his specialties during their visit.

My New Travel Blog Reads for 2011

I just met a couple of travel bloggers like yours truly, and I'm excited to read their archives and share the sites with you!

Just Wandering by Nina Fuentes

Great information on how to apply for visas, the cost of a certain trip, and pertinent advice from someone who's been there and done that. 

The 4am Chronicles of Karlo De Leon

Beautiful photography. And I'm so excited to see his new "look" soon! Good luck!

Running In the Rain for Casa Verde's Ribs

 

This is how far I'll go to feed the food frenzy.

 I promised Mr. S & Cay that if we toured Cebu City, I would take them to Casa Verde for some of their famous Brian's Ribs, and I was craving for their delicious Bliss & Mushrooms... so we walked from Hotel Elizabeth Cebu to the Ayala Terraces branch of  Casa Verde. Good thing the hotel was only 5 minutes away by foot form the ball. BAD Thing: The Ayala branch did NOT have Bliss & Mushrooms on the menu, + they ran out of Brian's Ribs. NO!

My Favorite Room at Hotel Elizabeth for Sinulog

Pit Senyor!

 This is my favorite room at Hotel Elizabeth Cebu: the Junior Suite.

 Basically it's a big studio with a king bed, arm chair with a floor lamp for reading, a love seat sofa  and a foot bench for my purse and clothes. I think I love it more because of the framed photography that's mounted on top of the bed... lol

Touring the Queen City with Cebu Trip

Inasmuch as I travel back and forth to Cebu every so often, and am very familiar with their food, I am admittedly ignorant about the culture and history of Cebu. So when Mr. S and my Make-up Artist friend Cay tagged along for Cebu's Sinulog festivities, I decided to tour them around town.

Not myself, exactly. I called Cebu Trip to take us around all the major destinations and touristy stops in Cebu city. I am, after all, a tourist myself.

'Travel Expert' ToT on QTV's Full Time Moms

Here's my stint as a 'travel expert' for QTV's Full Time Moms with Christine Jacobs and Mark Bautista!

Picture Perfect Brunch at Pastis, NY

If you're in New York City and want to have a real life  'Sex & the City' moment, there's one place and meal you have to sit down at and be seen. 

The meal: The eponymous New York Brunch

 The spot: Dining al fresco at Pastis Bistro

Paluto at Pier One, Cebu

I'm not a big fan of Pier One, nor do I remember the last time I was in one since I finished highschool, but if you are in Cebu, this is one of the best places to have a Paluto (cooked-to-order) experience. They have the same reconstituted container ambiance, but they also have aquariums of fresh seafood which you can personally pick and have cooked to your fancy.

 No Cebuano restaurant would be complete without the bowl of condiments to make your own sawsawan (sauce) for dipping your seafood. And a lot of seafood there is...

Tubbataha Reef: Wonder of the World, Indeed

Sometimes... words get in the way.

 I remembered seeing this "Immigration" table, and feeling the urge to whip out my camera at the Palawan Airport

 Where we flew in to get on this dive yacht to go to one of the most beautiful dive sites in the world, as well as a UNESCO Heritage Site and finalist of the 7 Wonders of the World.

Spice Fusion's Authentic South East Asian Flavor

Spice Fusion

Since I'm in Cebu right now for the upcoming Sinulog Festival, one of my priorities is definitely where to eat, aside from Hotel Elizabeth's Flora Cafe, and where to take my friends out for an awesome meal. One of the places I thoroughly enjoyed during a previous visit was Spice Fusion, a South East Asian Restaurant located in Banilad Town Center just off Banilad Road.

The interiors aren't that impressive, a bit plain really, but their menu is as extensive as can be! If you're craving for Singaporean, Indonesian, Malaysian and other SEA food, then this is the place to go especially since it's managed by Malaysian chef Ling Sui Ching formerly from the Cebu Waterfront Hotels. Since my Cebu Crew is very good at filling up my naivete Manila tummy with Cebu resto finds, I gave them the liberty to order... and order they did!

Sumptous Chinese Spread at Shangri-La's Summer Palace

If you can't go to Hong Kong to get authentic Chinese cuisine, bring Hong Kong to your tummy via Summer Palace, my family's favorite restaurant for fine Chinese food with elegant ambiance. Ever since I was a kid, I remembered celebrating our special occasions at Summer Palace. When I grew up and began working, a lot of our lunches would be dimsum in this much-loved restaurant.

Though we frequent Choi Garden more because it's more relaxed and their Shabu-Shabu menu is fantastic, Summer Palace is the perfect lunch location. Plus all Shangri-La hotels have impeccable Chinese restaurants, and Summer Palace is really in a league of its own.

One of my favorite spots for dining is the Crystal Room, which is right in the center of the restaurant, enclosed by Chinese etched rosewood enveloping diners for more privacy.

Celebrate Cebu's Sinulog Festival at Hotel Elizabeth

(click to zoom)

Don't forget! Cebu's Sinulog Festival main events happen on the weekend of January 14-16. The best place to stay is in the newest, freshest and liveliest hotel in the Pearl City: Hotel Elizabeth! Hotel guests get a Goodie Bag filled with items to make you Sinulog ready!

Marcia Adams' Tuscan Retreat in Tagaytay

Let me just begin with this: these are two of the best pork dishes I've had in a long time, and I had to escape tall the way to Tuscany to taste them.

After the holidays, I just wanted to escape. Pass through these gates and be transported to a completely unique realm outside Manila, and outside the country.

This is Tuscany hidden between Tagaytay and Cavite, Marcia Adams' vision of Tuscany, that is.

My ToT Resolutions for 2011

Happy 2011 Everyone! For this new year, I want nothing more than to be the best ME/ToT that I can be! With that... my resolutions for 2011 are:

More Yoga and yoga retreats... hopefully with Mr. S (hint)

 Less Sloth... or laziness. But more hotel visits!

More Veggies... and fruits and organic products