It was the 400 thread count, 100% Egyptian cotton bed linen and memory foam mattress which got me into the I’ve-got-to-try-this-or-else mode and the bath tub, oh yes, the bath tub.
The Christmas celebration back at
home in the province with my dearest family was crazy good and I think I gained
a few extra pounds by filling in my social calendar with a bridal shower, a
wedding, reunions, a christening and
random belly fests – this early, I am already dreaming and planning Christmas
2013. For the New Year, however, I thought of celebrating it in the city (Metro
Manila) as I intend to be well-rested (not all woozy from the 12-hour travel by
bus) the day before going back to the office. Knowing that I will be going home
to an empty apartment in Manila, I booked myself in a hotel I have been
planning to experience since that fateful day in November (or was it October last
year) when I read about in Chalk Magazine (March 2012 issue) as the only and the greenest boutique hotel in the country. Bonus fact: it
is in Quezon City, my home away from home.
So on the last day of 2012, after
having fulfilled a family-related obligation, I packed my gym bag with
overnight clothing, got waxed in Lay Bare in Eton Centris, got a trim, bought a
toothpaste then rushed to my New Year hideaway – the Cocoon Boutique Hotel.
 |
| image via hotel site |
I was told that the hotel was
fully booked for New Year’s Eve and a party will be held at the deck for the
countdown to 2013. The hotel lobby was a little dim for my taste when I
arrived, it might be the pending rain outside but whatever the hotel is lacking
in light that particular day, it made up with its sunshiny and efficient staff, ready to address
guests’ needs in a snap.
When I got to my room – oohhhh!
It was the nicest, cleanest, most mabango
room I have entered in years (haha!).
I wanted to jump on the oh-so-fluffy-oh-so-soft bed right away but kept
my composure. This is just a hotel room, Tina, not Disneyland. Do you still
remember The Suite of Life of Zack and
Cody in the Disney Channel? Or my personal favourite, Eloise, the famous Kay Thompson's character, a precocious and adorable little girl who lives in the penthouse
of The Plaza in New York? Made up characters or not, they are so lucky to live
in a hotel where everyone is extra friendly (everyone being 99% hotel staff, 1%
guests) and where guests are treated like royalty. I am sorry for gushing but I
can count with my fingers the number of times I have stayed in a hotel and I
admit to liking and loving the royal treatment. Who doesn’t?
I prepared for New Year’s Eve
like how a bride prepares for her wedding. Took pictures (to immortalize the
moment). Wrote down my vows in my yellow Seattle’s Best planner (expression of
thanksgiving for 2012 and expressions of hope and excitement for 2013). Took
deep breathes and embraced the present.
Thank you Universe!
 | |
| My booked Room (Deluxe) |
I was assigned two beds, called
in housekeeping and within seconds, I had one big bed of fluffy heaven.
(1) My hotel-assigned slippers - they were size 9 though| (2) Bible inside the side table drawer - I felt even more safe| (3) New Year's Eve Prayer | (3) My New Year's Eve dress - no polka dots, just flowers, pretty flowers.
After an extremely short nap, I
went up the deck to witness and pay my respect to the last sunset of the
current year.
 |
| Quezon City Skyline |
(1) 'Read Looking for Alaska by the pool | (2) The hotel staff distributed noisemakers for the new year's eve event
My mayaman moment: comfortably warm water, bath tub, yellow lights while reading my book. I was desperately forcing bubbles to form to upgrade my mayaman moment to a gazillionaire-Forbes-richest in-the-world-FHM’s-sexiest-woman-in-the-world moment but I must have done something wrong. But still, getting soaked and marinated in Lavender and warm water was glorious!
... 3, 2, 1 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
In the midst of noise and
excitement and all the jumping and shouting – I closed my eyes in thanksgiving,
prayed for my family and the people I love and uttered my personal prayer: May we find ourselves to be the right
person, in the right place, at the right time. Amen.
Cheers to a promising, exciting,
most wonderful 2013!
Cocoon Boutique Hotel
61 Scout Tobias corner Scout Rallos Streets,
Bgy Laging Handa,
Quezon City 1103, Philippines
Trunklines: 632- 9212706 to 08
Fax Number: 632- 4137281
www.thecocoonhotel.com
Bgy Laging Handa,
Quezon City 1103, Philippines
Trunklines: 632- 9212706 to 08
Fax Number: 632- 4137281
www.thecocoonhotel.com
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