I finally broke and defied our families’ tradition of simply observing the Holy Week at home. My family spent Maundy Thursday to Black Saturday away from home.
I still remember my grandfather who would prevent us from opening the television and the radio from Thursday to Saturday; who would command us to stay at home and warned us to refrain from working and playing physical games to avoid any untoward incident (baka ma-viernes santo ka!).
To lessen my guilt, I chose a nearby hotel in Clark. But to be honest, that was the most financially viable thing to do considering the matter of tuition fees this coming June; and besides, there are other places (and additional expenses) booked for the rest of the summer.
I saw in Punto! the advertisement of Hotel Vida in Clark, Pampanga. I asked some friends about it. They all said that’s a new hotel catered for the Koreans. I searched it on the web and was satisfied that it has all the basic amenities and facilities of a hotel. And it is run by Fuego Hotels & Properties that showcases the Korean owned Widus International Leisure’s commitment to a “total luxury getaway”. My four kids got so excited and can’t wait for the Maundy Thursday, forgetting in the meantime their usual favorites: Fontana and Mimosa villas.
After the rounds of Visita Ingesias last Maundy Thursday, we proceeded to Hotel Vida. From the façade of the hotel to its interiors, you can feel the tropical theme and Asian influences. Jaspher immediately led us to the reception and volunteered to park our van on one of the spacious parking spaces. In deed in Clark, you would not ran out of parking spaces.
The receptionists are well trained and would greet you with sincere smiles. It took me only a minute to check-in until Jaspher went back with our luggage and led us to our room. The one-bedroom suite with mini kitchen (without cooking wares), dining area and living room, is Zen inspired. The brown and earth colors perfectly blended with stones and wood. They complemented the comfort offered by the pieces of furniture perfectly fitted inside the two adjoining rooms. The restroom and the bathroom are Japanese/Korean inspired, and the kids appreciated them in great awe.
Unlike the typical hotel, the building has natural ventilation where natural air freely passes to accentuate the air conditioning system. Natural light also penetrates the hotel as part of its aesthetic interiors. And the kids enjoyed in the morning of Good Friday the spacious swimming pool designed not to cause worry to any parent or guardian. And there is a lifeguard, too.
The service of this hotel was exemplified to the max when my nine year old daughter had an accidental slip inside the room and suffered a cut on her chin, serious enough to necessitate immediate medical attention. In less than a minute, Hotel Nurse Argie Trinidad was inside the room with his first aid kit. When he saw that the cut needed some stitches, he immediately arranged for a hotel car and brought us to the nearby Air Force City Hospital. The hospital doctor, a certain Major Sibal, conducted immediate operation (making 3 stitches), like a military on the rescue. It was so quick that my daughter did not have much time to agonize (except her usual yelling and katarayan brought by too much nervousness and pain). In less than 30 minutes, we were back in the hotel. Nurse Argie never left us until he was sure that my daughter is fine and smiling again. Thanks to you, and here’s praying that Filipinos would continue to enjoy your world-class services.
With this incident that happened at around 3 PM of Good Friday, I could see the faces of my old folks yelling at me and saying “na-viernes santo ka”, which made me decide to forego the night swimming. The kids completely understood and somehow, it gave them the impression to be more solemn in the observance of this Holy Week. We watched “Himala” on the local channel and discussed it afterwards. My 7 year old son was so impressed of Nora Aunor’s acting while my eldest daughter wondered how such a huge number of extras were so trained not to look conspicuously on the camera.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner… the hotel offered wide array of delicious food on their buffet table, with full proscription on the solemnity of the season. And I was amazed on how reasonable the foods are priced. No wonder that all persons booked in the hotel decided to eat there. My wallet kept on smiling.
Aside from the malfunctioning of one of the two main elevators and the more than an hour arrival of room food orders (maybe due to the influx of maximum number of visitors this season), Hotel Vida is a perfect place to go for affordable luxury that would keep one’s wallet smiling until Easter. No, the majority of the hotel guests are not Koreans. In fact, about 90% are Filipino families spending bonding moments at this luxurious place.
But more than that, the family is solidified once more by the long bonding moments of intimate talks, laughter, prayers and unity, in a more comfortable and relaxing environment which one can call a home away from home.
I still remember my grandfather who would prevent us from opening the television and the radio from Thursday to Saturday; who would command us to stay at home and warned us to refrain from working and playing physical games to avoid any untoward incident (baka ma-viernes santo ka!).
To lessen my guilt, I chose a nearby hotel in Clark. But to be honest, that was the most financially viable thing to do considering the matter of tuition fees this coming June; and besides, there are other places (and additional expenses) booked for the rest of the summer.
I saw in Punto! the advertisement of Hotel Vida in Clark, Pampanga. I asked some friends about it. They all said that’s a new hotel catered for the Koreans. I searched it on the web and was satisfied that it has all the basic amenities and facilities of a hotel. And it is run by Fuego Hotels & Properties that showcases the Korean owned Widus International Leisure’s commitment to a “total luxury getaway”. My four kids got so excited and can’t wait for the Maundy Thursday, forgetting in the meantime their usual favorites: Fontana and Mimosa villas.
After the rounds of Visita Ingesias last Maundy Thursday, we proceeded to Hotel Vida. From the façade of the hotel to its interiors, you can feel the tropical theme and Asian influences. Jaspher immediately led us to the reception and volunteered to park our van on one of the spacious parking spaces. In deed in Clark, you would not ran out of parking spaces.
The receptionists are well trained and would greet you with sincere smiles. It took me only a minute to check-in until Jaspher went back with our luggage and led us to our room. The one-bedroom suite with mini kitchen (without cooking wares), dining area and living room, is Zen inspired. The brown and earth colors perfectly blended with stones and wood. They complemented the comfort offered by the pieces of furniture perfectly fitted inside the two adjoining rooms. The restroom and the bathroom are Japanese/Korean inspired, and the kids appreciated them in great awe.
Unlike the typical hotel, the building has natural ventilation where natural air freely passes to accentuate the air conditioning system. Natural light also penetrates the hotel as part of its aesthetic interiors. And the kids enjoyed in the morning of Good Friday the spacious swimming pool designed not to cause worry to any parent or guardian. And there is a lifeguard, too.
The service of this hotel was exemplified to the max when my nine year old daughter had an accidental slip inside the room and suffered a cut on her chin, serious enough to necessitate immediate medical attention. In less than a minute, Hotel Nurse Argie Trinidad was inside the room with his first aid kit. When he saw that the cut needed some stitches, he immediately arranged for a hotel car and brought us to the nearby Air Force City Hospital. The hospital doctor, a certain Major Sibal, conducted immediate operation (making 3 stitches), like a military on the rescue. It was so quick that my daughter did not have much time to agonize (except her usual yelling and katarayan brought by too much nervousness and pain). In less than 30 minutes, we were back in the hotel. Nurse Argie never left us until he was sure that my daughter is fine and smiling again. Thanks to you, and here’s praying that Filipinos would continue to enjoy your world-class services.
With this incident that happened at around 3 PM of Good Friday, I could see the faces of my old folks yelling at me and saying “na-viernes santo ka”, which made me decide to forego the night swimming. The kids completely understood and somehow, it gave them the impression to be more solemn in the observance of this Holy Week. We watched “Himala” on the local channel and discussed it afterwards. My 7 year old son was so impressed of Nora Aunor’s acting while my eldest daughter wondered how such a huge number of extras were so trained not to look conspicuously on the camera.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner… the hotel offered wide array of delicious food on their buffet table, with full proscription on the solemnity of the season. And I was amazed on how reasonable the foods are priced. No wonder that all persons booked in the hotel decided to eat there. My wallet kept on smiling.
Aside from the malfunctioning of one of the two main elevators and the more than an hour arrival of room food orders (maybe due to the influx of maximum number of visitors this season), Hotel Vida is a perfect place to go for affordable luxury that would keep one’s wallet smiling until Easter. No, the majority of the hotel guests are not Koreans. In fact, about 90% are Filipino families spending bonding moments at this luxurious place.
But more than that, the family is solidified once more by the long bonding moments of intimate talks, laughter, prayers and unity, in a more comfortable and relaxing environment which one can call a home away from home.
