CRIMSON HOTEL: MAKING A BIG BANG IN ALABANG.. And a GIVEAWAY!

Photo lifted from http://on.fb.me/1gXVWte

         For those of you who don't know, I grew up in the beautiful city of Cebu, because our family's business was established there. For summer vacation, we would come back home to Manila, and to me it would feel like I was in a different country. One of the highlights of our vacations? Our highly anticipated trips to "Big Bang sa Alabang" and the giant slide! It was most fun I had in a sack.. (Until I got older of course hehe). I know i'm showing my age, but I can't help it.. I've got so many great memories there! (In Big Bang.. Not..umm... in the sack hehe.. but now that you mentioned it.. err.. ok let's not lose focus hehe) 

      My brother and I were elementary school students that flew in from Cebu, and making their way to Alabang, coming from the hills of Antipolo- so i'm sure you'll understand if the trek to Alabang always felt like a lifetime, making us feel like we were going out of town.  

Since then, the Alabang area has grown by heaps and bounds. With road developments such as The Skyway, C-5 and most recently, C-6, Alabang and the other cities in the South is more accessible than ever. 

        Still synonymous with residing prominent families of the country, the Southern part of Metro Manila has boomed into a thriving community of its own, making it totally unnecessary to leave the confines of the area, and more importantly, making it a totally viable location for tourists to stay in when visiting the country. 

        As I've gone along through my blogging career, I've been fortunate enough to experience the exception service of some of the finest hotels Alabang has to offer. Rina and I were extremely ecstatic to be given the opportunity to stay in the newest luxury hotel of the South.. Crimson Hotel.          

         Located within the bustling Filinvest City, and just a stone's throw away from Festival Mall, Crimson Hotel exploded on to the scene just March 21 of 2013, and left a favorable impression on everyone that has visited it. 

        Funnily enough, I wasn't impressed at first. Don't get me wrong, the ground floor lobby was beautiful, but nothing I hadn't seen from other hotels. It was when I was brought to the 8th floor that I was entreated to the hotel's actual receiving area - and boy, it was spectacular. 

          A lavish marble fountain stands proudly at the center, bringing together a beautiful lobby that features modern lines and touches of oriental influences. 

             After checking in, you can watch the action in 8th floor from Crimson's Lobby Lounge. The cozy lounge seats up to 60 people and serves light snacks, desserts, and delicious Afternoon Tea Sets. 

          My fellow blogger friends and spent the evening unwinding with a few drinks and great music provided by the lovely lounge singer (Although Rina was adamant that she didn't do justice to "Let it Go"). 

           The room we were given was the executive suite, which was perfect for me, Rina, Baby Rain and her yaya. It seemed closer to a classy one bedroom condo than a hotel room.

         The living room had a cozy little couch and lounge chair that was perfect for entertaining guests, or relaxing with a good movie. The couch also doubled as Yaya's bed.

          Not only are you entreated to a stunning flat screen TV, but a DVD player as well, that is equipped with a USB slot!

       The kitchen added to the condo feel, as it was set up with a microwave, cooking area, an over toaster and a coffee maker! 

           While other hotels may come with a personal refrigerator, Crimson's Executive Suite has a good sized one.. in fact, this was pretty much the same size of the ref that I had at home for a few years until I finally was able to save up for a bigger one last month. 

           In the bedroom, a King Sized bed awaited us. This definitely lived up to the high standards that I have for a bed when staying at a hotel. I need to feel like I absolutely sink into the bed, like it was a cloud. 

       It only took a few seconds for Baby Rain to make herself comfortable. 

       Watching in the bed has never been so relaxing, as it also has a Flat Scren TV and the DVD setup. A desk is also present in case you need to get a little work, or in my case, a little blogging done hehe. 

            Rina fell in love with the little dresser nook that the bedroom had, and made me promise her that our room would include one for her when we have our dream house made. 

        The marble bathroom looked very posh, with the Rainshower head installed in the bathing area. In case you want to know how much you gained from Crimson's restaurants, a weighing scale was also available. Interestingly enough, I noticed the bathroom lacked a bathtub. But that Rain Shower head made up for it. 

     Oh and we arrived, we had the Black Widow waiting for us, Courtesy of Crimson Hotel! 

 

                Crimson's flagship restaurant is Cafe Eight. Cafe Eight specializes in International cuisines, ranging from favorites from the orient to new discoveries from the Mediterranean. 

 

         Cafe Eight is beautifully spaced out, so you don't get the feeling of being cramped. The restaurant captures a distinct elegance that would impress a first date, but whose ambiance exudes a relaxed atmosphere that would make for a fun lunch out with friends and family.

BUFFET HIGHLIGHTS

       The bread station had a delicous selection of not just breads, but of spreads, such as a Blueberry-Strawberry jam, zesty Orange Marmalade, and a deliciously sweet honey.  

          The appetizer station featured an eclectic selection of salads (including a delicious Mustard Potato & Bacon salad! 

There is also a Taco station available, where you can build your own Mexican creations. 

The Sushi bar was quite popular with my fellow Blogger friends.

          The kind people at the Pasta station happily obliged when Rina asked if they could make some Carbonara for Baby Rain. 

           Me, I stuck with the Char Kway Teow.. Something I learned how to say only when I visited Makansutra in Singapore.

   Black Pepper Beef

Fish Fillet with Green Curry Sauce

          The highlight of the Lunch for me, was the Baby Back Ribs with Onion Rings. The meat tore cleanly off the bone, and had touches of sweetness and smokiness infused into the meat. Delicious! 

ALA CARTE MENU 

              Though Cafe Eight's buffet selection was rather extensive, Crimson really went all out and made us try a few of their special dishes from the Ala Carte Menu. 

         Which included the delicious Crab Cakes, with lump crab so fresh, you'd swear they just hauled it off from the sea.

              

         And Osso Bucco, that featured remarkably tender veal bathed in a rich tomato sauce.

            And the mouthwatering Lamb Chops that matched perfectly with the mint Jelly.

DESSERT

      The dessert station featured many different cakes and assorted treats that would make anyone with a sweet tooth extremely happy.

I stuck with a simple Butter & Sugar Crepe. 

(With extra butter. And extra Sugar)

While Rina got a little bit more creative with hers.

Making the most of Cafe Eight's Ice Cream station

BREAKFAST

         Cafe Eight also hosts the guests Breakfast Buffet, with some of the highlights being.. 

The Honey Glazed Ham..

French Toast

and The Sweet Chili Fish Fillet.

I was curious about the presence of Chicken Teriyaki on the Breakfast menu, but learned to shut up once I tasted how delicious it was.

          I walked over to the omelet guy and handed him a couple of strips of bacon, in which he proceeded to make a Bacon, ham, Cheese and onion omelet.

         Genius, am I not?

         Oh, and the hashbrowns were absolutely delightful! 

Twinkle of Crimson was kind enough to introduce us to Crimson's executive Chef, Alessio Loddo, who surprised Rina with his Tagalog skills.

         The Deck Bar is a cool place to hang out at. I imagine slamming down a couple of Virgin Coladas by the pool while watching some bikini-.. errr.. I mean.. While watching Baby Rain while she swims. (Good Daddy)

            The wind blows extremely strong at the 8th floor, making the water a bit cold. Rain loved her swimming time, but when her teeth started chattering, we needed to bring her out of the pool.. Despite her protests (BOY, can she protest. She takes after her mom in that aspect).

      Every Friday and Saturday night, the Deck Bar converts to a BBQ Buffet!

Can't have a BBQ without grilled corn, right?

       It came to no surprise Chef Alessio makes incredible Italian Sausages!

  Hungarian Sausages

                      Very tasty Chicken BBQ

Delicious Pork Belly

               But I was surprised that the dish I enjoyed the most was the Salmon Belly! I had always felt that salmon was too lean for my liking, but this belly had a juicy trimming of fat around it, making it extra awesome.

              For dessert, you can choose from a selection of fruits and pastries. 

                The Deck Bar has comfortable lounge beds.. That kinda reminded me of Hershey's Kisses, which was the perfect place for Mr. Tales From The Tummy and I to share some quality time with our little girls.

I moved Rain over to the other "Kiss" so she could play with her ate Lauren..

And so I could siesta a little bit after eating a little too much BBQ.

      Crimson also has a state of the art gym, that is equipped the necessities of working out.. Stationary Bikes, Elliptical Machines, Treadmills, and weight machines. I will be writing more about it in a future post, as I have decided to dedicate more time to getting fit.. You'll be reading about it soon! 

And just before the end of our stay, Crimson Hotel surprised us yet again,

 in the form of a delicious cake!

         Much thanks to Twinkle, Kar, and Chef Alessio for making our stay at Crimson Hotel, one for the ages!

Crimson Hotel 

Entrata Urban Complex, 2609 Civic Drive, 

Filinvest City, Alabang, 1781 Muntinlupa City

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrimsonFilinvestCity

Twitter: @Crimson_Alabang

Instagram: @Crimsonhotel_Alabang

I hate to go all infomercial on you guys..

But wait, there's more!

 In honor of Crimson Hotel's First Anniversary, 

I'm giving away an overnight stay at a Deluxe Room,
 complete with Breakfast buffet for two! 

What are you waiting for Picky Eaters?? 

Join now!!!

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And the winner is.....

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Olga Marie! 

Congratulations! 

I will send you an email so we may coordinate how you can collect your prize.. I hope we can meet personally!

Thank you to everyone that joined..
 Stay tuned because I've got a lot more giveaways coming up!