Family Travel Archives - Page 6 of 18

That Year Ender Experience At Widus Hotel And Casino

Yes, this one takes the cake..

Of all the calendars I received, this one takes the cake. It is where it should be, to always remind me the year that was and how awesome it has been.
A photo posted by @mommypehpot on Jan 20, 2015 at 1:03am PST

The year that was.. amidst some disappointments, a loss and some downs, 2014 was an awesome year. We got our 2nd car.. our dream car nonetheless.. and another dream came true (which will materialize mid this year.. or earlier! hopefully!) Also, that year was all about travel. We’ve been to many places.. explored Laguna, braved the Bataan mountains, and even drove as far as Vigan!! But as I said, this one takes the cake: A night at Widus Hotel And Casino arranged by one of the agencies that I really love (OK, hashtag bloggingperks).. it really is a perk, I got to bring my whole family.. that’s not always the case when it comes to “travel blogging”. Most of the times, you’re only allowed a bed (or a small room) but not a family junior suite. Did I just mentioned suite? Yes, one that boasts of a 43.5 square meters floor area room (it’s even bigger that the first floor of the house we’re renting! woohooo!). A Family junior suite that was perfect for us, a king sized bed, one single bed, trundle bed in the living room (yes it has one) and a mini kitchen! I must have been very kind the whole year (not bashing the copy paste bloggers and not bashing the people who’s not aware of the BCC) that I got this kind of reward.. nyehehe Actually, I was a bit worried the Mister would not agree with the trip.. but since it’s way down North (the magic word is NLEX!) he willingly obliged!

Checking in like a real bakasyunista. #satimoments for Widus Hotel A photo posted by @mommypehpot on Dec 16, 2014 at 11:59pm PST

After a long drive, a very warm reception area greeted us.. it would seem like it was Baguio (the abundance of Pine Tree and the warmth in the hotel) but naaah this heaven is nearer, Widus Hotel And Casino is located in Pampanga, 5400 Manuel A. Roxas Highway, Clark Freeport Zone, to be exact. Please indulge with our #SatiMoments photo

Excitement builds up when we passed by the pool area on our way to our room (located at Tower 1). As of the moment, Widus Hotel has two towers for accommodation (function halls not included) and they’re expanding! Also heard, they’ll add more amenities aside from Gym, Spa and Sundry Shop that’s already in the hotel.

Oh! Our room! Really big.. and cozy.. and I’m out of words.. let the photos do the talking:

And to excite my kids more, our room is right in front of the swimming pool, few floors up, actually..

As soon we’re settled in our room, we changed clothes and excitedly head on to the pool (while the husband plays at the casino, yes Widus have a casino!)

There were two pools, the big one (first swimming pool photo) and the smaller one (second swimming pool photo). The pool was only 4 feet deep so, I was relaxed the whole time.. that is a big statement from me. RELAXED (so thank you again Widus Hotel for that experience).

Our food during our stay was superb! Dinner was prepared by Salt’s Executive Chef Johnny Rodriguez. Salt Restaurant is home to Widus’ culinary adventure offerings. And the name sits perfectly, a seasoning used in all kinds of cuisine, Salt offers all these kinds of dishes; Asian, Korean, Hongkong dimsum, Japanese, Italian, Western and Filipino.

This is what we had for dinner:

I am not a wine drinker, but with the many kinds of wine presented to us, I can’t help but taste a few. And the wine compliments well with the food! But my fave is the Lychee Martini!

It’s a five course meal (if I am not mistaken) and it’s a dream come true for my two older boys.. nyay! not the wine.. this kind of dining. They’ve been asking me to treat them to a fine dinning restaurant… and here we are! Yey!!

After dinner, we had a few laughs (and them drinks.. moments like this, I question my DNA for not being that alcohol resistant! HMP!) at Prism Lounge. Every night, local bands perform at Prism Lounge.

Then me and husband had our “moment” at the casino. It’s a first for us..the casino and leaving the kids at the room. It’s a sign, we’re aging and they’re growing. You’re curious no? Yes, we won a few bucks.

Which reminds me, Widus Hotel’s Sundry Shop offers some basic necessities (toothbrush, soap, shampoo and the likes) and basic luxury.. that won’t let you sleep at night. Like the Michael Kors Cynthia Logo Satchel I saw. That night, I said, if the will win again, I’d buy that bag.. and he did the next day.. exact amount as the price of the bag. I chickened out. Now, I feel so sorry for myself.. I should have bought that bag! There’ll be next time, I have faith.

If dinner was sosyal, breakfast was relaxed.. al fresco dining!

Please notice my collage and how big the part where the bacon is.. because that breakfast is all about the bacon! Baked bacon! This is by far, the best bacon I had!

Our Widus Hotel And Casino experience ended with a gastronomic delight.. authentic Kapampangan cuisine! That sisig, that’s the best!

Bloggers For Hotel Widus (with Salt’s Executive Chef Johnny Rodriguez)

FYI: WIDUS is pronounced at WITH US.. kinda something like Stay Widus.. Have Fun Widus.. Play Widus and so on..

Another FYI, Widus Hotel And Casino is rated Deluxe Class by the Philippines Department of Tourism. As per TripAdvisor.com, Widus Hotel & Casino is chosen as one of Top 10 Hotels for Families (Philippines) 2014.. See? This hotel is everything a family can wish for a stay-cation!

FYI #3 Widus Hotel And Casino dedicates a place for events called Widus Convention Center. It offers room for meetings, conferences, seminars and weddings and any party that you can think of. They have a mini theater like conference room, a room that can accommodate a lot of guests (as in a lot!) . The convention center is equipped with state of the art facilities. Function rooms have specialized mood lighting, motorized projector screens and LCD digital display signage.

FYI #4 WIDUS HOTEL AND CASINO (go check the site for more photos) Info:

Address: 5400 Manuel A. Roxas Highway, Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga, Philippines 2023

Telephone Number: (+63 45) 499 1000 Trunkline: (+632) 584 4091 Fax Number: (+6345) 499.0979

MANILA SALES OFFICE:

Address: Unit 2311 Cityland Herrera Tower, 98 V.A Rufino corner Valero St, Salcedo Village, Makati City, Philippines

Telephone Number: (+632) 840.1430 Fax Number: (+632) 840.1429

Acropolis North Water Camp and Country Club Review

We discovered another great place to stay in Cabanatuan:

Acropolis North Water Camp and Country Club

Acropolis North Water Camp and Country Club is located inside Acropolis North Subdivision along Maharlika Highway in Cabanatuan. My sister found this hidden resort. She said it’s not called water camp for nothing. Well, the kids were blown away with the pools! They have 3 bigger than life swimming pools!

Kiddie Pool with playground, as Sati puts it, ASTIG!!

This is the largest among the 3 pools. This is not the front of the pool, this is the side where we love to hang out LOL

It’s only ankle deep! See?

This the main entrance or front of the biggest pool. Add sand to that and it would feel like we were on the beach! We had so much fun on this area, crawling, chasing each other, pretending to be fish, pretending to be shark..and yes, picture taking:

The 3rd pool, which is the smallest is between the two large pool. It’s elevated and has 3 slides!

See that slides over there? Red, blue and yellow? Yes, that’s where the 3rd pool is located. I’s also the deepest, 5 feet if I am not mistaken.

Acropolis North Water Camp and Country Club also offers overnight accommodations with their 2 kinds of room:

Standard room for 2,200 PhP per night
Suite for 3,300 PhP per night

We got the standard room when we stayed at Acropolis North Water Camp and Country Club a few weeks ago. The room has two twin beds + big bathroom (facing the closet) + dresser + coffee table+ condiments area with mini ref:

The room is really spacious, though nothing special, it’s a good place to retire your tired body from all the swimming.

The suite is different though, on the ground floor is the receiving area and the beds (also 2 twin beds) are located upstairs.

Aside from pool and room accommodations, Acropolis North Water Camp and Country Club also has a restaurant and a sports facilities (offers Badminton, Basketball, Volleyball, Billiards for a fee)

Acropolis North Water Camp and Country Club restaurant.

Let’s rate the hotel/ resort, shall we?

Swimming pool: 9

Fun factor- 10
Cleanliness- 8
Safety- 9

Room: 8

Bed- 10
Aircon- 10
Floor- 7 (carpet please!)
Bathroom- 6
Mini Bar- 8
Dresser- 7

Restaurant: 7.5

Ambiance-8
Food- 8
Staff-6
Price for Money- 8

Price: 10

RATING for Acropolis North Water Camp and Country Club: 8.6

If you’re into pools or you have kids, I highly recommend Acropolis North Water Camp and Country Club. If you don’t like swimming that much, this place is not for you.

Will be back? Yes we will! The kids says we should! (Though my mind says I need a better bathroom LOL)

3 Ways To Get Shell V-Power LEGO® Collection For Free!

Imagine the excitement of my kids when they saw this:

Shell V-Power LEGO® Collection For Free!

3 Ways To Get Shell V-Power LEGO® Collection For Free:

Purchase of 4L Shell Helix Ultra pack: two (2) free LEGO models
Purchase of 6L Shell Helix Diesel Ultra pack: two (2) free LEGO models
Purchase of 4L Shell Helix: one (1) free LEGO model

Other Ways To Get Your Shell V-Power LEGO® Collection Model:

P1,500 worth of Shell V-Power Nitro+ fuel: One LEGO® Ferrari car model for only P150 or two LEGO® playsets for only P150
P1,500 worth of Shell FuelSave: One LEGO® Ferrari car model for only P180 or two LEGO® playsets for only P180

I can’t get them for free since we can’t have oil change outside the casa.. we have to rely on our fuel consumption! waaaaaah

And in order to complete the set (4 model cars + 2 playsets) we need to consume 5 full tank worth of gas!

It will take a year before we can complete this set 🙁 but the promo is until January 15, 2015 only.. ahuhu

Take a look at the car models and play sets and tell me if it is not worth my ahuhuu:

I really want to complete this set but if ever we won’t we’ll just have fun with the cars and build our tracks. We might join the Ready, Set, Build Promo, which according to Shell Website:

Create and Share your own world of motor racing to win great prizes. Here’s how to get started: