Michi Photostory

So I suggested to my husband na magstaycation na lang kami ng Christmas and advance na lang namin yung Christmas Family Get-Together sa bahay. Malakas lang ang loob ko na magstaycation because I knew na free yung accommodation namin care of Marriott Bonvoy Points.

We’ve been to Sheraton Manila, Sheraton Manila Bay, and Sheraton Mactan so ang pinagpipilian namin are The Westin Manila, Manila Marriott Hotel, and Clark Marriott Hotel. And the winner is Clark Marriott Hotel kasi hindi pa namin napupuntahan.

This is our first Christmas Staycation because normally, sa bahay lang talaga kami at kakain sa labas ng Christmas breakfast. We left early to avoid the traffic and arrived at Clark Marriott Hotel before 9AM.

The staff gave us 2 options kung magpay kami ng deposit or pay as order na lang sa restaurant, we chose the latter. And since we only used our points for our accommodation, breakfast is not included. The staff informed us that we can avail the Buffet Breakfast for PHP1,200/person kasi yung sa restaurant pa daw kami mag-avail, PHP2,100/person daw yung rate. Since it was our first time, I had no idea sa buffet rates nila. Plan ko sana na magroom service na lang kami but in the end, we availed the breakfast and the staff gave us vouchers and keycard. Yey! Early check-in. 

We prefer 2 double beds but it is not available so siksikan kaming tatlo sa king sized bed. We have a couch, mini fridge, TV, complimentary coffee/tea maker. 

Marbled bathroom. The toilet has a bidet. 

Clark Marriott hotel has Goji Kitchen + Bar, Smoki Moto, Wu Xing, The Lounge, Urban Coffee, Pool Bar and Noodle Inc. You can also visit the restaurants of Swissotel and Hann Resort. These 3 hotels are connected so you can just explore the area. Sa dami ng pagpipilian, hindi ka talaga magugutom, nakakabutas lang ng bulsa. Hehehe! 

We had lunch at Wu Xing, breakfast at Goji Kitchen and for dinner, wala gusto sa amin magdinner na kasi may leftover kami sa Wu Xing and madami din snacks na binigay ang Marriott so we just ate Gelato at Oma’s -Swissotel Clark. Our initial plan is dinner at Smoki Moto kaso hindi na natuloy but I hope next time, we can try this restaurant kasi maganda yung review. I will share our food trip in a separate post. 

We got a complimentary chocolate bar, cake, snacks, and may Christmas gift sila na towel with Marriott logo. So wala man silang Christmas events or activities, may pagift naman. 

Clark Marriott has spa, fitness center and swimming pool pero wala kami pinuntahan. We literally ate, rested, and slept last Christmas. No late check-out so we went home early at sa bahay na kami naglunch kasi marami kami leftover from our family get-together. Hehehe! 

x

5398 Manuel A Roxas Highway Clark Freeport, 

Pampanga, Philippines

I found some rooms with kitchenette but the price was over my budget so I gave up and looked for hotels that are good for 3 adults. I also asked helped from my husband, I told him, nastress na ko maghanap ng hotel, magsearch ka na rin. Hehehe! 

He searched too and discovered Best Western Hotel. There are a few Best Western Hotels in Melbourne and we were down to two choices which are Best Western Melbourne City and Best Western Queen Victoria Hotel.

Best Western Melbourne City is much cheaper and has a good location but because of the online reviews, we did not choose this. We booked at Best Western Queen Victoria Hotel because it is new and has good reviews. 

To get a Member’s Rate and earn points, my husband signed up (Free) before booking a room. He booked 1 Queen and 1 Single room for 7 days. I checked the breakdown of the rate and every day is different. For one week of stay, we paid a non-refundable AUD1386 = PHP54,790.15. We booked two months before our trip. 

Best Western Queen Victoria Market Hotel is a brand new 4-star hotel but it only has four levels. It is a 5-minute walk to Queen Victoria Market. The nearest tourist spots are Melbourne Museum, The Princess Theatre, Docklands, Marvel Stadium, Flagstaff Gardens, and Flemington Racetrack. There are bus and tram services near the area. 

0.19 kilometer(s) from Victoria Street & Peel Street Bus Stop 

0.12 kilometer(s) from Peel Street & Victoria Street Tram Stop. Free tram from Peel Street into Central Business District (CBD). 

Best Western Queen Victoria Market Hotel has no email address on its website. I wanted to ask "how to get to their hotel from Southern Cross Station Bus Terminal". So we relied on Google Maps and I was so shocked when I learned that we needed to walk for 28 minutes. The distance from Southern Cross Station to Best Western Queen Victoria Market is 1598 meters. Mas malayo pa ito sa Generator Stockholm Hotel namin in Sweden. Waah! 

So with luggage in tow, we walked from Southern Cross Station to our hotel and temperature at that time was 7 degrees Celsius. Brrr… I monitored our walking time and it is really 28 minutes, may konting stop pa ito kasi napagod na ko pagdating namin sa Flagstaff Garden. 

We arrived at the hotel around 8:30 AM and as expected, the room was not available yet because check-in time is 2PM. We paid AUD50 for Security Deposit and left our luggage in their storage room. Then off we went to Queen Victoria Market. 

Check-in Time: 2:00 PM

Check-out Time: 10:00 AM 

After few hours, we went back to the hotel and we decided to wait there kasi pagod na talaga kami maglakad sa market. I think around 12:30 PM, the staff informed us that our room was already available. Finally, we could rest. 

This is our room, it looks new and clean. We had 1 Queen and 1 Single Bed, Desk, TV, mini fridge, hanging rack, and coffee and tea facilities.

The bathroom is also small, the complimentary toiletries are lotion, shampoo, body wash, and soap. If you need laundry bags, iron, iron boards, and emergency toiletries, it is available upon request but I brought my own laundry bag and slippers so I did not ask for this stuff. 

Breakfast meals are not included in our room package but the hotel has breakfast packs for AUD18.90. I have no idea if it is good for sharing or not. I also don’t know what is included in that pack since we bought our own breakfast from the grocery or we will eat at the market. 

The reception is not available 24/7 so the hotel is always locked and you need a key card to enter the hotel and use the elevator. So do not forget to contact the hotel if arriving outside of office hours:

Monday - Friday 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM 

Saturday 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM 

Sunday and Public Holidays 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM 

We had no problems when we checked in since the office was already open but for check out, we asked the staff about it. The staff informed us to drop our key card with the paper sleeves so they would know what is our room number. We left before 6AM so we dropped our key in their Key Card Return Box.

Overall, we had no problems with our stay at Best Western Queen Victoria Market, the staff always made up our room and replenished toiletries, and coffee and tea. Our room is on the second level but we did not hear any noise from the street. The only noise we heard was from the elevator since, our room is near the elevator so if guests are talking while waiting for the elevator, we can hear them. But it is not an everyday scenario since we were always out. 

My only concern is, that it is far from Southern Cross Station so it is really a long walk, lalo na kapag tapos na yung tour namin. Pagod na pagod ka na pero ang layo pa ng lalakarin. Four out of our 7 Days trip, yung need namin maglakad from Southern Cross Station to hotel and vice versa. 3 kms na agad yan na balikan.

77 - 79 Capel Street,  West Melbourne 3003 

Toll Free (US & Canada) Worldwide Numbers: 1(800) 780-7234 

Hotel Direct Number: +61 3 91017898

A few weeks after we booked our tickets, we received an email regarding “Temporary Aircraft Partner”

“To enhance our service reliability and continue delivering the high standards you expect from us, Philippine Airlines has entered a temporary wet lease partnership with Wamos Air, one of Europe’s leading charter carriers known for its expertise in charter and wet lease operations.    

Wamos Air is also certified by the International Air Transport Association’s Operational Safety Audit, ensuring top-tier safety and service. ” 

So flights from Manila to Sydney and Melbourne and vice versa will be operated using a Wamos Air Airbus A330. This was the first time I heard about this airline so I just hoped and prayed that we would have a safe flight. 

Prior to our trip there was Typhoon Kristine so we experienced blackout so late kami nakapag-online check-in. For the first time, hiwa-hiwalay kami ng seats, pero okay lang naman kasi lahat kami aisle seats. I don’t understand bakit hindi kami makapili ng seats na tabi-tabi pero 2 seats naman pala ang vacant sa tabi ko pero nagstick na lang kami sa pwesto namin. 

Just like our Manila to Sydney flight, we passed different Security checks, before the check-in counter, after the Immigration Counter, and at the boarding gate. 

Our airplane is Wamos Air but when you entered the craft, Philippine Airlines pa rin naman yung logo sa loob. The airline staff are a combination of Wamos Air and Philippine Airlines. 

Our seat has a monitor but we can also use “mypalmedia” so wala ng mypalplayer app, ito na yung gamit ng Philippine Airline. 

For long-haul flights, we have a blanket, headphones, overnight kit, hot towel, and two meals. Beef Salpicao for dinner and Corned Beef Sandwich for breakfast.

When my husband did the online check-in, we just accepted our assigned seats because we were fortunate na XL seats kami napunta and seated together. 

Our flight was early so we left the hotel before 6AM and arrived at Melbourne Airport just in time for the opening of the counter. I was glad the check-in counter opened 4 hours before our flight so hindi kami nagmamadali. 

The flight was a little bit delayed but boarding was so organized so mabilis din naman kami nakaalis.

This is the XL seat, more space nga. 

Sharing our flight meals. Beef with Mashed Potato and Tandoori Chicken + Brownies. 

I’m thankful for the smooth flight.