Our cab taxied at the back façade of Crimson Hotel in Alabang and we were immediately ushered into their ground floor lobby. We were a bit unfazed, we thought this luxury hotel south of the metro boasts of five-star amenities but their lobby seemed so-so. That was before we were told to go up the eight floor where Crimson’s real lobby was. And as the elevator door tinged, our mouths dropped wide open. Now this is more like it.

NOW THIS IS WHAT A REAL HOTEL LOBBY LOOKS LIKE

CRIMSON ALABANG’S CHECK IN AREA

Can you spell luxury? Modernist artworks, a stretch of reflecting pool cum fountain, plush furnishing, vast soft rugs, and exquisite light fixtures—that’s how you spell luxury. And Crimson Hotel has all these perfected to a tee; mixed and matched to achieve a classic yet modern look.

I’ve seen hotels like these in Bangkok where the lobby is set at the upper floors—Sofitel So Bangkok and Novotel Platinum, to name a few—but this is the first one I’ve seen in the Philippines.

THE LOBBY LOUNGE, TEA, ANYONE?

Before dropping our bags to our room, we were met by M, who invited us for the weekend. A set tea at The Lobby Lounge area welcomed us while we waited for the rest of the gang to arrive.

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CRIMSON ALABANG’S AFTERNOON TEA SET PLUS COFFEE LATTE FOR ME

The Afternoon Tea Set includes a plate of various sandwiches, slices of sweet cakes, and drinks. It was quite perfect as we really haven’t had lunch yet and we were saving some tummy space for an early buffet dinner later. We were also treated to a glass of coffee, which we ordered to our liking. Considering the selection and the caliber of the hotel, the set is priced quite low at Php550.00, good for two persons.

CRIMSON HOTEL ALABANG’S DELUXE ROOM

EVERYTHING WE NEEDED

As soon as our friends arrived, we hauled our bags to our assigned rooms. By two’s we set for Crimson’s Deluxe Room. It was aptly spaced; the two queen-sized beds didn’t eat up the entire floor area. To give a bit of perspective, all eight of us in the group actually converged on a single room the next day to watch an old indie classic film, Y Tu Mama Tambien, and we actually fitted in quite comfortably.

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SPACIOUS TOILET & BATH WITH HOT SHOWER AND BIDET

COMPLIMENTARY GOODNIGHT (CHOCOLATE) KISS FROM CRIMSON ALABANG

Our room has all the usual amenities expected from a five-star hotel—flatscreen cable-TV, an expansive work desk, a closet, mini-bar and coffee-making facilities, and beautifully lit by lamps. I specially love the panoramic bay window overlooking the city.

CRIMSON HOTEL’S CAFE EIGHT BAR AND DESSERTS TABLE

After a freshening up a bit, we proceeded to the Eight Café, which is also located on the 8th floor of the hotel, for dinner. We caught the staff preparing the dishes for the night which was just perfect since we were able to take photos of the food just before the diners attacked.

A SLAB OF PURE GOODNESS AT EIGHT CAFE

EIGHT CAFE’S ASIAN NOODLES AREA

I noticed that Crimson Hotel’s buffet selection was a bit limited but that was quickly expounded on by M who told us that while most buffet offerings in Manila are hell-bent on having the most number of dishes they can offer in one go, theirs was a bit different, wanting to give more than the usual buffet cuisine and quality.

NOT YOUR USUAL BUFFET SELECTION AT CRIMSON ALABANG

SHRIMPS AND SCALLOPS GALORE AT EIGHT CAFE

And indeed, their food choices were quite different from what I usually see. They serve a mix of Asian and Mediterranean dishes gleaned from Southern European tastes to the Middle Eastern regions.

EIGHT CAFE’S SNAZZY INTERIOR

THE CHEESE PLATTER

We were able to try out the dishes at Eight Café twice, the second time was during their brunch buffet (Php1,600.00 for non-guests), and the quality and uniqueness of their offerings were consistent. Plus, I love the fact that Crimson Hotel offers a brunch option for guests during Sundays. This was perfect for us, being the late risers that we are.

UNLIMITED COCKTAILS AND BEER AT CRIMSON ALABANG’S ROOF DECK BAR

Well, I really don’t think that you can blame us for being such. I’d say, blame Crimson Hotel for offering a drink-all you can happy hour (5:00 PM to 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM) at their 8th floor roof deck bar. For Php499.00 per person, we drank our hearts out with their cocktails and beers, and surprisingly for a luxury hotel, they have Red Horse! We didn’t even feel the need to go out of the hotel for a night out in town. Kampay!

CRIMSON’S HOTEL POOL DURING MIDAFTERNOON

While we weren’t able to use the pool that night, we made sure we took a dip the next day. Granted there’s no view but blue skies and fluffy clouds, Crimson Hotel’s pool is quite nice. It has a wading pool for kids and a connecting one for adults. You can actually do some laps here as it stretches for a bit.

TWILIGHT AT CRIMSON HOTEL ALABANG

This hotel may be quite a ways off from where I live, which is on the opposite side of metro, but this is one of the most enjoyable if not the most enjoyable staycation I’ve had in Metro Manila. This is the first one we’ve had where we didn’t even step outside the hotel after entering and checking in. Crimson Hotel Alabang simply has everything we needed, plus more.

Crimson Hotel Alabang ►ROOM RATES
Address: Entrata Urban Complex, 2609 Civic Drive, Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila
Contact Number: (02) 863-2222 | Facebook
Email: info.alabang@crimsonhotel.com
GPS Coordinates Map: 14.419593, 121.042374

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