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| The hotel roof deck, 21 floors up the Makati City skyline |
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| Y2 Residence Hotel lobby |
S T A Y I N
M A K A T I
I'm starting to fall in love with the offbeat side of Makati. It's that swath of the city that's at the fringe of the business district where foreign tourists cool down under pulsating lights. It's kooky and frenzied like my taste for life. Some refer to it as the area's entertainment district, but it has a more notorious reputation that makes it a bit complex. It achieves a touristic balance in the presence of numerous budget hotels at almost every block along Makati Avenue where unconventional dining hubs and artsy cafes thrive. One such lodging is Y2 Residence Hotel, a chic high-rise that also houses the newly-opened Art Circle Cafe and a Southeast Asian diner called Pink Panda.
The area where the hotel is can initially be intimidating as it's impossible to spot a building when you're on foot or directing a clueless taxi driver along the busy Makati Avenue. This is probably why one side of Y2 Residence Hotel was designed to reflect the ancient Oriental concept of Yin and Yang (Y2) -- two opposing, but equal forces depicted in a tight embrace that exudes balance and harmony. Conceptualized by Tessa Prieto-Valdes and Tessa Alindogan, the design approach extends from the hotel lobby all the way to its rooms -- more than 160 in total -- that range from studios to three-bedroom suites.
Here are three great excuses to find your fab spot of staycation in this side of Makati:
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| Booked Studio Deluxe |
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| View of the hotel from Makati Avenue |
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| Studio Deluxe bathroom and kitchen |
1. Studio Deluxe As Second Home
My booked Studio Deluxe is evident of the hotel's dramatic use of black and white tones from the bed runner, the hand-painted decorative pillows to the wall accents. To capture a colorful side of the Far East, a wall portion is accentuated with an evocative painting of a cherry blossom.
Unlike standard value hotels which normally resemble hospital wards, room types here are obviously designed to more than appeal to a weary traveler. They are meant to serve as second homes where a guest can find familiar details.
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| (left) The view of Makati City from the hotel; (right) Studio Deluxe |
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| Gym at the Upper Penthouse |
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| Gym view of the city outside |
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| The roof deck swimming pool |
At less than 40 square meters, the room was not only attractive. I also found it to be functional for having a private balcony where I had the chance to take a gander at the Makati City skyline. The space is fully furnished with a dining area, kitchen with microwave and water heater, safety deposit box, refrigerator, cable LED television, iPod dock and IDD/NDD phone. The dark tiles in the bathroom make for memorable shower moments.
For fitness enthusiasts, the Gym at the Upper Penthouse is equipped with stationary bikes, treadmills, weight loss and muscle-toning machines. There's even enough space to do yoga!
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| Roof deck gazebo |
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| Roof deck swimming pool |
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| View from the gazebo |
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| A charming view of the winding Pasig River from the hotel roof deck |
3. Fall In Love At The Roof Deck Pool
I originally booked the overnight stay for a comfortable culmination to a complicated errand that I had in Makati City one weekday, but I ended up falling in love at the roof deck where the hotel swimming pool and gazebo are. It's there where I had the best views of the long and winding Pasig River which looked oddly magnificent 21 floors up. Up there, it's tranquil like you're in a hidden garden and not in the middle of the urban jungle that is Metro Manila.
All in all, my stay at Y2 Residence Hotel was more than pleasant. The interesting aesthetic, combined with its reliable facilities, made it pleasurable like my lust for life.
Official website of Y2 Residence Hotel
Address: 4687 Santiago Street corner Valdez and Singian Streets, Makati City, Philippines 2981
Phone: +632 224-3000
Email: reservations
@y2hotel.com
Where to dine out in Makati City?
+ Art Circle Cafe
+ Top of The Citi By Chef Jesse
+ Museum Cafe
+ Restaurante Pia Y Damaso
+ Spice Cafe
+ Kabila
+ Terraz
+ Saboten
