By Ayn Veronica L. de Jesus
IN the busy heart of the metropolis, there’s really little chance to find your sanctuary, what with the traffic, the noise, the pollution and work always nagging at you. And city dwellers used to whining can sometimes complain about having to travel too far down south for a day trip or weekend getaway. Given the nature of fun-loving, exercise-challenged Filipinos, a walk to the next block is already too far.  There’s really no solution for terminal cases of griping. But there’s one shining hope for the ever-optimistic crowd who doesn’t think Alabang is too far or too intimidating a place to relax.Rising from the middle of the Alabang commercial business district is business hotel The Bellevue Manila that’s got something for every class of person—from the cheesy karaoke enthusiast to ladies who love power lunches to the high-and-mighty masterful executive. Despite the wide mix of people the hotel welcomes every day, it manages to pull it off with great class and aplomb.Located in the North Bridgeway, Northgate Cyberzone in the swanky Filinvest Corporate City and a 30-minute drive from the airport, the hotel may seem like a forlorn edifice amid the cyberzone’s corporate types. But inside, the hotel is full of surprises.The lobby, although not as spacious or posh as five-star Makati hotels, is manned by alert and helpful staff, and fitted with humungous, comfortable couches. But of course, we don’t go to the hotels to appreciate the lobby when there are rooms—219 luxurious ones to be exact—to vegetate in.Marketing and communications manager Ryan Chan revealed that by the end of 2007, the hotel will see an additional 180 rooms after a new wing is constructed.“We hit full occupancy often because we target those who intend to stay in the country for between one and six months,” he said, explaining that many of the guests are executives who work within the Filinvest Corporate City or in the various business districts in Metro Manila. He added that Bellevue is also cheaper than Makati hotels, allowing business executives to stay for months on end without eating deeply into the corporate budget.Because of its target clientele, the business center has been set to provide everything that an executive will need: meeting rooms, private offices, sophisticated AVP equipment, secretarial services, computer workstations, Internet access.

Up the grand staircase

There is no law requiring guests to stay only to dine. To feel the opulence, slowly climb the grand staircase to reach Café D’Asia on the second floor. The café, which seats about 180 persons, is open from 6 a.m. to 12 midnight to serve all the meals that you need—from breakfast to midnight snack.The dishes are wide ranging, from the salads to Mongolian, Mediterranean, Japanese, Italian and more. And of course dessert. There is even an ice cream station where you can choose from about 10 toppings.“We also plan to set up a stand-alone Japanese restaurant in that new wing to expand the variety of our food,” Chan said.

Not your regular hotel entertainment

For the true-blue Filipino who cannot let a week pass without stopping by the karaoke, Bellevue holds a sing-along night every Monday at the 20/20 bar and restaurant on the fourth floor. This is heaven-sent and far safer for music-loving creatures, as it practically eliminates kantahang lasing incidents that find a beer bottle on the skull if anyone makes the fatal mistake of singing “My Way” off-tune. 

Surprisingly, karaoke night was conceptualized by low-key hotel owner Johnny Chan, who himself loves to sing. The “Bellevue Idol” runs for 15 weeks after which a grand championship follows with prizes including cash, hotel stays, trips to Boracay and more. Planning on making singing your second career? Head for the Bellevue this Monday night.For the brave at heart, this is a great venue to practice performing in an open room and in front of a live audience and a panel of judges consisting of professional singers. But no worries—the audience is always well behaved and appreciative and the judges supportive.If music doesn’t tame your inner beast, maybe a massage would. Bellevue offers express massages (Shiatsu, Swedish, aromatherapy, reflexology, sports Thai), a soak in the Jacuzzi, steaming off in the sauna, facials, eye treatments, foot and hand scrubs, body polishes and wraps; as well as salon services such as hair-coloring, highlights, perms, waxing, makeup, haircuts and hairdressing, scalp treatments, and foot and hand polishes. Besides the spa, the fitness/health center also includes a gym and kiddie and adult pool.

A tip: if you choose the massage, ask for therapist Nora who, despite her diminutive frame and humble disposition, has powerful energy to massage away the knots and tensions in your muscles and leave you in a very serene state for weeks. Another tip: don’t forget to be kind to massage therapists and tip as your pocket can afford.  Right: Drown in the softness of the lobby’s enormous couches.

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