Hotel staycation experience this pandemic | EDSA Shangri-la Manila
By Angel Macaraig - Thursday, January 21, 2021
Most of us are probably anxious to go out of our respective homes due to the fear of contracting the coronavirus. We have been on quarantine for 11 months now, and I'm sure everyone has already missed our old normal setup where we can go out freely without worries, when we can still travel both to local and international destinations, our random night outs with our friends, and so much more!
Now that we're on GCQ, slowly, we are able to move a lot more freely compared to when we were still on ECQ. Slowly and more cautiously! We've seen people travel to tourist destinations like Boracay and Palawan. Hotels have opened up their doors for leisure stays. Tempting, isn't it?
While we are not yet confident enough to travel by air to different tourist destinations in the Philippines, PJ & I planned for a staycation instead. We initially thought of booking a hotel room somewhere in Tagaytay, but since we're so lazy to drive our way there (IKR, traffic going to the south is terrible on weekends), we opted to stay at a hotel nearby.
So the questions are... how was our hotel staycation experience during the pandemic? Did we feel safe or not? How about the COVID-19 safety protocols? Well, one thing's for sure, when you go outside your home, it will always be risky. But yes, I can say that we felt safe during our entire stay at EDSA Shangri-la.
Swab Antigen Test is required upon check-in!
The first reason why we felt safe during our stay at the hotel because all guests are required to present a negative covid test result (swab antigen, at least). The hotel has its own swab antigen testing site where you can take the test upon check-in. Rate is at 1800/ head.
Although guests will not be restricted to go outside the hotel premises during their stay, I think having this protocol minimizes the risk of transmission.
We were able to take advantage of the promo (pandemic?) rates!
Luckily, they have an ongoing promo during our intended booking period. We just paid Php 7,000 per night, inclusive of breakfast at HEAT. We stayed there for 2 nights — the first night was free, thanks to our friends who gifted us a GC for an overnight stay. š
Sleep muna ako guys, ah? haha!
They take their sanitation seriously!
I had a mini convo with one of EDSA Shangri-la's staff regarding their sanitation procedures. He assured me that each hotel room has been disinfected thoroughly.
Reserved the whole resto for PJ's birthday!
It's a prank! JOKEE! We were at the resto for 2 hours, but no other guests came in! Super sarap ng steak dito guys, hindi nila deserve na walang tao! Please dine in at La Cabrera!
The birthday boy!
TBH, I felt really sad for the hotel industry since they are one of the industries that have been hardly hit by COVID-19. What used to be a busy place, now looks almost empty. On a lighter note, we were able to enjoy the hotel since there were not many people going around. It felt so peaceful!
By the way, before you book a staycation in Metro Manila, make sure to check the list of DOT-authorized hotels in Manila.
Thank you EDSA Shangri-la for the good service! We really enjoyed our staycation! Thanks also for the early check-in and super late check-out!
Love, the Icogos!
