Azumi Boutique Hotel: Designed To Be Different

A boutique hotel is a small hotel which typically has between 10 and 100 rooms. It may be small but it can give extravagant hospitality like in a luxury hotel. I must say that it is the hotel for millennials because it showcases minimalism. It has a contemporary vibe and a quirky, modern spirit.

For my mom’s 46th birthday, let’s first take a break from huge and grand five-star hotels and let’s appreciate the beauty of petite and quirky casual hotels. Here at Azumi Boutique Hotel, you will be able to enjoy your privacy with your family or friends while relaxing and having fun.

The building is not as big as you think.  It only has 19 floors but every storey is designed aesthetically. At the ground floor, hotel guests are welcomed with this cool lobby area. We can’t help but  take a photo with it. It’s Azumi’s signature place. Holiday decorations are in every corner letting us feel that Christmas is coming. Smiling faces of the receptionists greeted us. Located opposite to this shelf is the hotel’s Nail Spa and it’s open until midnight!

This boutique hotel features studio-type rooms, which are minimalist yet elegant and instagram-worthy. Colored in orange and matte black, the Garden Room is clean and neat to look at. I honestly hate orange but the color accented the room very well. It has nice choice of furnitures and is complete with basic appliances. Gosh! With a room as cold as this and bed as soft as this, I would love to tuck in blankets all day and night.

They only gave small space for the shower room but I find it really cute. It’s approved as long as there’s heater and bidet. I give plus points for the free toiletries from Natur. What makes it unique is the clear glass that lets you see the bedroom while taking a shower and vice versa. It’s lovely for couples but not if we are with friends. Don’t worry. There’s a blind that you can roll down if you need some privacy.

Since we picked the Garden Room, we got wider balcony than the other rooms. They seem to love artificial grass carpet because they have them in balconies and other outdoor areas. With the tidiness is brings, I truly understand why. The only thing I hate about the room is the fact that they only use plant box to separate our terrace from the terrace of the rooms next to us. There’s no privacy when it comes to this part.

Romulo Cafe, Azumi’s flagship restaurant where breakfast is served, has a nostalgic interior which reminds of our grandparents’ home with a modern touch. It has only one long table for the breakfast buffet so it has limited selection. Since they only have small space for the restaurant, it becomes crowded when guests take their breakfast at the same time. They have every food you would love to have every morning.

We spent our dinner at Romulo’s Cafe, too, to try their a la carte dishes. The Crispy Squid is the showstopper! We thought that it would just be a simple fried squid but it was something new in its honey garlic coat. Grilled Mahi Mahi may be juicy yet it’s quite bland. It’s a good thing that there’s mango salsa which provide flavors. Kamote Tops Salad with Pomelo and Singkamas has balanced flavors of sweetness and tanginess.

You’ll get Marina Bay Sands feels with Azumi’s infinity pool located at the penthouse of the hotel. It overlooks the striking cityscape of Alabang so your desired relaxation is guaranteed. As I dipped into the pool, I could sense the saltiness of the water. Is the saltwater? If I guessed it correctly, then Azumi has the only infinity pool in the metro that uses salt water chlorination. I truly enjoyed swimming in their lap pool since the temperature is just right for us.

This is how the infinity pool looks like at night. The colors become bright and vibrant allowing guests to party. And it’s open until two in the morning. What a good news! I appreciate the overtime service just to provide the best experience for the visitors. In fact, I salute the lifeguard on duty. He’s so attentive to his job from checking the entry and exit of the guests to checking people on the pool.

Of course, dipping in this amazing pool won’t be complete without a cocktail on hand. Azumi Cavana Lounge, located at the same level, serves luscious snacks to munch while enjoying the water and the view of the skyline. However, during the night we checked in, we weren’t able to come inside because there was an event happening. But upon scanning the menu, the food and drinks are reasonably priced.

After Ace, we really go out of Metro Manila to celebrate mom’s day. Check out Subic Grand Seas Resort and Luljetta’s Place. But due to busy schedule, we decided to stay in the city. After all, there are still a lot of great venues for staycation we have to visit here. And we’re glad that we chose Azumi Boutique Hotel because it was able to fulfill our expectations. Thank you Azumi for being part of my mom’s birthday. It has been a wonderful experience.