Discovering Salcedo at Citadines

Makati, for me, has always been a business and commercial city. Life in Makati is always fast paced and constantly moving. So much so that it's always hard to find time to just slow down and relish all the good things you find in it.

Our view from the top.

I was fortunate to be invited to a staycation weekend at Citadines Salcedo in Makati. It is the first Citadines-branded serviced residence in the country, combining the convenience of a hotel with the comfort of home.

Located within Salcedo Village, it is conveniently near a wide mix of establishments that satisfies every need- whether you are in search of a good restaurant, a special service or a shopping destination.

Fresh from a busy work week, wifey and I arrived to check in on a Friday night, looking forward to a whole weekend of relaxation and new experiences. Our friends from Citadines graciously treated us with a two- night stay, with a whole day to experience various activities in Salcedo.

I was really impressed when I entered the hotel with it's modern design. What makes the ambiance special though are the whimsical touches you'll find here and there. They kind of make you immediately feel comfortable and relaxed.

We arrived at our beautiful one- bedroom suite and our excitement instantly doubled. Doing our mandatory picture taking and selfies was almost painful as we couldn't wait to take off our shoes and stretch on the beautiful bed, looking at a nice view of Makati at night. And as if that was not enough, a very special welcome package was waiting for us in our suite. We truly felt the VIP treatment!

The room/ suite has a fully equipped kitchen and other amenities that make each stay pleasurable and convenient.

After a restful first night, we started our Saturday activities with a super delicious and super heavy breakfast at the Flying Pan, which was just at the ground floor. The restaurant serves all- day breakfast options as well as other Filipino favorites.

These are the food available for their standard breakfast. But they have more choices and other delicious choices that we were able to try.

Before going out, we were toured around the beautiful property by no less than the Citadines' Residence Manager, Ms. Susan Salcedo. Apart from the amenities, the service residence also has a fitness center, a nice 21-meter lap pool and a hot tub for all residents to enjoy. To make things much more easier for the residents, their Ascott Hosts are always ready to provide personalized services to help you with your stay.

They also had a small but packed gym for your fitness needs.

And also a laundry area for the guests.

Our exploration of Salcedo began at the famous Salcedo Weekend Market, a few block away from Citadines. I heard good reviews about this place before but I was never enticed enough to visit the market.

To fully appreciate and see what the Market has to offer, our hosts organized a little treasure hunt to find three specific vendors where we can claim special gifts for us to take home. While the market is just small, it was difficult to find the vendor as there where so much to see and so much activities going around. There were a rich assortment of food and other rare finds everywhere. We were able to find the three items eventually after an hour and after going around the whole market almost four times.

Lunch was a feast, following our Salcedo market trip. The group enjoyed a truly fun and unique experience at the XO 46 Heritage Bistro, which you can find as we'll within Salcedo. Apart from the superb Filipino dishes that were offered, what was truly unique and refreshing about it was that the restaurant staff stayed true to the Filipino theme by conversing in pure and straight Tagalog every time.

With our tummies full, we were treated to laid back afternoon of massage and a very interesting coffee trip to the Commune Cafe, which just along the same street where Citadines is. Before enjoying our coffees, we were taught some of the basics of latte art, which we found out later on was not so easy to do.

We capped the Saturday night at Terry's, which was just a very short distance away from the residence and is one of the many interesting dining places within Salcedo. Terry's has a menu of very very good entrees that will surely make any Saturday night, or any night, extra special.

Having experienced these activities in Salcedo provided me with a new perspective of staying in Makati. Contrary to the usual image of a busy, congested city, this weekend stay at Citadines Salcedo changes the way we plan our weekend vacations in the future. Instead of going out of the city, it may be worth staying within the city and just take time to see what surprising things it has to offer. For the record, this has been our best Staycation for the year. :) Thank you for the amazing hospotality Citadines!

Citadines is located at 148 Salcedo Valero Street, salcedo Village. Makati City. For reservations and inquiries, please call +63 2 8639888 or +63 2 550 3200. Follow them on Instagram and Twitter @CitadinesPH and like them on Facebook CitadinesSalcedoMakati.\