Philippines Golf Academy

Microtel Inns and Suites is a relative newcomer in the Philippine hotel industry. Capitalizing on a gap in room availability in what industry insiders call the limited service niche, the upstart hotel group operated locally by the Phinma Group has expanded to 9 locations country wide in just 12 years. With just a couple of exceptions, most Microtels are located in close proximity to one or more golf courses making this chain the travelling golfer’s best friend.

The newest and most unique member of the chain is the Microtel Mall of Asia. Ideally located right next to SMX and SM’s Mall of Asia, it’s the only Microtel in Metro Manila and with 150 rooms it is the largest property in the global chain. It’s also the only one with an in-house, full service restaurant with an executive chef. The rooms here are more spacious and dare I say, luxurious than its sister hotels. Other amenities include a function room that can accommodate 200 people and a roof-deck swimming pool.

The view of the esplanade from our room on the 11th floor

We used Microtel Mall of Asia as our base of operations while photographing Intramuros Club 2000 and walked away very impressed. Regular customers of the chain, Microtel MOA lived up to expectations with warm, friendly service and delightful accommodations. The proximity to the mall was a welcome bonus; one of our shooting days was rained out and that gave us time to walk over and enjoy some down time on the esplanade and shop for supplies.

Pan fried salmon with capers and lemon butter sauce

Millie’s restaurant was an unexpected delight. We were entertained by executive chef Gino Santayana, a young albeit well travelled chef with a broad palate and experience beyond his years. Millie’s is named after the Phinma Group president and CEO Jose Mari del Rosario’s late mother Millie. The menu represents a collection of her favorite dishes served in the traditional style. During our stay there, we had occasion to sample the baby back ribs, pan fried salmon with capers in a lemon butter sauce, the chicken parmigiana and a delectable tiramisu. The ribs were extremely tender; the meat practically fell off the bone. The salmon was served on a bed of mashed potatoes with a delectable side salad and the chicken parmigiana was smothered in a fresh pommodoro sauce topped with fresh buffalo mozzarella. The tiramisu was simply delicious; it was most enjoyable to taste one done in the original style.

Chicken Parmigiana with fresh pommodoro sauce and buffalo mozzarella

All in all, we were extremely pleased that we chose Microtel Mall of Asia for our stay. It will do nothing to detract from the chain’s reputation for providing quality lodging at reasonable prices with a superb location close to the airport, the largest mall in the country and to two golf courses. If you’re looking for a quality hotel in a good location, you’d be hard pressed to do better than this.

Millie’s Tiramisu

Read the whole story on:http://pinoygolfer.com

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