Waterfront Mactan, Earth Hour, etc.,

I arrived at this place just tonight from Tacloban. Well, actually I have already gone home to my rented apartment at V&G Lacion to (as usual) drop my labadami and get fresh new clothes, then back to this hotel, so that I only have to do the few steps for my flight to Manila tomorrow. Dating gawi, No hassle!

But I particularly liked this big thing dominating the lobby of the hotel. The Earth Hour logo..,

Nice and big. It really catches the attention of anyone who enters the lobby of this hotel. As always, as usual, anything they put up in this lobby becomes kind'a "photo-op booth"! Eh "instagrammable" kasi!

But of course, the usual centerpiece of this vast lobby of Waterfront Mactan is still ever present!

That table in the middle of the lobby, always with a fantastic floral adornment that regularly changes!

I liked it that they placed that big and beautiful 60+ logo - if only to remind guests and visitors of Earth Hour. Naturally, guests and visitors (include me please) get to somehow recall what this Earth Hour is, perchance we all observe, participate, or cooperate any way we can towards this worthwhile activity.

I immediately asked front desk when is Earth Hour this year, and they told me it is tomorrow. See?!

By the way, and come to think of it.., I have been staying at this hotel for countless times, but I realized just now, I have never gotten to describing those stays, or the rooms I stayed at, and such such things!

Don't worry, I'll do that one of these days in one of my (many) expected stays.

This was my room when I entered earlier. Am writing this blog article here and now (almost 11PM)!

This is on the second floor.., and mind you.., I think I have stayed in almost all of their 2F rooms hehe!

I got a twin bed this time, but I don't really mind whatever they give me since each bed is big enough!

Behind that curtain is a floor-to-ceiling glass window (wall? hehe) but the view is usually the roof of their lobby with some view of also the roof of the airport, or that in-the-making building of the airbase.

Here is a view of the dresser etc, from the window side looking at the entrance door..,

Same vantage as above, I just turned a bit to the right to see the twin beds again..,

That's the 'usual' front of any room - a desk with readables (spa/massage ads, reminders, menu, etc)

Because of that mirror, that side of the desk becomes some kind of a woman's dresser. But your tech things like internet peripherals, plugs, sockets, plus writing pads are also there! Mr & Mrs, don't fight!

The coffee, tea and drinks corner of the room.

Complimentary bottled water made by Nature's Spring specifically for Waterfront Hotels & Casinos.

A shelf above the coffee things are the native snacks. They're not free, and they're expensive!

Look, the dried mangoes by "Philippine Brand" are labeled Waterfront Mactan Airport Hotel & Casino!

The things that adorn (or clutter) the desk - before I swiped them all to the side to prop my notebook!

Note that thing on upper right? I say it's such a stupid form-over-function (therefore useless) ashtray!

Ask any smoker, if you're gonna have that shallow and small a thing for an ashtray, you might as well use something else like the drinking glasses or the coffee cups. Yes, that happens, because it is safer!

Something that the hotel's interior designer should have considered if he/she was top-caliber! Oh well, nice try putting-in a "native" product (wood with inlaid capiz shells) BUT it does not serve its purpose!

Imagine.., each and every room of the second floor have that ashtray. The suites even have 2 or 3! But while the hotel can brag that they're patronizing a local product.., their housekeeping staff surely know that is a headache - since the ash (sometimes even the butts) fly-off even just by your normal breathe!

And why, you may ask, are we all of a sudden talking about yosi-kadiri?! Ah eh, the second floor rooms are all "smokers' rooms"! That is why (mind you) this floor is always fully booked with K, J and C folks, be they the casino lovers or not! Add to that the number of rooms that are perennially occupied by the layover airline crews (yep, cockpit or cabin, young or old, men and women)! Plus, the occasional me!

Anyway, that's the lobby lounge, viewed from my dinner table at Uno (the buffet restaurant)..,

This is a cozy place to while time away, either cocktails or a few drinks before dinner, or laklakan after dinner! You will just have to keep darting in and out of that big glass door at right if you are a smoker!

Yep, smoking is not anymore allowed anywhere inside the hotel (except inside the smoking rooms at second floor)! I'm a smoker, but I like this setup. It gives a little more character to the lobby in general!

Red arrow points to the corner where the musicians would usually be playing from. Tonight it was this girl-singer-male-instrumentalist tandem. It's different every night. At times there are youth musicians!

Blue arrow points to my favorite spot in this place - occupied by 3 men at the time I snapped that pic. But as if on cue, they eventually left when it was time for My Royal Highness to lounge my time away with SanMigLight. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy drinking SML, watching TV and smoking at my room but listening to live music at this lobby lounge coupled with people watching is sinfully so fascinating!

In fact, I can even write a book about the many sights and scenes I have witnessed at this vantage!

Like the tourism-related observation that K-folks are generally rowdy when in a tour group, right? Mind you, there are the regal-looking suave-moving individuals that you immediately 'just know' as from the A or A+ echelon of their society. These are usually couples, sometimes with their children.., but.., tayo at upo pa lang, not to mention their outfits and the brands of "maleta" they bring.., mga alta sociedad!

That is just for the K-folks! I do have my observations for the J, C, A folks, and the Pinoys haha!

Oh, I mentioned dinner, right? Well, Uno also serves lunch and dinner buffets, but I prefer a-la-carte.

This grilled fish and garlic rice is enough a dinner for me

In fact, and come to think of it, if the OMG hefty breakfast buffets are not included in the room rates, I probably will not eat breakfast here, as I seldom do anyway! O okay, I will try breakfast pics tomorrow!

While having after dinner beers, I went out the lobby for a smoke, and this was my view..,

Oh, the instrumentalist old dude sings too! No descriptions needed, all Visayan singers are good!

I'll tell more about Waterfront Mactan Airport Hotel & Casino in my next visits!