At Home At Meranti Hotel for the Weekend

So close to home, yet one feels far away in a secluded private sanctuary...

A weekend at Meranti Hotel adds another dimension to the usual weekend staycation, with comforting and elegant accommodations matched by excellent service and sumptuous dining experiences all in the center and heart of Quezon City. Quezon City is definitely changing, and Meranti Hotel is just one of the many welcome additions to this part the metro. So near home, and Meranti Hotel is home for the weekend...

Located along Scout Castor in the quiet Scout area of Quezon City, Meranti Hotel rises high above the quaint neighborhood with its modern facade, changing the skyline of Quezon City. The 11-storey development boasts of 59 lavishly and well-appointed rooms, and your perfect getaway from the urban rush so near home.

A refreshing Welcome Drink is served upon checking at the elegant lobby, kicking off your weekend staycation at Meranti Hotel. Meranti Hotel is the maiden venture of the Max's Group, Inc., the same group behind the iconic Max's Restaurant, a culinary institution in the local food scene for over 71 years (for more on Max's Restaurant, see my previous post, After 71 Years and Counting, Still Sarap to the Bones at Max's Restaurant). In fact, the hotel property is located right across the very first location of Max's Restaurant along Scout Tuazon. With years of experience in the food service industry, Meranti Hotel is a natural extension of their service platform, harnessing viable synergies among its brands and dining concepts to provide relevant customer value. The 3-Star hotel opened late last year offering its own unique brand of Filipino care and service to "balikbayans," foreign tourists, corporate clients, as well as Quezon City locals looking for quality and comforting accommodations near home.  

At the spacious lobby, the group's Maple restaurant, known for its well-received and comforting American Southwest cuisine, makes its presence at the hotel's in-house restaurant, Meranti Cafe by Maple, offering both ala carte and breakfast buffet dining. Other dining options include their flagship Max's Restaurant just right across the hotel with its numerous function rooms.  The location of Meranti Hotel places you in the middle of the dining scene at Quezon City, with Max's Restaurant (for more on Max's Restaurant and their signature dishes, see my post here) and many other dining establishments offering multiple options within the area. During our weekend staycation at Meranti Hotel, we sampled some of the neighborhood's unique and distinct local flavors. Fancy some old-school freshly-baked artisan bread and pastries? Head on down to the local neighborhood bakery, Kamuning Bakery Cafe (see my post, Reviving the Neighborhood Bakery Experience at Kamuning Bakery Cafe). And if it's the rustic regional flavors of the north you're craving for, there's Victorino's Restaurant and their signature Ilocano dishes (more on my post, Classic Ilocano Flavors at Victorino's Restaurant).

At the Mezzanine, guests can access private conference rooms for business meetings with a bird's eye view of the hotel's elegant lobby. The stylish and modern design of the hotel lobby exudes a contemporary yet comforting vibe, with space as a design element in itself.

And the use of space as a functional design element is seen and experienced with their well-appointed rooms. One of my favorite features of Meranti Hotel is its spacious and elegant accommodations, with both Queen and Twin Bed configurations. Topped with a high ceiling, one never feels cramped during the duration of your stay, a liberating experience that just adds another layer to your weekend at Meranti Hotel. It's one of the hotel's best features. And once you try the bed, you'll never want to leave. That's because Meranti Hotel uses top-of-the-line memory foam pocketed spring beds draped in 400 Thread Count Egyptian cotton. And it's no wonder that in its very first month of operations, Meranti Hotel ranked in the top five hotels reviewed online at Agoda.com.

Each room has all the amenities you need, stocked with toiletries (L) and even a coffee-making facility (R) just in case you need a fresh cup of coffee or tea while watching the news on your in-room flat screen LCD. 

Enjoying world-class facilities in the heart of Quezon City is just one of the many surprises at Meranti Hotel, and it gets better... 

Meranti Hotel is just one of the few hotels in the metro installed with the Smart Hospitality TV, providing direct access to the internet with their fast wi-fi. You can browse and surf the web, watch your favorite videos on YouTube, and soon, check the latest flight schedules, all in high-def in their large LCD flat screens.  

And with free and fast wi-fi, staying connected is no problem, and completing all your backlog of posts is a breeze at Meranti Hotel. 

Head on up to the pool deck located at the top floor, and go for a few laps on the unique glass-lined pool. Or simply lounge on the deck chairs and enjoy panoramic views of the neighborhood.  Or enjoy an ice-cold beer and catch the sunset on the horizon.

For dinner, we dined at Meranti Cafe at Maple with the signature dishes of Maple (for more on Maple's signature dishes, see my post Taking Classic Comfort Food A Notch Higher At Maple), starting with their trademark maple-glazed dinner rolls. Fresh from the oven, the warm and soft rolls are perfect with a dab of butter.

The refreshing Arugula Salad with garden-fresh greens, cherry tomatoes, and walnuts drizzled with a tart lemon vinaigrette topped with poached egg, prosciutto, olives, Grano Padano shavings, and balsamic reduction was then served next. And dinner on our weekend staycation is off to a great start, with more of Maple's signature dishes about to be served...

...like the Southern-Style Fried Chicken, crunchy chicken served with house gravy and a side of crisp fries...

...and the Chilean Mussels cooked in beer and served with crostini, comforting dishes with that distinct Maple touch adding to the experience at Meranti Hotel.

The sides for the main dish were then prepared, and this one looked familiar from a visit a couple of years back at Maple...

The Prime Rib Tapa, with a hefty slab of marinated prime rib served with garlic rice, two eggs, tomato-onion salsa, and atsara, a favorite then, and still a favorite. And now, you don't even have to drive all the way to San Antonio Plaza along Mckinley, you can find it here at Meranti Hotel. 

The Prime Rib is tender and juicy, infused with the flavorful tapa marinade and topped with crunchy garlic bits, taking the usual tapa to a higher level with the premium slab of beef. It's prime rib, just can't get better than that. Paired with eggs and garlic rice, this is not your usual and traditional tapa dish, it's tapa with that signature Maple touch. 

The indulgent Bourbon Bread Pudding, topped with ice cream, caps a perfect dinner during our staycation. Comforting flavors all the way to dessert, at Meranti Cafe by Maple.

After dinner, have some refreshing cocktails and head up the pool deck, and gaze at the city lights. At Meranti Hotel, you're never too far from the action.

And early next morning, have a leisurely breakfast at Meranti Cafe by Maple with its comforting spread of traditional breakfast favorites...

A freshly-brewed cup of coffee, a glass of Cucumber Lemonade, and some fresh fruits... 

...followed by some beef tapa, longganisa, and crispy danggit, local flavors guaranteed to help you start the day right. And no need to rush, the spread is replenished regularly, so you can take your time and enjoy the weekend staycation vibe.

Fresh and comforting, with so many delightful surprises defined our weekend staycation at Meranti Hotel, making it one of the top picks in Quezon City.

And during our entire stay at Meranti Hotel, the staff was always there, ready to assist. It's that level of service that threads all the experiences from the first day of the staycation to the last for a memorable staycation. Quezon City is changing, and a destination in itself.

And you can find it all here at the heart of Quezon City...at Meranti Hotel.

Meranti Hotel is located at 82 Scout Castor, Brgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City or call the Front Desk at (02) 376-6340 to 42 for more information and inquiries.

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