A hotel of firsts

MANILA, Philippines - You have probably heard of living a fishbowl life. How does living an aquarium life sound?

Hotel H2O is the first and only hotel in the country with an aquarium theme. We do not just mean fish tanks found in the typical hotel lobby. We mean aquariums that extend to the guest rooms, where fish swim quite literally into your own room.

“The Aquarium Room is the signature room of our hotel,” begins Hotel H2O general manager John Eric Mendoza. “It belongs to two other room categories, the Parkview and the Bayview. The former faces Rizal Park while the latter looks toward Manila Bay.”

The Aquarium Room is fast-becoming an attraction in itself. This room type features aquarium walls that house different kinds of marine creatures. Mendoza says these rooms are in-demand as a relaxing escape for tired individuals.

The Makan Makan Asian Food Village offers mouthwatering dishes of Southeast Asia and China.

“When they see the fish swimming in the aquarium walls, they feel at ease and comforted. Families bring their children along when they stay in an Aquarium Room. It gives their kids a chance to appreciate the beauty of marine life,” he says.

Aquarium rooms and suites offer the most comfortable linens, pillows, and beds. These also include flat-screen 37-inch or 40-inch flat screen television, high-speed Internet, IDD telephone, complimentary mini-bar with premium champagne and boutique liquor on suite rooms.

Mendoza says all 147 rooms are now available, with new services such as 24-hour room service, improved restaurant menu, and special events already in place.

“Hotel H2O is owned by China Oceanis Philippines, which is behind the Manila Ocean Park. Designing H2O as the hotel version of the park, plus all these amenities and services, makes this a breakthrough in the hotel industry,” he adds.

For 2011, Hotel H2O is introducing its membership club called Club H2O featuring, yes, exclusive and exciting amenities and services. Soon, the hotel will have butler services for its executive floor.

Hotel H2O’s meeting room is equipped with modern audio-visual equipment.

Mendoza says, “We also have the bookers’ program for corporate clients. It operates like a rewards program. But all in all, we continue to improve all areas of our operations to make the Hotel H2O experience an unforgettable one.”

Aside from the guestrooms, Hotel H2O counts the Manila Ocean Park as part of its main attractions. Then there is another distinguishing factor of H2O: it is considered the world’s first negative-ion hotel.

“The hotel is fully painted with the Eco Paradise Bio Sealer, a Japanese brand that emits negative ions,” Mendoza says. “These negative ions attract dust and other harmful particles, and ultimately dispose of these substances. That means we are free from dust and similar particles.”

The Club Lounge, which overlooks the famed Manila Bay, offers live acoustic entertainment every weekend.

“Since we are located in the middle of Manila, we know the kind of air condition we have. We thought, why not have a clean, less polluted atmosphere inside the hotel? That is how we came up with utilizing negative ions. We also found that negative ions help slow down the decaying and aging process. That gives us a plus on the healing and wellness factor,” he adds.

Hotel H2O reinforces the health and wellness advantage with the opening of the in-house Zenyu Eco Spa. Aside from massage and treatment services, the spa boasts of the negative-ion hot bed and the fish spa.

Guests are also treated to a variety of dining options at the Makan Makan Asian Food Village. Mendoza reveals that they have spruced up the menu, so diners will get to enjoy a wider variety of Asian dishes.

Seasoned hotelier GM John Eric Mendoza heads the dynamic team of Hotel H2O.

“There are still a lot of firsts happening in Hotel H2O. There will be an aviary opening near our hotel, as well as a host of new and exciting attractions,” he declares. “All our offerings will stay true to our tagline — fabulous, fluid, forward-looking.”

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Hotel H2O is located in Rizal Park, Manila, right at the back of the Quirino Grandstand. For more information, call +63 2 238-6100, e-mail at inquiry@hotelh2o.com or log on to http://hotelh2o.com.