Stay Widus

MANILA, Philippines - All we want is a place to stay. Well, if that place could give us more without boring a massive hole into our pockets, then we hop on over. The good news is, we found such a place in Widus Resort and Casino in Clark. Those who frequent Clark know this hotel by another name, but that is history. With the new name Widus (say “with us”) also come the new offerings, from the refurbished rooms to the made-better menu. Needless to say, we were excited to experience all these.

There are 119 rooms, each with luxurious furnishings and beddings, as well as cable television, Internet access, and a mini bar. These are configured into a deluxe room, a junior suite, a family junior suite, a one-bedroom suite, and a presidential suite. The rooms and suites boast of floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies, too.  Imagine all these upon entering the room for the first time and being tempted to just stay put and drift off to dreamland. Yes, it is that comfortable.

No wonder then that those who experienced such niceties want to recreate the experience again and again. Which is why Widus is adding 114 more rooms and suites to accommodate more guests, says Widus general manager Alfred Reyes.

“By the last quarter of 2012, we will have 233 rooms all in all. We are anticipating the arrival of the participants of the Visiting Forces Agreement and the visitors of the Hot Air Balloon Festival which Clark is known for,” Reyes says.

He adds: “Besides, we have a convention center that seats up to 650 people, so if this number of people intend to stay with us, we have to have the rooms to accommodate them.” All things considered, it is a rather large convention center in the area, and Reyes himself has witnessed how crowds can really fill up the place.

“When pop singer Rex Smith held a concert here, the convention center welcomed a capacity crowd. We are anticipating more concerts to be held at our convention center in the nearest future, and it would be best to have rooms ready for those who plan to stay with us longer,” he says.

The convention center is among the most modern and sophisticated around. There are five convention rooms (with five more in the works), the latest equipment, Internet connectivity, business center, makeup room, and dimmable adjustable lights.

“Widus is moving toward the MICE concept, that is, meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions. Clark is a gateway for these events since we have the airport and new budget airlines coming in. Everything is here: golf courses, wakeboarding, duty-free shopping,” Reyes says.

So now we ask, why would we limit our enjoyment in the rooms when there is a whole world of Widus waiting for us? The next stop, predictably, is its food and beverage outlet. Now, the main dining room is called Salt Resto, and features an extensive menu of local and international fare. There is a show kitchen, so diners who prefer to watch while their food is being cooked will be entertained while they wait. Otherwise, there is a buffet table waiting in the wings, always complete and comforting (yes, the sight of a generous buffet spread is our idea of comfort) with its soups, salads, appetizers, main courses, desserts, and drinks.

Reyes shares that they will be offering the Widus Executive Lunch featuring unlimited soup, salad, dessert, and coffee. Diners get to choose their main course. Indeed a value-for-money treat for those who travel all the way to Widus.

Salt is a few steps away from another F&B outlet, the W Coffee Shop, where specialty coffee concoctions and pastries are served. Try the outstanding ube ensaymada and bring home a baker’s dozen. We are told this purple pastry is a fast mover, selling up to 50 pieces a day.

In the evening, after a sumptuous dinner at Salt, there is live band music every night, and a wide range of drinks and cocktails to be had at the Prism Lounge. Now Prism had us pleasantly surprised: it appeared cramped on the outside but inside, it is cavernous. There is so much room for partygoers, and the sound system is not so much intrusive as to drown out conversations. We had times when we had to shout at each other while talking but we are glad to report, that is not the case at Prism. There is more to enjoy here, of course.

“We offer local beers, buy one, take one, for only P100,” Reyes says. “On Thursdays, we have the buy one, take one margarita, also at P100. We also have the Prism Cocktail Madness for those who cannot get enough of our signature drinks.”

The casino also has its own F&B outlet in the form of the 24-hour Malt Bar & Coffee Shop. For those who go there to play or look around or wait for a friend, Malt has an enticing menu of quick meals, coffee, beverages, live bands, and raffle games.

“We are going to make the Widus casino more exciting for our guests. We are putting up a restaurant and fast-food outlet very soon, as well as a steakhouse on top of the casino. The steakhouse will be overlooking the golf course. It is a pretty sight to behold while dining on your steak,” Reyes says, adding that the fun does not stop here, as they are putting up a waterpark and 300 more rooms in the property in the near future.

At day’s end, we treated ourselves to a most calming time at Aisia Spa. There is a selection of top-of-the-line oils, treatments, and other services here, and the best thing to do is to just drift off while getting a massage. We could not think of anything better.

The next time you find yourself in a holiday quandary, consider Clark then head directly to Widus Resort and Casino. It is more than a place to stay.

***

Widus Resort and Casino is located at 5400 M.A. Roxas Highway, Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga. For more information, call +6345-4991000 or +632-8401430, e-mail at info@widus.com or visit its website at www.widus.com. Photos by Fernan Nebres