Hotel and Inn Review: Seda Centrio Hotel (Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental)

Date of Stay: November 22-23, 2019

RATING (Scale of 1 to 10)

Location: *********

Rooms: ********

Condition and Cleanliness: *********

Staff Performance: *******

Room Comfort: ********

Food and Beverage: ********

Other Amenities: ********

Value for Money: ********

Seda Centrio Hotel

This lifestyle hotel, opened last December 29, 2012, is owned by AyalaLand Hotels and Resorts Corp. (AHRC) and the Anflo Group of the Floirendo family. 

Its sleek, contemporary fourth floor lobby (as well as the hotel guestrooms), with its stylish and cozy Minimalist-style interiors, was designed by well-known architect and interior design consultant Conrad Onglao. 

The lobby connects to a smaller, ground floor receiving area which provides easy access to the upscale Centrio Mall and its spectrum of dining and retail outlets, which is a big convenience for hotel guests. Seda Centrio Hotel has 150 spacious and well-appointed rooms, spread over 11 floors. 

Centrio Mall

All rooms have magnetic door locks, a flat-screen 40-inch HD cable TV; IDD phone with alarm clock, radio and iPod dock; coffee/tea making facility, mini bar; iron and ironing board; executive work desk; complimentary bottles of water and an electronic in-room safe.

A media panel, with HDMI, USB and audio-visual connectivity, allows the guest to view his files or listen to his music over the 40-inch LED TV system in his room.

The private ensuite bathroom has a hot/cold shower, a hairdryer and bidet.  Free toiletries are also included. A maximum of 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children below 12 years old can stay in the rooms.

The author

De Luxe Room (506)

This 4-star, lifestyle hotel also has an outdoor adult and kiddie swimming pool (4th level, open 6 AM – 10 PM) with sundeck, a fitness center (4th level, open 6 AM – 10 PM), 12-pax meeting room (4th level), 120-pax divisible function venue (Sinamay, 4th floor), 24-hour business center (E-Lounge) with iMac station at the 4th level lobby area; car park and a 24-hour Front Desk. Free WiFi is also available throughout the hotel.

Hotel lobby designed by architect and interior design consultant Conrad Onglao

The hotel also offers laundry, ironing, dry cleaning, airport shuttle (surcharge), concierge, luggage storage, car rental, daily housekeeping and room service.  

The hotel's signature, all-day Misto Restaurant

The all-day dining at Misto Restaurant serves local and international cuisine.  Continental buffet breakfast is served daily and a la carte the rest of the day. 

The breakfast was good and offered a lot of choices – bacon, egg station, cereals, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juice, fried/plain rice, beans, hash brown, waffles, sausages, pancakes, etc.  The coffee lounge at the lobby, open 6 AM to 10 PM, offers light snacks while the roof deck has a bar with great views of the city.

The kiddie and adult swimming pool

Elevator lobby

Hotel at night

The hotel has an excellent location being strategically located 100 m. from Rustan Supermart; 270 m. from Vicente de Lara Park; 300 m. from T.G.I. Fridays and Starbuck’s; 350 m. from SM CDO Downtown Premier; 420 m, from Cagayan De Oro Medical Center II; 610 m. from Pelaez Sport Center; 640 m. from Polymedic General Hospital; 660 m. from Museum of Three Cultures; and 751 m, from Robinsons Cagayan.

It is also located 1.46 kms. from Gaston Park; 1.5 kms. from City of Cagayan de Oro Museum; 5.5 kms. from Mapawa Nature Park; 8.56 kms. from Opol Beach; 12.68 kms. from Macahambus Hill Cave   and 25.3 kms. from Laguindingan Airport.

Check out "Laguindingan International Airport"

Function Room

Fitness center overlooking pool

E-Lounge

 Incidentally, Seda is the brand name of Ayala hotels and their hotels are always either attached or right next to one of their signature malls. 

Though Seda Centrio shares a roof and is connected to the upscale Centrio Mall, security and exclusivity is still maintained as it has its own private entrance that leads to the Front Desk at the 4th floor. Customer service was excellent and the staff was friendly and accommodating. The rooms were very clean.

Sundeck by the swimming pool

Seda Centrio Hotel: Claro M. Recto Ave. cor. Corrales Ave, Cagayan de Oro City, 9000 Misamis Oriental.  Tel: +6388 323 8888. Fax: +6388 323 8891. E-mail: cdo@sedahotels.com.  Website: www.cenrio.sedahotels.com.

Kain Na! Food and Travel Festival (Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental)

Kain Na! Food and Travel Festival

“Kaon Ta” (“Let’s Eat”), the Northern Mindanao leg of the Department of Tourism’s Kain Na! food and travel festival, is part of a nationwide series designed to create awareness and interest on Filipino cuisine and tourism destinations.

The Northern Mindanao Region (Region 10) is known for its abundance of agricultural products, especially lanzones, pineapple and organic peanuts, on top of producing 31 varieties of banana. 

DOT data states that more than 90% of tourists engage in unique food and beverage experiences and food comprises one-third of their expenditures.

L-R: Mr. Decius L. Esmedalla (DOT Supervising Administrative Officer), Mr. Ian Mark Q. Nacaya (City Councilor), Mr. Roberto Alabado III (DOT Asst. Secretary) and Ms. Dorothy Pabayo (Chairperson of City Tourism Council)

The 3-day festival, held at Seda Centrio Mall, officially opened last November 22 and will run until November 24.  City Councilor Hon. Ian Mark Q. Nacaya (representing CDO Mayor Oscar S. Moreno) delivered the welcome message. 

Also speaking at the opening were Centrio Mall Manager Hammer B. Roa while DOT Asst. Secretary Roberto Alabado III delivered the keynote speech.  

DOT Supervising Administrative Officer Decius L. Esmedalla and former DOT Region 10 Director and now City Tourism Council (CTC) Chairperson Dorothy “Dotie” Pabayo also graced the event. The Parade of Food and the official opening of the festival followed.

Parade of Food

One of the highlights of the opening ceremony of Kaon Ta Food and Travel Festival was the Flavors of the Region Degustacion where a whole yellowfin tuna was carved and the slices served kinilaw (literally “eaten raw”) to guests. 

The festival featured 32 exhibitors, all tourism stakeholders of sustainable and inclusive tourism program sand specializing in wonderful food holidays.  

They include hotels and restaurants, all belonging to Cagayan de Oro Hotel and Restaurant Association (COHARA), as well as farm resorts, agro industry groups, eco-farm adventure parks, transport operators, universities and local government unit (LGU)  tourism offices.

Flavors of the Region Degustacion

Dennis Coffee
Garden

Agriko

Presented were organic vegetables, juices, local herbs, concoctions, crop-based delicacies, handicrafts and culinary tour packages. The regional offices of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry also set up their respective exhibits. 

Some of the region’s favorite dishes are the Camiguin favorite chicken surol (a soup dish made with free-range chicken cooked in coconut milk),  roast beef, the famous binaki (a local delicacy made of yellow corn, cream, butter, milk and sugar), beef rendang (spicy,rich and creamy Malaysian/Indonesian stew made with beef, spices and coconut milk), humba de oro (a sweet pork dish that resembles the famous pork adobo), sinuglaw, (a dish composed of grilled pork belly and fish cerviche),  inun-unan na pidlayan (the Visayan version of paksiw na isda or boiled pickled fish) and the  Maranao staple chicken piaparan (a dish that is cooked with chicken, coconut milk, turmeric, and a special paste called palapa).  

Biko and chicken ham

Vinagrette and
natural honey

Organic
vegetables

The region’s specialty food products such as Iligan City’s wide selection of unique coffee blends, Camiguin’s coffee blends and classic Vjandep pastel  (a soft bun made of sweet yema which is best eaten accompanied with a cup of freshly brewed coffee or hot cocoa), the famous kiping (a crunchy snack made of cassava drizzled in latik, a syrup made of caramelized coconut milk) and palapa (a specialty, popular in Islam culture, is used to add flavor to curry rice and any kind of viand)

There's also suman from Clarin, Neneng’s Buko Pie from Linamon, , local tea (turmeric, ginger, etc.), cassava chips, local wine (mangosteen, guyabano, dragon fruit, roselle), coconut vinegar, black, brown and red rice, turmequillos, natural honey, tuna chicharon, vinagrette, egg-white cheese puto, sukang pinakurat, etc.

Kinilaw

Local wine

Alomah's Farm

The festival also featured prominent chefs from prominent hotels and restaurants from different regions who featured, in a demonstration series, their wide array of special, exotic and authentic recipes for the degustation of special guests.   

They were Queny Villarante from Region 9; Rowel Gomez (Jet 7 Bistro Executive Chef) and Barlow Neal Roa (Chef de Partie of Seda Centrio) from Region 10; Dina Tuan and Precious Pearl Portia Mendoza-Valdez (owner of Sushimoto, an online business) from Region 12; Leo Calub from Region 13; and Roseller Fiel III (Executive Chef at Soy Café and Diner and a culinary instructor at Sweet House Pastry School) from Lanao del Norte.

Lanao delNorte booth

Department of Tourism Regional Office X: DOT Bldg., Limketkai Center 9000 Cagayan de Oro City.  Tel: (088) 880-0172.  Fax: (6088) 856-4048.  E-mail: dot10@tourism.gov.ph. Website: www.tourismregion10.co.cc. Director: Ms. Marie Elaine S. Unchuan. 

Cheers to the 19th Grand Wine Experience! (Pasay City)

The 19th Grand Wine Experience at the Marriott Grand Ballroom

The Philippine Wine Merchants (PWM) have done it again with their very successful 19th edition of the Grand Wine Experience, the country’s most prestigious annual wine event (ranked as one of Asia’s most important wine spectacles), held last November 15 at the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel (its 9th consecutive year as host), Resorts World Manila.  This year’s theme is Generations, highlighting the story of wine as a legacy since heritage in winemaking plays across generations in vineyards and the families that cultivate them.

An array of wine and spirit stalls

A huge cauldron of meatballs

A giant plate of paella

As early as 5 PM, while everyone waited for the grand ballroom event venue to open its doors, early attendees avoiding the usual insane pay-day weekend traffic mayhem were already at the red carpeted halls leading to the main ballroom, having a chill time with white wine. Just like in past GWEs, the ballroom was set up with stalls, with different wines and spirits, stationed on the perimeter of the ballroom, with different buffets scattered across the center. 

Live entertainment 

At the center of everything was a big stage where the 20-piece AMP Big Band with Mel Villena played live music.  To complete the mood, veteran club DJ Boyet Sison was also spinning records. There were also small stages where winemakers will have their interviews.

By 6 PM, the ballroom soon filled with dignitaries, top executives, celebrities, wine connoisseurs and wine lovers, most in business or cocktail attire. They were amazed by the spectacular wine choices and buffet spreads and excited to taste the more than 700 renowned wines, beers, sakes (rice beer), whiskeys and other spirits from over 100 wineries, breweries, and distilleries from 20 countries.  

Chivas booth

On hand to welcome them and officially start the event were the Joseph brothers of PWM - Ronald Lim Joseph (Director of Finance), Raymond Lim Joseph (Director of Sales and Marketing), Robert Lim Joseph (Chairman) and Ralph Lim Joseph (President).

Favorite brands such as Hennessy and Chivas were there. Hennessy featured the Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand and Malbec from Terrazas de los Andes from Argentina. 

Tapping into the milk tea craze that’s sweeping the country, Hennessy featured its three-star Cognac, Hennessy VS, in a cocktail which it called Hennessy Milktea. Chivas, on the other hand, featured, for the first time, its “full range,” coming up with exciting cocktails that show how “flexible” their brands are.

The "party-like" ambiance

Aside from wines, there were also liquors from popular Filipino brands (Don Papa Rum, etc.), beers from Corona and Stella Artois, whiskies from Dalmore, and a lot more. Also featured was the largest premium sake selection in the Philippines, with 14 legendary sake from breweries (Dassai, Tatenokawa, Gekkeikan, etc.) from 11 prefectures of Japan.  

A whole yellowfin tuna

Some wines from Greece (Domaine Sigalas, Kir-Yianni, Xinomavro, Assyrtiko, etc.), the Golan Heights from Israel (Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.), among others, also made their Philippine debut. 

Aside from unlimited tastings, guests also had the chance to meet winemakers, sake brewers, beer brewers, and owners.  Within everyone's easy reach were sumptuous culinary treats, courtesy of the chefs and crew of Marriott Hotel Manila, led by Executive Chef Meik Brammer, who kept replenishing their glorious assortment of food, from the shrimps to the cheeses, sausages, breads, whole slabs of fresh fish, roasted ducks, etc..  

A taste of China - Peking duck

The amazing buffet spread of tasty dishes lavishly displayed all over the grand ballroom (which was already probably too much to consume all in one night) included impressive displays of a massive plate of paella served on one side and a humongous cauldron of meatballs on the other. For sweets, there’s chocolates and fresh strawberries, right in front of the stage at the center of the venue, to pair with their drinks.

Freixenet booth

In spite of the large contingent of oenophiles attending the event, everything seemed to be unlimited in this outrageously fun night, with food and wines served from 5:30 PM till past midnight. 

Truly, this evening, with its casual, almost “party-like” ambience, can best be summarized as “Eat, Drink and Be Merry.” Though wine was the focal point of the conversations, camaraderie and hedonism, the GWE also offered guests the opportunity to see old friends, catch up with wine industry people and also meet and see new faces.

Toasting to the present and the future.....

The Grand Wine Experience, resembling a humongous wine dinner or wine party, combined everything in one huge epicurean festival - an overflowing array of food from various cuisines, live entertainment and different wines, liquors and spirits from different regions. This year’s wine drinking odyssey, a GWE that I’m sure people won’t soon forget, truly surpassed its previous editions.

L-R: the author, Mr. Pete Dacuycuy (publicist), Ms.  Patria Aurora "Dawnie" Roa (former DOT Region 7 Director), Fr. Boyd R. Sulpico (Colegio de San Juan de Letran chaplain) and Mr. Ricky Paul Tio (president and general manager of Cebu Tours & Holiday Travel, Inc.)

Philippine Wine Merchants: 2253 Aurora Blvd., Pasay City 1300, Metro Manila.Tel: (02) 853-7423.  Email: sales@ralphswines.com.ph. Website: www.grandwineexperience.com.