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| Widus Resort & Casino |
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| The postcard-pretty exterior |
I recently received an
invitation from Ms. Victoria “Tori” T. Vicente, Marketing &
Communications Manager of Widus Resort & Casino, to join a media
familiarization tour of the hotel which is located within the Clark Freeport
Zone.
Its Convention Center will also be the venue of the concert,
produced by Steve O’Neal Productions, of American 1980’s heartthrob singer and
Broadway actor Rex Smith. I brought along my son Jandy as my
photographer and we all met up with Tori plus media colleagues Mr. Buddy
Recio (with wife Divine Recio and staff member Paolo M. Abellanosa)) of
Travel Update, Ms. Denise Roco of People Asia Magazine, Mr. JC
De Leon of GMA Online and Ms. Denise O. Calnea (with friend
Ms. Jane de la Cruz) of Business World, at Starbucks in Greenbelt 1,
Makati City.
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| Widus Casino |
We all left (11 AM) for Clark
on a Sunday, so traffic was light even along the usually traffic-infested EDSA.
Along the way, we picked Ms. Marianne C. Carandang of Travel
Trade. Traffic was almost non-existent as we traversed the North Luzon
Expressway (NLEX) and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), arriving
at the hotel’s Southeast Asian-inspired and naturally lit lobby by 1 PM, in
time for sumptuous lunch at the Salt Resto, the hotel’s main dining
outlet.
This wouldn’t be my first visit to this hotel, having visited it
3 times (twice in 2008, the year of its opening, and once in 2009) when it was still
called Hotel Vida and managed by Fuego Hotels.
During this tour, many things
have changed since my last visit. Aside from a name (the hotel’s new
name, Widus, is actually a play on the term “With Us”) and
management (it is now operated by Widus International Leisure
Inc.) change, there are now new facilities. Salt Resto is now
expanded and newly-renovated.
There is also an upscale, well-stocked and sophisticated bar (Prism
Lounge); another coffee shop (Widus Coffee Shop), a small gym with modern equipment;
a sundry shop; a business center and a spa (Aisia). The hotel is
also now accredited as a Deluxe Class Hotel by the Department of
Tourism, the first such hotel in Pampanga, and was awarded as Travelers’
Choice Top 13 Luxury Hotel and Top 25 Hotel in the Philippines by
Tripadvisor.com.
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| Widus Coffee Shop and Prism Lounge |
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| Aisia Spa |
We were toured around the
other new facilities by the new (since early May) Gen. Manager Alfred M.
Reyes, formerly connected with the Four Seasons Hotel in Taipei
(Taiwan).
Now opposite the main building is the 24-hour Casino Widus which
has 420 sq. ft. of gaming space and features 150 gaming machines and 27
table and poker games (2 for poker). Also within the casino is the Malt
Bar and Coffee Shop.
From the main building, we
all walked, across the parking lot, to the Widus Convention Center.
This building, with the same modern, cutting edge design as the main
building, has state-of-the-art facilities for up to 400 guests with 2
ballrooms – the 454.73 sq. m. Vegas Hall and the smaller 188.52 sq. m. Macau
Hall. The former ballroom was to be the venue for the “Simply Rex”
concert. Both versatile ballrooms can be converted into 5 convention rooms
ideal for business meetings, training seminars and functions.
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| The Widus Convention Center |
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| The Vegas Ballroom |
Sitting on 1.9 hectares of land, the hotel has 119 luxuriously appointed guest rooms - 47 Deluxe Rooms ( with twin or queen beds) and 40 Family Suites and 15 studio-type Junior Suites, 16 One Bedroom Suites (with king beds) and 1 Presidential Suite. Tori toured us around each room type.
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| The Presidential Suite |
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| Jacuzzi at the Presidential Suite |
The presidential suite also has 2 bedrooms (one with king bed and the other with 2 single beds), a dining area and a jacuzzi.
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| Our Family Suite (3503) |
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| The swimming pool. Behind is the 114-room annex being constructed |
Most rooms have wonderful
views of the adjacent golf course; the swimming pool or the
serene, verdant and well-manicured landscape crowned with palms
and a plethora of majestic, century-old acacia trees. Across the pool is a new
building being constructed.
According to Mr. Reyes, this
new wing, with 114 additional rooms, is expected to be completed
by October in time for the start of the Emirates’ non-stop daily flights
between Dubai and Clark.
Aside from the two airlines and the
low-cost carriers (Air Asia Berhad of Malaysia, Air Asia
Philippines, Asiana Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, Dragonair, Jin
Air, PAL Express and Seair-Tiger) already operating, he also cited
the interest of Qatar Airways to launch flights at Clark.
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| Wooden bridge over the pool |
After the hotel tour, we all
checked into our Family Suites (Jandy and I stayed at Suite 3503 at the fifth
floor), each with the same simple yet elegant Asian-inspired theme I
was used to.
Prior to checking in,
we each made an appointment for a blissful massage, either within the
Asian-themed spa or in the privacy of their rooms, after the evening “Simply
Rex” concert (where we were each given complimentary, front-row tickets) or the
next day.
I took my pampering the next
day while Jandy opted to go swimming at the large, beautiful, free-form
swimming pool (adult and kiddie, with floating bar and water slide).
Check out "Concert Review: Rex Smith in Concert"
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| Members of media at the newly-renovated Salt Resto |
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| Posing at the entrance of the casino |
Widus Resort & Casino: 5400 Manuel A. Roxas Highway, Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023. Tel: (045) 499-1000. Fax: (045) 499-0979. Manila booking office: 2311 Cityland Herrera Tower, 98 V.A. Rufino corner Valero St., Salcedo Village, Makati City. Tel: (02) 840-1430. Fax: (02) 840-1429. Website: www.widus.com.
