It’s in a surprising location, an area of Quezon City where I’ve never really spotted a hotel before, much less, a hotel that instantly made me feel as if I was in the trendiest spots of BGC. It’s on a lot where a Security Bank used to be, and directly across St. Joseph’s College and of course, St. Luke’s Hospital.
On the very busy E.Rodriguez street, is the brand new, and if I may say, very hip, the Alino Hotel.
First Impressions & A Warm Welcome
It’s a tall building, twenty stories high, with excellent views of the city, to the south and the north. It only opened a couple of months ago, but the service staff feels as if they’ve been working in the hotel for years.
No surprise there, because when I asked where they were from before Alino, most if not all of them recited names of very familiar hotels, the top ones in the country, the difference being, checking into Alino felt very much like coming home. There’s free gulaman at sago offered as a welcome drink, a relief during these hot summer months, and yes, feel free to get a refill.
The lobby area is on the 7th floor, totally relaxing and completely reassuring. The process of checking in is quick and simple, and I noticed that all throughout the hotel, there are many pieces of Philippine art, sculptures of kids playing and many more paintings on the walls of the hotel. See what I’m getting at? Home!
Staycation-Ready Facilities
I was given a quick tour of the facilities, from the conference and seminar rooms, smartly named after the iconic streets of New Manila, the gym, but most of all, and the most exciting area? The swimming pool area! A totally blue pool, and behind it, a mural of the key landmarks of Quezon City.
The University of the Philippines, the Smart-Araneta Coliseum, and many more, the whole painting blessed by the image of President Manuel Quezon.
It’s a magnificent area complete with cushioned seats and whatever one needs to chill, and yes, this pool makes Alino perfect for a staycation.
I had to ask: Why Alino? It’s a clever selection of the letters in “Alagang Pilipino”, and that’s exactly how I felt. None of the stress related to other hotels — falling in line to check in, for example — I truly absorbed exactly what the name of the hotel promised. Alagang PInoy talaga!
Cozy Rooms with Sweet Surprises
As I entered my room, I couldn’t help but smile. It had all the accoutrements, the safe, the high-end espresso coffee maker and microwave oven, the ironing board, and yes, multiple hangers for my clothes.
But the biggest surprise was the cheese board, complete with four kinds of imported cheese, and local jams — pina colada in coconut nectar and tableya chocolate jam. Beautiful! The bed was wide and very comfortable, with four well fluffed pillows, and the TV had an amazing number of channels, including an all-David Letterman channel!
Dinner at Kutchara: Ilonggo Comfort Food at its Best
I was ready to just stay in my room, but dinner at Kutchara, the dining outlet on the ground floor, awaited. I had been advised that it was an Ilonggo Comfort Food restaurant, thanks to its Executive Chef, Rexsan Abarquez.
Now, my favorite foods aside from my native Capampangan, are Ilonggo cuisine no doubt. And I wasn’t disappointed. I ordered Batchoy and Inasal, and it was served whole, one whole chicken cooked Inasal style, and it was fantastic. The Batchoy was heavy with pork belly and liver, the soup glorious with all the toppings. The Cansi, the Ilonggo broth of beef shanks and bone marrow, made sour by the Batuan, earned top ranks for its spicy but soothing flavors.
And of course, I had to order the Sisig. An Ilonggo’s take on the Capampangan classic. It arrived not on a sizzling plate, but the chopped up pork pieces steaming on a bowl. It did not disappoint. A success!
An Epic “Silog Festival” Breakfast
Breakfast was perhaps the most truly epic meal of my stay at Alino Hotel. It’s the hotel’s “Silog Festival”, and as promised, there were the top Pinoy breakfast choices, all served individually — from tapa to Cebu’s longaniza to bangus to chicken embutido — all served with unlimited coffee for the Ultimate Filipino almusal.
I took an hour to focus my attention on each, with garlic rice and my choice of eggs, over easy. It was all grand, and after, there were pancakes and syrup. With Bacon!!! The bacon was great, crispy and crunchy, and nothing’s better than Baconsilog. So yes, it was another round of Silog!
Nostalgic Merienda Favorites
All too quickly, it was time to go, I had another event in Q.C. but I just had to try the Pinoy Spaghetti and Halo-Halo for merienda. Now these are two of my ultra-favorite Pinoy foods, and with my vow to taste them, I had to, and I was instantly captivated, and brought back to all those childhood memories.
The Pinoy Spaghetti with oodles of hotdogs, topped with glorious amounts of cheese, all on delicious al dente noodles. really satisfied, bringing back memories of kiddie birthday parties. And the halo-halo, with carabao milk as its crushed ice, was a revelation. With only four toppings: red mongo, leche flan, matamis na saging, and lots of langka, it was indeed a winner, and yes, we ended up enjoying every single bite.
A Certified Recommended Stay
Alino Hotel was also built for the relatives of the patients at St. Luke’s, and perhaps that’s the reason why the staff is so caring as well. But for families simply wishing for a beautiful staycation, complete with a swimming pool and a comfort food restaurant?
I’m highly recommending Alino Hotel, and its Kutchara Restaurant, for both. I’ll see you all there once more soon!
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