Solaire Resort North brings five-star elegance to the north, challenging Manila’s old ideas of where world-class hospitality belongs
Rising above the din of EDSA traffic and the patchwork of development in northern Metro Manila, a new silhouette now commands the skyline: Solaire Resort North, a 38-story monument of glass and restraint that seems to say, quietly but unmistakably, “Look again.”
Solaire Resort North is many things — a hotel, a design statement, a culinary playground — but most of all, it is a promise. That luxury, long concentrated in Manila, Pasay, Ortigas, Makati, Taguig, or Parañaque could bloom somewhere else. That Quezon City, long defined by government buildings, television networks, and commercial sprawl, could suddenly feel like a destination.
On a sunlit afternoon, the team behind Simpol.ph, the integrated media community established by celebrity chef Tatung Sarthou, was granted exclusive access to explore the property. Belle Cahulogan, the resort’s senior manager for public relations and communications, led the private tour, unveiling a mosaic of culinary spaces, wellness offerings and high-end design meant to cater to a new generation of leisure and business travelers.
The Mangrove. (Photo courtesy of Solaire Resort North)
The moment we stepped inside, it felt like we were no longer in the city we knew. It was Quezon City, yes, but elevated, romanticized, reimagined. This place exudes Filipino opulence, told like a timeless romance.
We began where many journeys should: at the table. At Manyaman, a restaurant dedicated to reinterpreting Kapampangan cuisine through a contemporary lens, the team sampled the Merienda Cena buffet, a midday offering that included refined takes on Filipino comfort food: sizzling sisig, tender morcon, and the creamy carabao milk dessert tibok-tibok, among them.
The flavors were familiar, but dressed for the occasion. And that occasion was reverence.
Manyaman. (Photo courtesy of Solaire Resort North)
Each bite was like walking back into a childhood kitchen — only this time, the lighting was moodier, the plates warmer, the hands more precise. It wasn’t nostalgia that held us but gratitude. Gratitude that someone had taken the time to care.
The tour then moved to the resort’s Health Club, a sleek, light-filled fitness facility outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment. Designed to accommodate a range of wellness routines, the club allows guests to stay active while away from home.
Just beyond its glass walls lies the Outdoor Fitness Deck, an open-air space with a basketball half-court and a pickleball court, available exclusively to in-house guests.
You don’t come here to change your body. You come to reconnect with it. There’s something deeply healing about moving under the clouds. It’s a reminder that you’re alive.
Health Club. (Photo courtesy of Solaire Resort North)
At the Pool Café, the tempo softened. Over handcrafted cocktails and gourmet snacks, the team found respite by the water, kissed by late afternoon light.
It felt like a deep breath for the soul. You could hear the city in the distance, but here, it didn’t reach you.
Pool. (Photo courtesy of Solaire Resort North)
Café Mangrove offered yet another shift in atmosphere — quiet, contemplative, serene. At its center, a suspended glass sculpture by artist Nikolas Weinstein glowed in the natural light, casting rippling shadows across the café’s pale interiors.
It was an awakening. You think you’re just stopping for a quick drink, and somehow you end up confronting silence, art and beauty you didn’t know you needed.
Cafe Mangrove. (Photo courtesy of Solaire Resort North)
Dinner was held at Yakumi, Solaire Resort North’s Japanese dining concept. Known for its dedication to culinary purity and seasonal freshness, the restaurant sources its seafood directly from Tokyo’s Toyosu Fish Market, flown in twice a week. Each dish arrived with quiet precision, presenting flavors as refined as they were restrained.
It was like a brushstroke on a canvas, each one intentional, each one respectful. It brought the Simpol.ph team back to memories of Japan, yet it felt uniquely present here.
Yakumi. (Photo courtesy of Solaire Resort North)
From there, the team ascended to Skybar, the resort’s rooftop lounge and bar. From above, the familiar chaos of Quezon City looked different — softened, silvered, surreal.
We stood at the edge and looked down at the city. For the first time in a long time, we felt still. There was something poetic about seeing the life you know from a completely new height.
Skybar. (Photo courtesy of Solaire Resort North)
Of course, no experience at Solaire Resort North would be complete without exploring its accommodations. Chef Tatung stayed in the Premiere Suite, a 94-square-meter sanctuary marked by clean lines, plush textures and sweeping views of the skyline. A soaking tub, floor-to-ceiling windows and soft lighting underscored the hotel’s commitment to quiet luxury.
It felt like a room that listens, holds space for both rest and reflection, and is not trying to impress you but to understand you.
Other rooms, from the Deluxe to the Diamond Suites, share the same philosophy. Each is quiet, layered, textural. No one element screams. But together, they sing.
Premiere Suite’s Living Room. (Photo courtesy of Solaire Resort North)
Before the night concluded, the team was treated to a final culinary indulgence: a preview of the hotel’s Fresh International Buffet. Offerings and premium selections transformed the experience into something celebratory.
There was a moment when we all went quiet not because we were full but because we were in awe. That kind of silence only comes when something moves you.
Fresh International Buffet. (Photo courtesy of Solaire Resort North)
The property features four gaming levels across 13,000 square meters, 530 guest rooms and suites, and 14 dining options. It also offers a pillarless 1,800-square-meter grand ballroom that seats over 1,600 theater-style and can be split into three event halls.
Grand Ballroom Gala. (Photo courtesy of Solaire Resort North)
Its location blends Filipino culture, arts, and tourism. Landmarks like the Quezon Memorial Circle and Bantayog ng mga Bayani remain cultural icons amid modern development.
In Quezon City, known more for function than flair, Solaire Resort North arrives not just as a destination but as a quiet promise, that world-class doesn’t have to mean far from home.
