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Active Staycation at The Cirque Serviced Residences

Kara Santos

I was thinking of booking a random flight or taking a road trip somewhere just to get away during the ASEAN Summit holiday. Just based on my Facebook feed, it seemed like everyone was planning to go out of town. But with major roads being locked down for security and horrible traffic because of the special lanes, I dreaded the thought of going to the airport or getting stuck somewhere on the way to a good “out-of-town” destination.

At the same time, it seemed like a shame to just stay at home and do chores when everyone else was on a break. Since friends didn’t have work as well, it seemed like a good excuse to get together for a quick staycation right in the city. So we took advantage of an invitation  to stay at The Cirque, a new property by developer Ortigas & Company. I previously visited and wrote about The Bike Playground at Circulo Verde, the country’s first internationally-designed indoor bike park, but didn’t know that there was a hotel-like property in the same area, which happens to be pet-friendly too!

It’s pretty rare to have a bike-friendly AND pet-friendly staycation place in Metro Manila, so that’s two bonus points at once. Surrounded by open, tranquil spaces, The Cirque Serviced Residences in Quezon City offers a good balance of amenities for those looking who value healthy living and an active lifestyle. It’s a great spot for anyone in need of a quick vacation, pet parents, or those looking for a long-term pad.

Location

The Cirque is located within Ibiza tower and Seville Residences in Circulo Verde, Calle Industria, Brgy, Bagumbayan, Quezon City. The Circulo Verde enclave is a 10-hectare estate by Ortigas & Company, making use of wide, open, green spaces and a mix of amenities and establishments conducive for leisure and recreation. Circulo Verde is accessible via EDSA, Ortigas Ave. Katipunan Ave. E. Rodriguez Ave. (C-5) and Marcos Highway. It’s just a 5 to 10 minute drive to major business and commercial centers in Ortigas and Eastwood City, schools, entertainment and sports facilities.

Design

The Cirque is the very first serviced residence under Ortigas & Company, in partnership with hotel management specialist, Hospitality Innovators Inc. (HII), known for their stylish and modern boutique hotels such as Azumi Boutique Hotel and Parque Espana in Alabang, Exchange Regency in Ortigas and The Crosswinds in Tagaytay. The Cirque is fairly new, as they only had their soft opening last October 8, 2017.

The Cirque has very stylish and modern interiors created in collaboration between Kibu Design Concepts and K. Benitez Interiors. The design concept aims to promote the well-being of guests. Special materials were used in the rooms to enhance the harmonious setting while remaining pet-friendly.

All rooms have Ecocarat Japanese breathing tiles, which absorb humidity and odor, and the Daiken textile walls that absorb humidity and sound, so that guests can enjoy their stay with the company of pets. The materials absorb odor that usually comes from pets and controls noise within to the room to avoid disruption to neighboring guests.

Accommodations

The Cirque has a total of 55 units with three types of set-ups: one-bedroom flat (51 sqm), one-bedroom loft (64 sqm), and two-bedroom suite (69 sqm). All the rooms feel very airy and spacious, with wide glass windows that let in natural light and terraces that give you a panoramic view of the surroundings.

We were booked in the 2-BR suite, which had a very cozy living room area, kitchen and dining space and two separate bedrooms, a master’s with a queen-sized bed and its own very large bathroom, and a smaller room with twin beds, and a smaller bath. There was even a laundry room with service quarters and a smaller bathroom.

The unit was very elegantly designed with lots of artistic details, including lighting fixtures, mirrors and modern artwork. The bed linens were really comfortable and beds had lots of pillows. The rooms didn’t feel like regular hotels where everything was sort of cookie cutter and utilitarian.

The whole place felt very livable. The unit came with a full-sized ref (not a tiny minibar one) and a fully equipped kitchen (with a stove, rice cooker, pots and pans, microwave, etc.). The tables in all the model units are also set up with their own beautiful cutlery and plates. We could have cooked, but we decided to just try the restaurants nearby for most of our meals.

Since we had a ref, friends came bearing snacks and gifts including beer and these insanely good salted caramel and blueberry macarons. 🙂

The TV in the living room was huge (50 inches). I brought my Nintendo Entertainment system for added entertainment. We also had plush robes, slippers, towels and high quality hotel-grade toiletries in the bathroom.

One thing we all agreed on was the pleasant scent in all the rooms. All the units seem to have this very strong lemongrass scented oil infusers, which smelled very pleasant and soothing. The scent left us feeling like we were in a spa the whole time.

During a quick ocular tour of the property, we got to see the other room types, all of which felt very spacious and elegantly designed. We weren’t able to check out the open type 1-Bedroom loft, because apparently it was already booked by a guest for a long-term lease. I have a feeling the other units here may be snapped up soon once word gets around on the amenities.

I know rent for condos and apartments in prime locations can be really expensive. That doesn’t even cover parking fees, association dues, electricity, utilities, and other fees. The great thing about serviced residences is that you pay the all-inclusive fee, and get the benefits of having security, housekeeping, concierge, guest relation and in-room maintenance.

The Bike Playground

Another thing that makes The Cirque unique is the range of amenities that promotes an active lifestyle for residents and guests. If you’re a biker, the main draw here is the access you get to The Bike Playground, the country’s first internationally-designed indoor bike park, which has a world-class pump track, a 1-km long outdoor trail and a kid’s trail.

Bikers can bring their own mountain bikes suitable for the trail and pump track. If you’re staying at The Cirque, you get free access to The Bike Playground, where you can rent bikes. I really like how bike-friendly the whole Calle Indsutria complex is. There’s a shower room and lounge for bikers and lots of bike parking spaces near the restaurants. Since the area is secluded, not a lot of cars pass here, making it safe for kids to bike on the road.

The Bike Playground. Regular operating hours: 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday to Sunday. Entrance fee costs P65/4 hours (from 7:00 AM to 5pm) and P95 for night rides (5:00 PM to 8:00 PM). Mountain bikes and pump track bikes are available for rent at P500 for 2 hours, while kiddie bikes cost P350 for 2 hours.

READ MORE: Pump Track Fun at The Bike Playground

Pet-Friendly Community

Another top draw here is the fact that The Cirque is located within a pet-friendly community. This is one of the few serviced services where guests’ pets can share the staycation experience. Within the community, you can find the Hachi Dog Park (named after the loyal dog Hachiko), where you can bring your pet for a walk outside on real grass.

Calle Industria has a Dog Spa & Hotel for those who need to board their furbabies. Rates start at P450 per dog or cat in the common boarding spaces and P800 a night in the air-conditioned “private suites.” The Dog Spa also has grooming services and sells dog and cat food and supplies and toys.

Industria at Circulo Verde

Within the community of Circulo Verde, you can find the commercial complex Industria, which houses various food and service establishments, banks, commercial spaces, a laundromat and a few offices.

The whole space was designed to promote an active and healthy lifestyle, with a 1-kilometer running track, the parkour and free running facility Ninja Academy, basketball court and playground for kids.

There are still a lot of areas here under development including physical fitness center Club Gymnastica, playground and another swimming pool, but the whole complex looks very promising so far. Since the place is new and sort of secluded, the establishments here don’t get that crowded, which is a bonus especially for banking transactions and parking (which is very spacious, not to mention free!)

Swimming Pool & Sky Garden

If you’re staying at The Cirque, you also have access to the community’s nice, private swimming pool on the sixth floor of the property, surrounded by landscaped gardens, complete with deck chairs with umbrellas on artificial grass. The pool area seems just perfect for cozy pool parties and picnics.  Nearby there’s a gym and several function rooms you can rent for private events.

After biking around in the morning and having breakfast, it was great to just lounge around by the pool. The tall tower nearby provides shade over the pool area even around noon, so it doesn’t get too hot while swimming there.

Dining Options

The Cirque does not have its own in-house restaurant, but has partnered with establishments in Industria for complimentary breakfast and/or meals that guests can avail of during their stay. We were given meal vouchers which we could redeem in three restaurants, namely: Chef & Brewer (10:00 am – 8:00 pm, Sun – closed), Kambal Pandesal (7:00 am – 6:00 pm, Sun – closed) and Chill Top Bar (open 24 hours).

While you can order ala carte from the restaurants, there’s a special set menu for guests staying at The Cirque for breakfast, lunch, dinner and kid’s meals. There’s also a recently opened McDonald’s branch in the complex.

Kambal Pandesal was closed during our visit, so we tried Chill Top Bar for breakfast and Chef & Brewer for lunch. Both restaurants offer a surprisingly refreshing view of greenery during the day. At night, you get a nice view of the city lights and skyline.

Chef & Brewer’s food was pretty good and the portion size was generous. We also hung out here the night before for a “light merienda” of crispy pata and beer. Chilltop Bar has a KTV lounge with consumable rates, but it’s more ideal for bigger groups (8-10 pax). We also spotted a Japanese resto and an Infinitea branch in the works, with lots more spaces open for lease.

Since the options are still very limited, we decided to have pizza delivered to our room for a late dinner (after our light merienda). All units have phones for making local calls, so you can easily get food delivered. I hope The Cirque will consider putting a convenience store or small mini-grocery store within the complex, but we were able to find a sari-sari store, about 5 minutes away (on Obrero street going to Eastwood City) to buy more snacks and last-minute staycation essentials. 🙂

Why you should check-in

The Cirque will appeal to both business and leisure travelers. For weekend staycationers, the units are great for families and couples looking for a destination they can enjoy with their pets. It’s ideal for active families with kids who want to try The Bike Playground or go running nearby. It’s also good for barkadas who want a semi-private venue for small gatherings with access to a swimming pool and 24-hour a day KTV Lounge.

For corporate and business travelers, The Cirque can be your own private sanctuary for short or long-term stays. Those who work in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industries nearby (very near Eastwood City and Shaw) who are looking for transient or long-term accommodations may be interested to avail of their competitive monthly rates, which comes with hotel-like services, you wouldn’t normally get from renting out condos or apartments. The Cirque is ideal for balikbayans, expats and OFWs who are looking to buy, invest or lease their dream home.

The Cirque offers a relatively peaceful and quiet place to stay within the city. Despite its proximity to areas like Shaw in Ortigas and Eastwood City, the whole place felt very secluded and private, the views are very refreshing and the well-paved roads offers space for guests, including kids, to bike around safely.

The Cirque and the whole Calle Industria Complex is not 100% finished yet. There’s lots of room for more commercial spaces that will add value to the whole area, but overall, we enjoyed our chill relaxing staycation a lot.

Rates & Inclusions

The Cirque is currently offering a Soft Opening Promo (valid until December 2017 only), with the following rates:

Room inclusions:

Longer-term occupancy of a one-bedroom unit is offered between P45,000 and P50,000 per month or even lower for corporate accounts.

Thanks to The Cirque for inviting us to stay to check out the facilities! 🙂

Address & contact info

The Cirque Serviced Residences. Circulo Verde, #70 Calle Industria, Brgy. Bagumbayan, Quezon City, 1101.

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