You know how hard it is to plan trips with friends. With everyone’s busy schedules, work conflicts, and adult responsibilities, another year goes by and you haven’t had a chance to catch up over coffee or have drinks. Sometimes, planning a staycation in the city can be an easier and more relaxing alternative to out-of-town trips.

I recently stayed in Seda Manila Bay, a new hotel in Manila with travel buddy Mica of Senyorita.net over the Thanksgiving Weekend. Since I’m based in Quezon City and she lives in Muntinlupa, we no longer get to watch movies or go on errand runs like we used to, especially with disagreements between the central meet-up point between the north and south of the metro. LDR friendships, right ?

Seda Manila Bay is the  12th and newest branch of Ayala’s chain of urban lifestyle business and leisure hotels around the Philippines is located near the Manila airport in Parañaque. Seda currently has branches in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Quezon City, Makati, Nuvali, Iloilo, Cebu, Palawan, Bacolod, Davao City, and Cagayan de Oro.

Despite only opening in mid-2023, the hotel with a swimming pool and family-friendly features was fully booked during our stay, with lots of families and foreign guests. With its unobstructed views of Manila Bay and proximity to other gaming and entertainment venues in the vibrant ay City known for hosting grand fireworks displays, it’s a good option for those looking for a hotel to celebrate Christmas and welcome the New Year.

Location

Seda Manila Bay is located along Aseana Avenue in the Manila Bay area, complementing all the developments going on in the gaming and entertainment district of Bay City. It’s located right next to Ayala Malls Manila Bay, which opened in September 2019, so guests can get easy access to wide dining and entertainment options.

There are a number of luxury hotels, casinos, entertainment venues, and lifestyle malls in the area like Parqal Mall, City of Dreams, Nüwa Hotel, Okada Manila, Nobu Hotel, Hyatt Regency Manila, and Solaire Resort, a world-class theater for Broadway shows, musicals, concerts and theater plays. 

Seda Manila Bay is just a 15-minute drive from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), making it a good hotel option near the Manila airport for international and local travelers and balikbayans in transit. It offers a comfortable and convenient base in Metro Manila near the airport before or after domestic or international flights or land trips to other local destinations. The hotel offers airport transfers and shuttles from the mall are available from NAIA to PITX Paranaque Terminal, which is about 11 minutes away from the hotel.

Accommodations

Seda Manila Bay currently has 350 Deluxe Rooms (30 sqm), which come with a choice of a king bed, or one queen and one twin bed, with a chaise lounge or single sofa, and multipurpose table.

We stayed two nights in the Deluxe Twin Room with view of greenery in front of Ayala Malls Manila Bay. While the hotel isn’t right next to Manila Bay, you can still get a good view of the ocean in the distance from the rooms facing that side, roof deck and outdoor pool area, especially during sunset.

The room was comfortable, and we had everything we needed with a TV, mini-bar, coffee-making station, small desk for dining and working, and couch.

I liked the touch of photos reflecting Manila landmarks like details from the Tree of Life from the National Museum of Natural History and Manila Cathedral in other rooms and thoughtful details like a personalized welcome note and cupcake waiting at the table when I arrived.

Other room types at Seda Manila Bay include the Premier Room, Deluxe King Room, Family Suites with bunk beds for kids, and the Seda Suite.

With the hotel’s fast WiFi, business amenities and location to key business districts, it’s an ideal hotel for workations in the city as well. My friend Mica, who checked in earlier, was able to get some scriptwriting done for some shows she writes and attend pre-prod Zoom meetings from the hotel room.

Swimming Pool

The swimming pool is usually one of the deciding factors for hotel staycations especially for families. Seda Manila Bay has two outdoor swimming pools on the fifth floor for adults and kids. The kiddie pool has fun resort-like water features while there are lots of lounging areas and deck chairs near the deeper pool for adults.

At the center of the swimming pool, is a pool bar where guests will be able to order drinks and food in the future. 

Family-friendly amenities

Similar to other Seda properties, Seda Manila Bay has a Children’s Playroom where younger kids can play with developmental toys, arts and crafts, and other learning activities.

For teens and older kids, there’s a connecting Game Room with PS5 and Xbox units and video games. There are four PC counters, and tabletop games like air hockey and foosball tables. It rained a bit that weekend, so there were a lot of kids and teens lounging about and playing on a Saturday afternoon. 

The hotel also has an indoor mini-golf area in the courtyard right on the hotel premises, which is set to formally launch this holiday season.

In case you want to squeeze in a workout during your staycation, the hotel also has a good gym with lots of different exercise equipment like treadmills, weights, and more. The gym is located on the same floor as the swimming pool.

Dining

Seda’s main dining option in all their hotels is Misto Restaurant, which can be found at the lobby level. The restaurant is known for dishing out authentic flavors and recipes for a la carte dining all-day.

Their breakfast buffet for two, which comes complimentary with room stays, consists of the local and international favorites, a soup station, egg and waffle station, salads, cold cuts, cheese, bread, cereals, some local kakanin, and taho along with fresh juices and coffee.

Misto also has an ala carte menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which you can enjoy at the restaurant or order via room service for in-room dining.

If you’re dining with a group or the whole family, their bestsellers of Filipino classics like Bagnet, Crispy Pata, Chilli Prawn in Coconut Cream, Chicken and Pork Adobo,  or Kare-Kare, with portions good for sharing, are a safe bet.

Misto’s menu also has a selection of vegetarian dishes for those who want to eat healthy or are on special diets and lighter fare like salads, pizza, pasta and sandwiches. For dinner on our first night, we ordered the Classic Caesar Salad, Grilled Vegetarian Pasta, and Diavola Pizza. 

Straight Up Bar on the 12th floor of Seda Manila Bay is the best spot in the hotel to enjoy tapas, wine, beer, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks.

The classy roof deck bar provides a great view and ambiance for chill dates and hangouts. The main bar is airconditioned with luxe couch seating and a room for private functions. Straight Up Bar also has an al fresco lounge area if you want to enjoy the breeze and view of city lights while drinking.

Function rooms

For events, Seda Manila Bay also has several fully-equipped function rooms for meetings, social gatherings, and gatherings of any size. The versatile Sampaguita Ballroom can fit up to 350 people, with the space divisible into three smaller areas.

Wellness Spa

The wellness treatment was the highlight of our stay at Seda Manila Bay. The hotel offers several signature wellness treatments and well-designed spa rooms. It felt great to get pampered here and go directly to sleep afterwards in the comfort of our room without having to navigate home through traffic.

The room set-up was very relaxing, with two beds, robes, dim lighting and music. We got to choose from different massage oils for the treatment which left us sleeping peacefully after. Kudos to the spa staff for the relaxing treatment.

Verdict

Seda Manila Bay is ideal for business and leisure tourists and families looking for a decent and comfortable hotel near the Manila airport in the Bay City area in between Pasay and Paranaque. Because of its location, it’s a good option for leisure travelers based in other provinces of the Philippines who need to stay in Manila for social events like weddings or if they’re watching musicals at the Solaire Theatre or catching major sporting events and K-Pop concerts at the nearby MOA Area. It offers a good venue for business and social functions, and workations in the city.

For domestic tourists and urban families, Seda Manila Bay is a good choice for stress-free staycations in the city because of the family-friendly features and wholesome vibe of the place compared to the more expensive luxury casino hotels in the area.

The pandemic has changed how people celebrate and staycations are a good way to celebrate milestone events like birthdays and anniversaries compared to hosting parties at home. This way, you don’t have to deal with the hassles of food preparation and cleaning up afterwards and can get easy access to new restaurants and fun activities nearby at a more relaxed pace.

There are lots of fun activities to keep everyone occupied all in the hotel and right next door at Ayala Malls Manila Bay, including unique activities for kid’s birthday parties and celebrations.

During our stay, we got to try roller skating at the K-pop themed rink Roller Fever; explored the IG-friendly museum about Filipino food and culture Lakbay Museo x Food Wanderer; stopped by Craft Academy, where kids can bake, make crafts, and create their own slime; and visited a huge TimeZone arcade which has bowling alleys and videoke booths. A new Xoomibox Laser Maze just opened in the mall as well.

We explored some of the new food options at the mall, which is home to distinct dining zones, including a Filipino Village, K-Town, Japanese Food Hub, and more. We also walked from the hotel for a quick meetup with Astrid, another friend from the travel blogging community who was watching Hamilton at The Solaire Theatre that weekend. We also took a side trip to IKEA (the world’s biggest branch) for lunch and grocery shopping at the Swedish Food Market.

Overall, our stay in Seda Manila Bay was a very fun-filled and relaxing staycation that gave us a lot of entertainment options without having to go too far. I’d definitely consider staying here again with the whole family again in the future because of the swimming pool and unique activities at the mall next door. Thank you to Seda Manila Bay for the experience.

Seda Manila Bay is located at Aseana Avenue, Cor North Abueva, Aseana City, Parañaque, 1701 Metro Manila, Philippines. Book rooms stays here.

How to get to Seda Manila Bay

For those with private cars, Seda Manila Bay is easy enough to find on Grab. The lobby is right next to Ayala Malls Manila Bay. Ayala Malls Manila Bay has a transport terminal going to PITX with city buses heading North (Fairview, Novaliches, SJDM Bulacan, Navotas, and Mandalay Valenzuela) and to Tagaytay. You can also catch rides to other city routes on classic jeeps, E-jeeps and Multicabs. Check out the transportation options here.

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