Most top hotels in the metro are concentrated in the old Manila and Makati area. There aren’t a lot of upscale hotels in the North, particularly in Quezon City where I live. But with QC being developed a business and lifestyle hub, residents now have more hotel options without having to go too far. For those who want to enjoy stylish accommodations, international cuisine and excellent service, Seda Vertis North is a good option.

This contemporary hotel is the biggest in the area, offering a grand venue for business, leisure and special events like weddings, debuts and proms. They cater to long-staying corporate guests, expats and international travelers who want a comfortable base in Quezon City.

With the hotel’s modern interiors, warm service and stunning swimming pool area, Seda Vertis North also offers a nice getaway for family or barkada staycations, which are becoming an increasingly popular alternative to traveling out of town. My mother (who is based in Bicol) was in town for Chinese New Year to take care of my nephew who studies in Fairview, but had to leave for Bicol the next night.

Rather than braving the traffic back and forth with everyone heading out for the post-Valentine’s and CNY long weekend, we decided to just take the opportunity to combine her visit with a leisurely staycation in the city. My nephew has become sort of a staycation junkie and always appreciates staying in new hotels, especially those with swimming pools.

Location

Seda Vertis North is located along Astra Corner Lux Drives in Quezon City right next to several centrally located malls in Quezon City. For international tourists and business travelers, the whole area is roughly 1.5 hours drive from Ninoy Aquino International Airports in Pasay and the Clark International Airport in Pampanga. Given the traffic just getting around, the hotel provides a good mid-way point between the North and South.

Right across the hotel is Ayala Vertis North, the newest mall to open in Quezon City, which has a good range of international fashion brands, stores and dining outlets. Seda Vertis North is walking distance from Ayala TriNoMa, located in the “North Triangle”, which is bound by three major thoroughfares, namely, North Avenue, EDSA and Mindanao Avenue Extension. Since TriNoMa is connected to the MRT North Avenue station, this makes the hotel easy to access by public transportation.

Design

Seda (which means Silk in Spanish) has hotel several branches all over the country including Capitol Central in Bacolod, Centrio in Cagayan de Oro, Abreeza in Davao, Atria in Iloilo, Nuvali in Laguna, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig and Lio in Palawan. Art and I got a chance to stay in Seda Nuvali in Laguna for a biking staycation and we were very impressed with the hotel’s interiors. Seda Vertis North, the largest in the Seda line of hotels, reflects the same modern elegance that blends seamlessly with nature and its surroundings as seen in other properties.

The entire hotel is very minimalist and classy, with lots of Filipino touches and pops of color and interesting details. For instance, the mural behind the reception desk is actually by Jaime Zobel de Ayala himself.  The lobby at Seda Vertis North features the work of top Philippine designers in their interiors from the paintings, sculptures and furniture. The most noticeable are the Bloom lounge chairs by multi-awarded industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue, who is best known for his organic designs using natural materials.

There’s also the eye-catching family of giraffes by home accessories and jewelry designer Ann Pamintuan and the Baud chairs in the lobby designed by Vito Selma. There are just so many well-designed photogenic nooks around the hotel!

Accommodations

Seda Vertis North has 438 rooms ranging from Deluxe, Club Rooms, Premier, Corner Suites and one Presidential Suite. The Deluxe Rooms are equipped with modern amenities in a comfortable 32 sqm area with a 40-inch LED HDTV, media panel with HDMI, USB and A/V connectivity, iPod docks, and FM stereo. Other amenities include an executive work desk, mini-bar, coffee and tea making facilities, and electronic in-room safe.

We were booked in a Club Room, which offers guests the comfort, convenience, and concessions of a Deluxe Room but with Club privileges. I highly recommend you avail of the Club Rooms if you want that extra touch of exclusivity, personalized service, and attention.

I got to see the other room types during a tour of the hotel’s facilities. The Premier Rooms are studio-style, 48 sqm, with a bath tub. The Premier Rooms with Club Access are non-smoking rooms with king beds are elegantly designed with muted colors and accentuated with contemporary upholstery in vibrant tones.

The corner suites are designed to cater to families and business travelers requiring more space. With a sizable living room and a separate master bedroom in a 64 sqm floor area, guests are treated to a thoroughly relaxing and comfortable environment. The en-suite bathroom features a large walk-in closet, bath tub, separate shower stall and toilet. The room comes with a microwave for heating food, though you probably won’t need to use it as you can always get food at the Club Lounge or other dining options to completes your luxurious experience.

We weren’t able to check out the Presidential Suite because a guest actually booked it for Prom Night (kids these days!). But the Presidential Suite is a 160 sqm space with a 24/7 dedicated and specialized butler service. The largest room in the hotel also features a king-size bed swathed in 800-threadcount linens and ambient lighting for a luxurious experience, an en-suite bathroom and dressing room, a deluxe drop-in bathtub. Exclusive privileges also include full-access to the Club Lounge and complimentary high-speed internet access. A Premiere Room can be connected to the suite should it be required, expanding the area to a total of 210 sqm.

The Club Lounge & E-Lounge

We did our check-in and check-out at The Club Lounge, the exclusive lounge and dining area for guests staying in Club Rooms, Premier Rooms, and Suites. Aside from the benefit of not having to line up at the main lobby, you get access to the private living and dining lounge on the 23rd floor with complimentary self-service snacks and drinks any time of the day.

You get a host of extra benefits in the Club Lounge including daily buffet breakfast (if you don’t want to eat in Misto), all-day refreshments and cocktails, which we enjoyed after our late check-out. They serve afternoon tea from 2:00 – 4:00 pm and cocktails including wine, cheese and cold cuts from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. There are also iMac work stations, work tables, reading materials, a wide-screen LED HDTV with cable channels and secretarial assistance.

There are also iMac computers in the main lobby e-lounge, right next to a coffee bar where you can enjoy coffee, pastries, desserts and other interesting treats. Complimentary WiFi is available for all checked-in guests.

Dining

Another bonus for guests staying at Seda Vertis North are the excellent food options. Misto is Seda’s all-day dining restaurant that offers a range of international dishes and local favorites. This is the hotel chain’s biggest restaurant to date. Checked in guests get free breakfast with rooms, but the buffet restaurant for lunch and dinner is also open to non-hotel guests. The buffet is very popular with groups and families, so I recommend you make reservations before your visit. We got to sample their selection for dinner and breakfast the next day. I went mostly for the Japanese selection including salmon sashimi, tempura and yakitori, as well as cheese, salads.

Misto has several live cooking stations offering meat, seafood, vegetables, and noodles prepared in different ways – from Chinese, Japanese and Filipino to Italian and American. The action stall had succulent roast beef and baby back ribs. They also had a sisig station for dinner. Yum!

For dessert there was a variety cake, brownies, cookies, doughnuts, crepes, ice cream, and local favorites like puto and halo-halo. The Samurai Mango crepe with Vanilla sauce and Bread Pudding were really good. Servers also gave us slices of deep-fried tikoy since it was Chinese New Year. Misto also has a dedicated station for drinks, including happy hour promos for guests.

The selection for breakfast (free with the room) was pretty extensive. It actually felt more like brunch, because you can get your fill of fried rice, sausages, scrambled eggs, tuyo, danggit, bacon, taho, congee, omelet, cereals, bread, yogurt and fresh fruits. But you can also get sushi, pasta, adobo, laksa, pizza, salad, cheese, etc. The carving station with roast pork and roast beef were also open for breakfast!

Aside from the good food, I have to praise their dining staff for the warm service, as they were very attentive and friendly including to my nephew.

Aside from Misto, we got to enjoy a night out at Straight Up , a roof deck bar that offers relaxing music, great drinks, and delicious pica-pica with a great view of the skyline.

I was still stuffed from our dinner buffet, so I had to call in Art to join me at the bar on a post-Valentine’s date. We were served complimentary beer chow including nachos and sisig and the bar’s bestseller Elemento (Php 400), four shots inspired by the elements. I list them in the order you should drink them based on their strength:

• Wind: rum, apple juice, mint. This is their take on a mojito. It’s very light and refreshing.
• Water: vodka, pineapple juice, mango juice, blue Curacao. I found this strong, though it’s mostly juice
• Earth: Rum, red wine. This is the most classic tasting. It tasted like sweet wine or grape juice to me (though I’m not much of a wine person).
• Fire: tequila, mango juice, grenadine, Bacardi 151. This is the strongest of the four drinks all. Really fiery! Save this for last.

Cocktails average at Php 350 per glass. Straight Up is open from 4:00 PM to 1:00 AM and has live music during weekends.

One of the main reasons I was excited to check out the bar was I heard from friends that they served craft beer here. Straight Up Bar currently has a Beer Bites promo featuring local craft beers from Crazy Carabao Brewing Co. and Bulul Brewery provided by The PCK. Beer costs Php 340 per glass, Php 500 for a glass of special brew or Php 365 for a flight of 3 (90mL) glasses. This includes complimentary pica-pica from 5-7PM daily. It’s a very chill place to unwind with friends in the city.

Aside from those two main restos and bars, Seda also has a Chinese Restaurant. Guests with Club Lounge access can also take snacks any time of the day. Or you can just walk across to Ayala Vertis North and enjoy the wide range of restaurants there.

Misto has ongoing promos like a Seafood Sunday Lunch buffet which costs only Php 1,350 nett. They also have a Chinese New Year Delights Special for Php 1,650 (40% off for BPI credit and debit card holders) for weekend dinners for the month of February 2018. As a Birthday Treat, celebrants can dine for free at the lunch or dinner buffet with at least 1 (one) full paying guest!

Hotel Facilities

For business guests, Seda Vertis North has fully-equipped banquet and meeting rooms that can accommodate groups of 12-110 persons. The grand ballroom is ideal for banquets and conventions with up to 600 people, and can be divided into three separate event venues.

• Quezon Ballroom: Grand 700 sqm pillar-less function space suited for large events up to 750 pax cocktail style
• Velvet 1, 2, 3: Ideal venue for small groups of up to 25
• Satin 1, 2: Two multi-purpose events spaces good for 30 – 60 persons
• Poolside: A unique outdoor venue set against an elegant pool perfect for outdoor events, business or social celebrations of up to 300 persons

There was a prom going on the first day we were there and a debut the next day. All the kids dressed up in gowns and suits were having a blast with their photo ops and selfies in the common spaces and lobby or even just against the hotel walls, which provide a very elegant backdrop for souvenir photos.

The hotel also provides in-room dining, laundry and dry cleaning, and airport/city transfers. The parking area is pretty spacious. It also has family-friendly facilities including a kids’s playroom and clinic, making it a good choice if you’re traveling with kids and seniors. They even hold free activities for kids during weekends. They had free cupcake decorating classes for CNY where kids got to eat the cupcakes they decorated, which my nephew enjoyed doing.

Gym and Spa

For health and recreation, Seda Vertis North has an outdoor pool, gym, and spa. I didn’t get to use the gym, but it’s pretty big, with lots of treadmills, weights and and even its own dedicated yoga room.

The spa is another draw for those who like to indulge in massages. Our room came with a complimentary massage for one. I heard rave reviews about their pampering packages, but I let my mom enjoy the massage since she still had a long bus ride ahead of her later that night, while I took care of my nephew by the pool. She said she enjoyed the combination shiatsu massage very much.

Swimming Pool

One of the main highlights of the hotel (especially for families with kids) is the swimming pool. This area alone is worthy enough of a staycation! There’s a large swimming pool and a smaller kiddie pool, a pool bar and lots of Instagram-worthy lounge chairs scattered about in the deck area. My nephew was more interested in swimming than posing though, but you get the picture.

The pool area feels very airy and beachy. You’ll just want to hang out here. TIP: The best time to swim in the morning since it can get quite hot towards lunchtime and early afternoon. If you want the pool to yourself, swim right before noon. The pool gets a good view around sunset too!

Why you should check-in

If you’re looking for a place that seamlessly blends service and value with top-remarkable hospitality, Seda Vertis North is a great option. The hotel’s central location near malls and other key points of interest make it an excellent location in Quezon City. The rooms are very comfortable, the swimming pool area is fun to hang out in, and the food is excellent. Overall, we enjoyed our family staycation here very much.

What with the Club Lounge access and great amenities, this has set the bar very high for our next family getaway. Thank you very much to Seda Vertis North for hosting our stay in the hotel and arranging for the late check-out so we could maximize our staycation. This was a welcome quality treat I got to enjoy with the family! 🙂

NOTE: Additional unwatermarked photos courtesy of Seda Vertis North 

Address & Contact info

Seda Vertis North, Astra cor. Lux Drives Vertis North, Quezon City 1105 Philippines.

• Tel: (02) 7398888
• Fax: (02) 7398891
• Email: vertis@sedahotels.com
• Website: www.sedahotels.com/vertis
• Instagram: @SedaHotels