I have to say, I got the Midas Hotel & Casino pegged all wrong! What I thought to be another outdated, blah hotel is actually one of the best-designed places I've been to in this part of town. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear the Starwood people owned this!
Along the stretch of hotels along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay stands the Midas Hotel & Casino, an upscale, boutique hotel built for sassy businessmen and women, well-researched tourists, romantic couples, and the flush yuppies of Metro Manila.
So yes, it's very posh and a suite for the night here will cost you a pretty penny, but did you know that you can also enjoy some of Midas Hotel's comforts for a mere P500 per person? The Sunset Lounge is open for guests and walk-ins between the hours of 4 to 8 o'clock in the afternoon, with complimentary coffee and tea, with cocktails and food for those who wish to stay and unwind for a few hours before heading up to their suites or back to brave the crazy Manila traffic.
You need an access card to get to the 8th floor of the hotel, so ask someone for assistance. Stepping into the Sunset Lounge, I couldn't help but admire the Philippe Starck lounge chairs. Made of soft leather, they were warm and inviting, and very Mad Men. Hold a meeting here or peruse a magazine while enjoying a glass of single malt scotch.
Opening the balcony doors, one steps out to this beautiful view! This will be super pretty once Entertainment City is in full swing - it'll look like a smaller version of the Vegas Strip. The sky looked absolutely breathtaking at 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
I love myself a good cup at tea time, and I was pleased to see the Sunset Lounge offers a nice variety of TWG teas. I'm an Earl Grey girl myself, but they also have green tea, Chamomile-Vanilla, and Breakfast teas.
Aside from tea, the lounge also serves freshly brewed coffee, espresso, iced tea, and cold or hot chocolate. They also have Midas Mojitos, Margaritas and other cocktails (as long as the bar has the ingredients for it), a variety of sodas, and juices - orange, mango, dalandan, and pineapple.
If you're feeling peckish, treat yourself to a salad with all the fixins at the small salad bar. They have a pretty decent assortment of toppings and dressings for a salad, so mix and match to come up with your favorite combination.
The Sunset Bar also has a nice array of canapés, which go nicely with tea, coffee, or a glass of something stronger. Instead of worrying about what to prepare for a classy hen party or a baby shower, this is a nice alternative - just call ahead in advance so the staff know to replenish the food quicker than usual.
There are also a few small plates with pika-pika on offer - like siomai, fish fillets, little pies, and even oven-baked mussels, for those who need more than salad and canapé to sustain them.
I love how they present their fruit - cubed up on skewers to make for real easy eating. Take a plate, fill it up with fruit, order a glass of fresh juice, and sit down with the ladies, start a discussion with your book club, or get to know your date a little bit more before dropping her home for the night.
Luckily, the Sunset Lounge hasn't forgotten about the chocoholics - like yours truly - and set out little shot glasses of chocolate mousse for guests to enjoy. I would probably go through five or six of these before calling it quits.
If the masculine brown lounge chairs aren't your thing, relax on these feminine poofy, blue sofas instead. This is a nice spot to spend some one-on-one time with your little girl, treating your princess to a very grown up hang out.
When mucking around Roxas Boulevard, skip the rush hour and relax at Midas Hotel & Casino's Sunset Lounge! This was a secret I wanted to keep all to myself, but now that wouldn't be fair to all the other folks who are also looking for an excuse to get away from the horrible Manila traffic jam. So come on up, order a mojito, and fill up on good food. And don't forget to bring your friends!
Just mucking around Manila,
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Sunset Bar
+63 2 902 0100
8/F Midas Hotel,
2702 Roxas Blvd., San Rafael, Pasay
Open Daily: 4pm - 8pm
