By Jinggoy I. Salvador

The sun rising over skyscraper city is the view from the window of rooms facing East, while the West wing rooms capture the view of Manila Bay and the famed sunset as its backdrop. Which of nature’s wonders would you want to witness?

Two towers stand side by side south of Manila—Kingsford Hotel and Grand Westside Hotel, sister hotels from the Megaworld family. Which hotel would you like to stay in to watch nature’s wonders? But why stay in one when you can stay in two? I did.

Designed with similar aesthetics of modern contemporary architecture and interiors, Kingsford Hotel rises alongside the Grand Westside Hotel in the same address, at the Westside City within the vibrant Entertainment City. It’s where the bustling entertainment complexes, convention venues, and exciting shopping malls make up the neighborhood. It’s a destination today, and the district is growing. The location, within close proximity to the international airports, makes both hotels attractive to both business and leisure travelers, either for a quick trip or an extended vacation.

Are these hotels ideal for staycations as well? Certainly. The rooms are designed for it—comfortable and appointed with amenities any type of traveler may need. Both make perfect spots to turn off work mode and unwind, stay in, be lazy, and order everything on the room service menu, catch up on reading, or finally get to the final episode of a TV series that’s been forever put on pause. These “substitute homes” can work wonders.

We all, however, spell out me-time differently. If malling and retail therapy, theater, bar hopping, dance, and party, or aligning sevens on a machine relax you, then go for it. Whatever it is that will suit your fancy, Kingsford and Grand Westside will be the right address for all these. However, each of the hotels has something up its sleeve to keep staycationers indoors.

It’s tempting to step out to shop and party, but the 529-rooms Kingsford Hotel can keep you engaged indoors with its facilities—a pool that catches the sunrise, a fitness center to rid off pent-up energy, steam room and sauna to loosen up the muscles, and in-room massage service to soothe the body and soul. If those are not enough to keep you under the roof, perhaps the food will. Executive Chef Chubby Timban and his team will take you on a unique culinary adventure fit for royalty. The cuisine? It’s East meets West, reimagined dishes, culturally-rich, pleasing to both the eyes and the palate.

The Halal selections are not to be missed. It’s a trip to a favorite spice-rich destination. The menu also lists a selection of Filipino dishes that have earned the thumbs up from diners. Perhaps you will do the same. And, there’s a dessert that will tempt both the sweet-toothed and not, the Deconstructed Mango Cheesecake. It’s laid out like an installation art that’s too beautiful to eat, but who are we kidding? It will be gone in seconds.

Right next door is the sister hotel, Grand Westside Hotel, the youngest of the Megaworld brood but the largest with 1,530 rooms, designed in a modern classic. The hotel features several suite categories, including the presidential suites. Extending extra amenities is the Executive Lounge, which can be accessed by guests on the Club Floor.

A bigger hotel means more offerings. Grand Westside has a variety of dining outlets, including Café by Westside, an all-day dining restaurant serving a wide range of cuisines, and a specialty restaurant, LaMeza, which highlights a new take on Filipino fare. For cocktails, have one (or several) at Zabana at the lobby (perfect for people watching, too) or by the poolside bar, where you can catch the Manila Bay sunset. Next to the pool and overlooking the Zen Garden is the Fitness Center, if you care to shed off a few calories; the sauna, where you can loosen up and detoxify; and the massage rooms, the most indulging element of a staycation.

Soon, exciting additions to Grand Westside offerings will be rolled out. A bridge will connect to the Westside Resort, a sprawling entertainment complex that will feature performing arts theaters, the largest of which will be The Grand Opera House, and more dining options.

With all these staycation premiums, if the neighborhood’s enticements are still too hard to resist, then Kingsford and Grand Westside will gladly shuttle you to your destinations of choice.

So on your next business trip or staycation in Manila, decide which hotel you would like to stay at, which room you wish to catch the sun in, and what cuisine entices you. Will it be Kingsford or Grand Westside? Why choose one when you can do both?