The gang went on again with its usual weekend tambay trip. We were combing the streets of Makati for the perfect
chill spot for the night when we passed by Don Pedro Street and were taken
aback on this chic building with a huge “Z” signage in front. Z Hostel, the
newest hostel in the backpacking district of Makati City. Little did we know
that we’ll be spending two nights here.
Hostel has been (according to some) synonymous with cheap and sometimes
crummy choice of accommodation; shared bathrooms, obtrusive spaces, tacky, fun
and crazy meddling places for travelers. But then a new breed of hostels has
been emerging in the metro. One of which is the Z Hostel which presents itself
as a luxury hostel.
And then a plan emerged as we kicked off our tambay sessions on a nearby watering hole. An instantaneous plan;
spend a night or two at the newest hostel in Makati. Nobody argued. And that
was it (check here for discounted tours, transportation and activities in Metro Manila).
The swanky lobby with its clean design greeted the gang as we entered the
hostel. This isn’t a hostel. The high
ceiling brought an airy feel to it. This isn’t
a hostel. A huge monitor for complimentary internet browsing was silently resting
on its nook. This isn’t a hostel.
Some books were neatly stashed on the book exchange corner. This isn’t a hostel. The free WiFi was
reliable. This isn’t a hostel.
And then I realized, Z Hostel is one of those rare hotel-quality
accommodations with hostel rates for its 30 rooms and 128 beds (check room types and rates). Nice!
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| Ze game room |
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| Ze lobby |
We immediately jumped into our chosen beds (I chose a bottom bed with full
glass windows) and eagerly examined it. I loved how the dorm beds were designed
to effectively conceal you whilst snoozing which brings the perfect seclusion you
need.
The lockers were also great for it can store big luggage and has its own
charging outlet. The pantry cum wash-hand basin was so convenient.
An en suite toilet and bathroom is available and if you’re really on the
rush, there are communal toilets right outside the common area at the
mezzanine.
The group converged on two of the eight beds and babbled just about everything.
And then another round of our tambay
sessions followed afterwards.
We dragged ourselves into the breakfast area the next day (after 2 or 3 hours of sleep) where a complimentary breakfast was waiting for us (7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. daily). They served macaroni soup, oatmeal, toasts, rice cakes, cereals, fresh fruits, eggs of your choice and some drinks (milk, coffee, tea, juice).
We went back to our room and snoozed some more, it was a Sunday after all. And then our tummies grumbled late that afternoon. We ordered some good old Chicken Joy and Jolly Spaghetti from Jollibee and feasted at Z Hostel’s Roofdeck.
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| Team RH's staple fare |
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| Ze roofdeck |
And then Sunday Slowdown. We didn’t have time to go back to our room to
get prepped for the late afternoon party. At around five in the afternoon,
guests started to arrive at the roof deck for the Sunday Slowdown sessions
featuring some of the great local indie artists; The Slinks performed that night.
A few bottles of Red Horse were downed, some chicken skin and other nibbles were consumed and some spirits were lifted till the wee hours in the morning. The group was a great mix of travelers with wonderful travel stories around the world to share with everyone. It was definitely a chill party at the roof deck with Makati skyline as backdrop; a very rare happenstance in this crazy and busy area in the metro.
If you’re a traveler, backpacker, flashpacker or whatever you wanna call yourself and if you wanna just chill and ready to take on the next adventure in the Philippines, then make Z Hostel your first stop.
Z Hostel (book online for discounted room rates)
5660 Don Pedro St., Makati City, Metro Manila
Contact Number: (+63) 927.965.2692
Email Address: inquiry@zhostel.com
Awesome find!
ReplyDeleteTrue that Allan! :)
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