It was the week from when we flew home from Singapore for our 13th wedding anniversary celebration and exactly a week until Christmas when our family had a sweet staycation time at the Widus Hotel and Casino in Clark, Pampanga.
I had to ask my boys if they were up for it. I’d understand if they’ve had their fill of getaways for the moment after all the fun adventures and lots of gallivanting we just did in Singapore. But their itchy feet just won’t say no to getaways! Since we haven’t done a staycation in Subic for a while, I was thrilled to be staying at this hotel we’ve never been to before. Adventurers on the loose! 🙂
Considering the holiday traffic, we arrived Widus Hotel in under two hours! Adventures are more fun with a husband who knows his way around the metro. There were so many backed up main roads that we were able to steer clear of. And our welcome was nothing less than this very inviting pool gorgeously helped by the overcast skies. It was around 3pm and swimming under the scorching sun wasn’t exactly my idea of fun.
Widus Hotel’s Family Junior Suite has everything I need for a comfortable stay for our family. It’s the exact room I would have picked myself if I’d book for a family staycation, which I mostly do via Agoda.
A king-sized bed for the hubby and me, a single bed for the little man, a couch in the living area which can easily serve as a daybed, 32″ flat screen cable TV, coffee and tea station, a kitchenette complete with a fridge and microwave oven, which happens to be needful when you have a growing kid like ours with an enormous appetite.
Toilet and bath with a tub and an 8″ shower head were definitely a welcome treat.
The T&B of a hotel room has always been a biggie for me. A lot of European and old school hotels we’ve been to don’t always have bidets installed and it has always been a huge disappointment. I love that Widus Hotel doesn’t just have a bidet but every other toilet and bath feature anyone would require of a comfortable and noteworthy family staycation.
The hubby and I opted to lounge a bit more while the kid just couldn’t wait to do his swimming laps. This particular spot at the Widus Hotel pool reminds me a lot of the fresh water lagoon across the Kilimanjaro restaurant in Plantation Bay. It also has bar stools installed in the pool. I think guests can actually have some snacks here in between laps.
Our very interesting Salt Tasting Menu by Widus Hotel’s Executive Chef Johnny Rodriguez.
The part-Spanish, part-Mexican chef certainly knew his way around food. Most of what were offered at dinner were a first for all of us. The robust flavors of each course gave our taste buds some serious exercise. In a very good way, if I may add.
Each course was flavorful on its own that our 9 year old son quipped, “Spectacular!”, when asked how he finds the food when he finished his third plate. He even took the rest of my watermelon salad, which he loved to bits. Literally. Well, after he was served two succeeding courses with cheeses (white and feta), he was bound to go over the moon. This cheese-loving boy can spend a whole day in a cheese room, if it were up to him.
As for the hubby and me, the gastronomic delight was apparent. We wondered through the courses though how before even the main dish was served, we were already stuffed. There’s nothing like great food enjoyed with the people you love.
Almond Tuille
The Almond Tuille with the caramelized fruits on the side was the perfect encore to the 6-course meal. It was also fitting to welcome the chilly holiday air that reminded us that Christmas is a week from then. I don’t know about you, but Tuile crisps always reminds me of sweet things we share with our family during this time of the year. 🙂
Serene Widus Hotel pool at night.
The little guy who stuffed himself silly asked his father to escort him to our room. He was ready to call it a night. Our satisfied little man washed up and put on his jammies and was out in 5 minutes. Seriously. The lapses he did on the pool might have helped knock him out too. 🙂
While the hubby and I enjoyed a sweet night cap with blogger friends over coffee, tea and soulful music. Live band entertainment is from 6pm to 2am.
Widus Convention Center is an ideal venue for meetings, conferences, workshops and other business events. There are two main halls: Vegas and Macau. Depending on the size of the room needed and event, the hall transforms into small function rooms, classroom or theater type set up. The venue has state of the art facilities to ensure effective presentations and discussion.
The first time we had a staycation in Subic aside from this was for our first wedding anniversary back in 2002. It was so long ago, we forgot the name of the hotel altogether. Then we had a couple of other staycations with church friends at places whose names escape me (again!). Not that they were forgettable times, it may also be that I wasn’t blogging back then yet, I wasn’t able to document. That’s why I love blogging! It captures moments that easily slide off with time. 🙂
It’s just lovely to know that there’s Widus Hotel our family can spend quality time in when the vacation bug hits us this 2015. That said, we highly recommend Widus Hotel. Friendly hotel staff. Clean, family-friendly, full-featured and spacious rooms, delightful food offerings at The Salt Restaurant, Prism Lounge and the Malt Bar. A conducive venue for conferences and business events too. Widus Clark is a short 90-minute drive from Manila. 🙂
Widus Hotel and Casino
5400 M.A. Roxas Highway, Clark, Pampanga, Philippines 2023
Website: www.widus.com
Contact Nos. +6345.499.1000 | +632.840.1430
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram: @WidusClark
Thank you for choosing to be Wid Us. We hope to see you again here at Widus Hotel and Casino Clark.