It was my first time to celebrate Chinese New Years eve at the oldest Chinatown, the Binondo. There are so many people buying foods to include in their celebration, I told my self, it is just the way we celebrated the new year's eve as well.
Lucky Charms and crystals, fruits, tikoy and hopia and dragon dance are some of the highlights of the celebration. Love the tikoy so much but my favorite of all time is the hopia, no month that I never buy or eat hopia in my life, I really love the taste of it.
Gladly, I was invited in one of the iconic chinese hotel, the Chinatown Lai Lai Hotel, to cover their re-launch featuring Feng Shui interiors, rooms and new amenities.
Strategically located in the heart of Chinatown, Philippines' oldest business district, Chinatown Lai Lai Hotel opened its doors in September 1, 2014, under the new management of Jackson Chua. Veering away from the old hotel, Chua did not just changed the name to “Chinatown Lai Lai Hotel, but also developed it into a modern Chinese-style hotel form the facade, lobby, rooms down to the hotel decors.
“Lai Lai” meaning “come”, the hotel is inviting people go visit the significant part of the country's history. Chinatown Lai Lai Hotel is surrounded by a heritage of two races, Filipino and Chinese that has perfectly blended through historical landmarks in Binondo. It was build in 1988 and is still in its original structure.

Here are some of the videos during the re-launch,


The new interiors were designed based on Feng Shui that illuminates harmony and happiness in every room; making guests feel relaxed all throughout their stay in the hotel.

“Management wants every guests to feel the excitement of staying at the hotel. Equipped with our strong knowledge in feng shui, our guest will be amazed to occupy a room based on his luck,” says Jackson Chua, Chinatown Lai Lai Hotel General Manager.

Longing to stay at that hotel knowing that they will suggest the right room for you depends on your year. What if, we stay their as family, knowing that I am Year of the rooster, my husband is year of the sheep, my eldest is year of the pig and my youngest son is year of the rabbit.  Watch out for it if we have an opportunity to check in at their hotel.

Accommodation

Both business & leisure guests will appreciate the Chinese-style rooms and choose among Standard rooms ( one queen size bed), Superior Rooms (two single beds), Deluxe rooms (one queen size bed and one single bed) Junior Suites and Executive Suites that provides a refrigerator and an elegant sofa, ideal for families. Hotel room features include LED television, electric kettle, hot & cold shower, hair dryer, working table, phone, built in safe, free wifi and 24 hour room service. Chinatown Lai Lai Hotel has a total of 84 rooms.

Here are the actual rooms:


My blogger friends and I usually celebrates christmas party at the hotel, and I found out that the Executive Suite is the right room for us to enjoy the celebration. I will definitely suggest to them Chinatown Lai Lai Hotel for this year Christmas Party.

Amenities
Guests can also pamper themselves at the Spa which offers Aromatheraphy Massage combination of Swedish – Shiatsu Massage. The hotel also have 5 KTV rooms that can accommodate 10-30 persons. For groups events, the Rich Apple Garden, located at the roof deck overlooking Manila, can cater 100 persons.
My husband and I will definitely try the Spa. Every time we stayed in a hotel, spa is what we are looking for to really enjoy and to be relaxed at the same time. Their spa looks inviting as it is.

Dining

The hotel's dining room experience includes an authentic Chinese restaurant that offers affordable buffet menu form breakfast til dinner. Its signature dishes include authentic sweet and sour pork, Hong Kong Style chicken, seafood pancit canton, fish fillet tofu, squid salt and pepper.

Guest and toursits can explore the whole Chinatown that houses various business establishments, such as the Dragon Phoenix, a one stop shop for feng shui lucky charms and crystals.

Soft opening rates will start form Php 2,280 per room, per night including VAT with a complimentary breakfast.
Since my kids are longing to stay again in a hotel, Chinatown Lai Lai Hotel is included in our bucket list. I will definitely let my family experience the Chinese-style hotel.

For hotel room inquiries and reservations, please visit www.chinatownlailaihotel.com or call (+632) 25-2888 and look for Jeffrey Tee or Apple Castro. You may also send an email to sales@chinatownlailai.com
For events needs, contact LDF Events Management, the home of powerhouse events team in the Metro, though landline number (02) 505-2601 or send an email to ldfeventsmanagement@gmail.com

ABS CBN will air the first ever “Mr and Ms Chinatown Philippines” this June, following a deal signed by the network and the Miss Chinatown Foundation recently.

In what is to be a meeting of two cultures with shared values, “the search will redefine Filipino-Chinese beauty, pave the way for better business relations, and realize cultural and artistic goals,” said Alexis Sy Go, the National Director for Mr. and Ms. Chinatown Philippines 2013.

During the launch held in Binondo, Manila a total of 32 Filipino-Chinese candidates, split equally between females and males, aged 18 to 25, were formaly presented to the media and will compete for the prestigious title to represent the Filipino community in the country by the end of the month.

The female candidates include Jerene Tan, Robyn Kimberly Tan, Michelle Marie Sy, Rolini Lim Pineda, Jamie Chua Reyes, Lhowelle Lyka Tan, Sheryl Elaine Chua, Samantha Jade Dy, Maricon Cho, Hannah Dy, Frances Elaine Cham, Kimberly Nicoe Ang Mas, Aeryka Chua, Catrina Myka De Guzman Ang, Catherine Yao, and Anna Patricia Baesa Tan.

Meanwhile, the male candidates will be represented by Oliver chen, Glenn Kevic Choa, Sydney Du, Glenn Andrew Magante, Josse Miguel Lasala, Alvis Lim, Jaime Ripoll, Randy See, Bruce Willis Wo Sing, John Christopher Sy, Arthur Emmanuel Tan, Frederick Jan Bee Tan, Jerome Edward Tan, Sheng-han Yang, Francis Kevin Yao, and John Patrick Yap.

The candidates from the “Mr and Ms. Chinatown,” according to organizers, are a strong mix of contemporary men and women that come from some of the country's most prestigious universities such as the Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, the University of Santo Tomas, and the University of Asia and the Pacific, majoring in a wide randge of specialized courses from Entrepreneurial Manageme nt to Psychology, and event to Interior and Fashion Design.

ABS CBN and the Miss Chinatown Foundation deem this as an event to open doorways towards unified communities and better goals – beginning with a celebration of the shared values of the Filipino and Chinese Communities and cultures, ultimately geared towards strengthening the fusion of the two in honing and shaping the potential of this generation.

Watch out for the Grand Coronation set this month and will air live on ABS CBN. For additional details and information, folow @MrandMsChinatown on twitter and instagram, or visit the official Facebook page of Mr and Miss Chinatown Philippines 2013 at www.facebook.com/MrandMsChinatown.