When in Manila, you’d often have that urge to travel and unwind in a different scene. It could be sudden, it could be passing, but the main point is: you want to get out, mainly to treat yourself on a well-deserved vacation. So when such a feeling of wanderlust overwhelms you, do heed my advice: grab your bags and visit—where else—but the Queen City of the South: Cebu! It’s even timely because this month, one of the biggest festivals in the country will soon be happening and that’s the Sinulog Festival!
So now that you’re ready and your tickets are booked, where will you be staying? Let me help you out even more… If you want to have a great time in a Cebu hotel that’s like no other, then book it fast and book it now at The Henry: a unique boutique hotel that is hip and offbeat, and certainly one that has a personality of its own! If I have to put it into some other words, this is like a hotel, a home, and an art gallery that’s all rolled into one!
The Henry was actually previously named as The House of Cebu (established just last 2012), but this year, under a new management (Hospitality International, Inc.) it has been relaunched and revamped with such a new name as it promises to bring more of what it had initially offered: a more intimate, personal, and ‘good taste’ hospitality experience.
Nestled within the heart of Cebu (located near Cebu City’s Business IT Park), The Henry would be quick to locate since they would soon be basking their establishment in a unique black facade as attached vines would be draped across the whole of the building: clearly somewhat mystique.
Now our trip to this hotel was swell and bliss; and that’s still an understatement. We were first fetched at the airport by their own car service, and upon reaching the hotel and stepping into their front lobby… well, I must say that I was ecstatic! Surely, I got what I had expected it to be: a hotel that has its own personality and style! Given all the different decorative elements that were carefully placed in its interiors, the overall vibe of the place was a mix of modern, rustic, industrial, and vintage.
The story is that, this hotel was initially owned by a Philippine-German couple who are world travelers in their own right. After years of travelling they decided to move to Cebu to open a design hotel that would show all the cultures that they had come across with: that was of course, this hotel. Needless to say, each and every decoration that is spread across the hotel and the rooms are all from the collection of this couple.
Moving on now… after we were greeted by their friendly staff, we were then ushered to our room!
ROOMS (ACCOMMODATION)
The Henry has 36 rooms and 2 suites to date; from this, the rooms are categorized under (1)Big, (2)Large, (3)X-Large, and (4)XX-Large/Suite. And what’s important to note about this is that, no one room is the same as the other! There are rooms that are Marilyn-Monroe-themed for instance!
BIG ROOM
Let’s start with the Big rooms, in which we have also stayed in. These rooms have an area of 36sqm with an occupancy of up to 2 persons. There would be a one king-sized bed, a 32-inch LCD TV, and a DVD player. (As you can see, this was kind of boat/sea-themed.)
The bathroom on the other hand was surprisingly basked in another kind of theme: checkboard! It was spacious and has ample toiletries and a rain shower head too! What’s even interesting about this is that it has a ‘window’ that connects a view from the bathroom to the bedroom. The other side of the wall was rather made of glass, but before you panic of total exposure or whatnot, there’s a curtain for your privacy needs. No worries!
Look! There’s a transistor radio at the bedside table!
LARGE ROOM
The Large rooms will have a space of 42sqm and will have the same amenities as that of the Big room.
This was already spacious if I may say so, and the layout was interesting too. On one side, there’s a mural painting, on the other side, a small sitting area, and then of course, the bathroom. Of course the other Large rooms would have different layouts! That in a sense, it somehow makes me want to have a checklist of my own so that I could check-in to each and every room in this hotel! Haha! Apparently, some of their regular customers would do that, and there are some who would specifically request for a certain room given its style and ambiance.
X-LARGE ROOMS
Same amenities but of course, bigger! With 72sqm individual space, this had a bigger ‘living room‘ area and I’ve been told that there are even some X-Large rooms that have a pedestal bathtub!
As you can see, this has an Argentinian kind of theme going on. Also, you might notice how the walls are left unpainted and the floor is left as is: cemented so to say, and that’s part of the charm. Industrial and modern and sometimes, has this bipolar mix of colors which is in itself, harmonize all so well altogether.
I think that art enthusiasts would really appreciate this design hotel, especially when they would need a kick of inspiration!
XX-LARGE ROOMS
These rooms are perfect for families or barkadas! With 108sqm of space, the suites would have two king-sized beds (separated into two rooms) and two bathrooms (one with a double sink and the other a pedestal bathtub) for an occupancy of up to 4 persons. Each of these rooms would have their own 32-inch LCD TV and DVD Players.
The Second Room
For the rates of these rooms, check by at the end of this post!
AMENITIES, RECREATION, AND EVENTS
FLOOR BY FLOOR
I suggest that if you’ve got the time, you should drop by on every floor of The Henry because each floor has a theme of its own; like an art gallery! At the 3rd floor for instance, you can see a separate area that’s like a ‘reading room’ of the hotel. At one part, there’s a bookcase that includes lots of paperback reads!
(Speaking of ‘galleries’, it is said that one part of the hotel would soon be set up to be a specific in-house gallery that would feature artists.)
CONFERENCES AND EVENTS ROOM
For intimate dinners, events, wedding receptions, cocktail parties, seminars and whatnots, The Henry has one big Function Room and a Meeting Room. The Function Room can accommodate up to 80-90 people (seated) or up to 100 standing guests. The Meeting Room, which is just next door to the Function Room, can hold 25 people (seated) or up to 40 standing guests.
GARDEN AND SWIMMING POOL
*It’s said that upon request, the Henry could arrange for guests to also enjoy the nearby Golf Club or the beach.
FOOD & DRINKS
PASEO ONE
The Henry has two restaurants; first would be Paseo One which is located at the Lobby. This is where main meals would be served as it offers European (mainly German!) and International cuisine. In here, we got to experience their breakfast and dinner meals.
Breakfast Menu – [ click ]
Their breakfast menu has over 4 categories: European, Filipino, American, and Fitness (for those on diet!). During the remainder of our stay, we managed to try all four categories and suffice to say, all can be fulfilling!
Filipino Breakfast
Choice of longganisa, bangus belly, or corned beef | With garlic or plain rice | Eggs (scrambled, fried, poached, omelette) | Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate | Fresh Fruit or Juice
American Breakfast
Bacon or sausages | Eggs (scrambled, fried, poached, omelette) | Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate | Fresh Fruit or Juice | Bread basket with butter or marmalade
Regular Menu – [ Drinks | Starters | Main Courses | Dessert ]
Their menu are mainly European/International but most notably on German dishes. For one of our nights with them, we ordered the below items along with glasses of GatoNegro white wine! For an overview, the Fish Schnitzel was well-cooked and not oily as one would often expect from fried food; plus the curried aioli sauce that came along with it was the perfect pair for this bread fish fillets! The Forty Chicken on the other hand was a huuuuuge serving! It’s roasted spring chicken that’s marinated in forty cloves of garlic (as the name goes) and good thing, the meat was juicy!
Fish Schnitzel P300.00
Forty Chicken P350.00
And of course, how could we forget dessert! We had their best-seller: the Brazo Mantecado! It’s like a brazo cake but packed with gooey ‘yema’ that is layered on ice cream, topped with meringue, and has a crushed Graham crust! This was suuuuuch a joy to eat! Definitely, a must-try!
Now of course, worthy to praise about Paseo One was its interiors! For me, stepping into this restaurant was like stepping into the set of “Alice in Wonderland” especially with the really high chairs, the ceiling decor, and all the elements that makes it all up! Clearly, even the tiniest details were given thought to how all of this layout were to be set up and that’s remarkable.
SCRAPYARD
How about some drinks after dinner? Scrapyard is located at the 2nd floor of the Henry a hip bar that’s true to its name! But of course, in a posh kind of way. The decor in this bar are said to have been gathered at local scrapyards and flea markets in Berlin, Shanghai and Middle East.
It’s a very quaint bar, perfect for intimate times with friends and loved ones. The music is even good too! Like the tunes that were being played in the lobby, the scrapyard’s music ambient was full of modern remixed classics and upbeat Pinoy indie pop songs.
Overall, our stay at The Henry was more than great! Especially for an art enthusiast like me, the unconventional ways of designing the overall hotel was such a great hit to me. Partner that with their great service, good food, cutting edge design, and unique concept then I’m instantly and irrevocably willing to drop by this hotel again! I’ve got to hand it over to them too for their eye on details!
Now I did say that Sinulog is coming right, and I bet you know it too! So why not book at The Henry? Currently, they have such special promo rates for that week! Check the images below for their rates!
When in Manila en route to Cebu, check by The Henry to experience an accommodation that’s like no other and that would make you come back… again and again! Personally, I am willing and eager to go back! Especially how there are still a lot more other rooms that I have yet to see and enjoy. So if I were you, I’d double the fun and excitement by booking with them ASAP as you enjoy this year’s famed Sinulog festival! Happy 2013!
The Henry
Paseo Saturnino, Maria Luisa Entrance Road, Banilad, 6000 Cebu City
+63 32 520 8877 / +63 917 305 0737 (globe)
https://www.thehouseofcebu.com
Facebook Page: [click]
When In Manila photos and write-up by‘I am Aileen’.
