City Of Dreams Manila had its grand launch yesterday, February 2, and I was invited to the media conference and tour of the premises before the opening ceremony and much talked about Concert of Dreams, which featured international music acts Ne-Yo and Kelly Rowland, as well as local music artists like Gary Valenciano, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Jed Madela, and Kyla.

City of Dreams Manila first opened its doors to the public in December 2014. It is an integrated casino resort located in Entertainment City, Manila Bay. It features three distinctive entertainment venues, including the Family Entertainment Center, a live performance central lounge inside the casino, and a night club situated inside the Fortune Egg, an architecturally-unique structure with creative exterior lighting design that they hope to become an iconic landmark of the Manila Bay area.

I was there really early, because I took the free City of Dreams shuttle from SM Megamall at 10AM. (There are several schedules, check the board at the shuttle terminals outside Bldg. B, near ADB. There are shuttles to and from other areas too, like Mall of Asia, Binondo, and Cubao.) It was a full day, but already, I can’t wait to go back and really experience what City Of Dreams Manila has to offer with my friends and family. Here are the things that excited me the most during our tour:

1. Exploring DreamPlay by DreamWorks

Characters from my favorite DreamWorks franchises–Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda–are somehow brought to life for kids of all ages to interact with in this technology-rich play space with an education-based entertainment concept. Think dojo classes with Master Shifu and Po, cooking and baking with Gingy and Shrek, or the characters of How To Train Your Dragon guiding you on how to build your own toy dragon and fly it (but my favorite part of this franchise’s station is the Dragon Slides that twist and turn like roller coasters!).

There’s also a rock-climbing area called the Vertical Wall of Awesomeness and an exciting ropes course, all in the Kung Fu Panda area. There are levels to the activities, and you unlock achievements as you go along–think of yourself being in a giant, tactile video game! A replica of the plane from Madagascar is there, too, for kids to climb, ride, and play with. I hope I can be allowed into the library, which is the chill out space in the active area, aside from the DreamWorks Cafe and themed function rooms where you can throw parties. What we’ve seen so far looks so much fun! Watch for the opening in March!

The entrance was the only thing we were allowed to photograph in DramPlay to keep the element of surprise. I got excited the moment I saw Shrek and Po.

City Of Dreams did provide us a photo of the Kung Fu Panda Area, where you can see a bit of the ropes course, the Vertical Wall of Awesomeness, and the Stairway to Heaven, where you climb these poles of increasing height then jumping (yes, jumping! But they have state-of-the-art harnesses, don’t worry) from the top. We watched a girl try this, and it looked scary but exhilarating!

2. Enjoying a staycation in the hotels and taking a dip in the pools

There are three hotels to choose from, situated across six hotel towers. We were only able to visit Hyatt City of Dreams Manila (click here to book) and Nobu Hotel (click here to book), both five-star hotels; I have yet to visit Crown Towers (click here to book), their six-star hotel. We didn’t get the chance to see any of the 365 rooms at Hyatt or the 321 rooms in the Robert De Niro-championed Nobu Hotel, but I look forward to checking them out soon. However, we were able to see the pools of Hyatt and Nobu, and already, they’re my favorite parts of the hotels!

All the pools use silver and copper electrodes to treat the water, instead of chlorine. Each pool is exclusive to its respective hotel, so sorry folks, no pool-hopping allowed. I suggest you just stay in Hyatt one night, in Nobu Hotel the next, then in Crown Towers for another, so you can experience each hotel and pool! (Well, at least that’s what I hope to do soon.)

My favorite thing to do during staycations is hang out in the swimming pool: take a dip, tan on one of the poolside loungers, and just stare off into space, ideally with a cocktail in hand. I can totally imagine myself doing all that here in Hyatt City of Dreams Manila.

I like the zen vibe of the area where the 23.2-meter long swimming pool is situated. And right beside it is the walkway that leads to the world-famous Nobu restaurant.

3. Trying each of the world-class restaurants

Speaking of Nobu Manila, I simply can’t wait to sample the signature dishes of Chef Nobu Matsuhisa. This world-renowned dining destination boasts of Japanese cuisine with Peruvian influences, and I’m excited to try their sushi and have another memorable Teppanyaki experience.

My boyfriend loves sushi, so I’m sure the sushi bar is something he’s looking forward to.

I like the warm and pretty interiors of Nobu Manila. It has 335 seats, including those in the two private dining rooms, two Teppanyaki tables, and Chef’s Table.

What I really want to experience, since I’m a sucker for romantic spots, is dining in one of Nobu Manila’s floating water cabanas.

Other signature restaurants I’m looking forward to visiting, as much for their food as their ambiance, are The Tasting Room, which offers luxurious European dishes; Crystal Dragon, which serves authentic premium Cantonese and classic Chinese Cuisine; and Red Ginger, a Southeast Asian-inspired bistro, bar, and cafe. Among City of Dreams Manila’s many signature restaurants, contemporary and casual restaurants, poolside spaces, lobby lounges, and gaming restaurants, I was only really able to sit and sample the fare at The Hyatt Cafe, which is the hotel’s main dining space, open 24 hours. The show-kitchen, 315-seater restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffet, and a la carte dishes throughout the night.

This vibrant dining space is one of the first things I saw and experienced in City of Dreams Manila, and I was immediately impressed. The luxurious feel of the place and their attention to detail is mesmerizing, not to mention very inviting.

I enjoyed my coffee, pastries, and lunch in one of these cozy circular booths, with sockets underneath where I was able to plug and charge my phone. And since I’m partial to the color purple, I absolutely adored these plush seats.

The Hyatt Cafe served all sorts of fare for lunch, from pasta and pizza to steak and other meat dishes. But the two areas I enjoyed most are their sushi station and the dessert station. I was overwhelmed with the array of choices! This chocolate fountain is a must-try.

4. Experiencing the nightlife

I’ve reached that age where I’m not really into clubbing anymore (but if you are, they have Chaos, a franchise of the famous New York nightclub developed by the “International King of Clubs” himself, Michael Van Cleef Ault, who has created a number of renowned clubs worldwide), so my preferred night spot in City of Dreams Manila would have to be Pangaea, an exclusive Ultra-Lounge, also by Michael Ault. (This is the eighth Pangaea in the world!) As he himself told us, it’s the “place to go when you’ve outgrown all the other clubs.” It’s more like a home than a club, he added, hence the African Safari-inspired interiors that give the impression that the “master of the house” or “host” is into travel, an academic, and a collector of art and books.

Just look at the shelves stocked with books that greet you upon entering Pangaea. One of those shelves opens and leads to the secret VIP entrance!

There’s no dedicated dance floor in Pangaea. In front of and at the back of the plush seats are platforms where you can dance. “You don’t want to dance away from your alcohol!” said Ault.

Behind those panels is the “secret” walkway that leads to the VIP section. It was fun walking down the somewhat labyrinthine path while having a secret look at the scene upon arriving.

I did go inside Chaos, not to dance and party, but for the media conference during the grand opening of City of Dreams Manila yesterday. If there’s anything that really interested me here, it’s the luxe details: the plush seats and velvet red curtains; the golden sculptures and disembodied hands sticking out from the door; and parts of a giant serpent’s body snaking in and out of the walls.

I’m sure there are loads more to look forward to experiencing in City of Dreams Manila, but this is what I have seen so far. There are lots of opportunities to do so now that it’s open! I can’t wait to bring my family and boyfriend here!