I’m in a long distance relationship, and those who are in the same situation would understand how hard it can get. When we miss each other so much, it can drive us nuts sometimes! So my boyfriend Jessie and I make it a point to see each other every month, yet sometimes, even a few days to a few weeks together aren’t enough. No matter how long we are together in one place, it has to be special.

We usually take turns flying to each other’s city, and for our first anniversary, Jessie flew to Manila for three short days so we can celebrate together. We’re always on the lookout for new experiences, and we make it a point to mark milestones or “firsts” in our relationship with one of our favorite hashtags, #jessietrixiefirsts. So for our anniversary, we decided to stay in a hotel we haven’t stayed in before. And since we were already in the Ortigas area to be close to my family, we decided to stay in Oakwood Premier Joy~Nostalg Center Manila (click here to book).

Our luxurious one-bedroom suite

We had quite a busy weekend with the family, so for the day of our anniversary, we just wanted some quiet time together: sip some wine (the Oakwood team gave us a bottle as their anniversary gift, so sweet!), enjoy a delicious dinner, and basically just hole up in our suite to relax. Oakwood’s lavish and elegant suite is perfect for this plan.

The living area and bedroom are both so spacious, we can dance around in it—or to be more realistic, since I don’t dance, I have lots of room to do yoga, should I choose to. When Jessie and I walked into the suite, we just spent some time exploring the suite and ooh-ing and ahh-ing over how pretty it looks and how complete; Jessie says it’s similar to how he would like our own flat one day to look. I couldn’t agree more.

Oakwood’s suites are actually designed to look and feel like a home, as they cater to long-staying guests. The kitchen, for instance, is not only fully-stocked with all your cooking essentials, from an oven and stove to a huge ref, as well as dining essentials like cutlery and china, there’s also a dishwasher! And on one corner of the kitchen, there’s actually a washing machine! You can cook while you do the laundry—perfect for guests staying there for some time on business, as they have everything they need right there and can definitely multi-task on their chores!

But it’s way better than your typical home, because I don’t know of a lot of average homes that actually have a tub, much less a TV facing that tub (my favorite part of the suite, actually), in their bathrooms. And, does your shower also have a steam bath installed? Didn’t think so. You can enjoy these luxuries in your home away from home at Oakwood.

View the gallery for a virtual tour of our suite. Click the first thumbnail to enlarge the image and launch the rest of the slideshow.

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The Whisky Bar & Nostalgia Dining Lounge

After we got over how amazing our suite was, it was time to get ready for dinner. It was a rainy day, and we didn’t want to ruin our tranquil, romantic evening by braving horrible traffic, so we decided to just have our anniversary dinner at Nostalgia Dining Lounge, located at the 6th floor (click here for my earlier food review of Nostalgia). I mean, why would we even venture far when there’s already a good restaurant just a few floors down in the same hotel, right?

Nostalgia’s ambiance was perfect for our plan to get all dressed up in our date night best. I thought it was the perfect occasion to finally wear the red dress I’ve been saving since my best friend gave it to me last year. Jessie also looked all dapper in his suit. To match his look, he had this anniversary request: if he can have some scotch and cigars.

Good thing right beside Nostalgia is The Whisky Bar, Oakroom Lounge & Bar, which boasts of some of the finest Scottish Single Malts, from the six major whisky regions of the ‘Land of the Gaels.’ Their selection includes the whiskies from the following famous regions: Auchentoshan (Lowlands Region), Bruichladdich Octomore (Islay Region), Glenfarclas (Speyside Region), Glen Garioch Founders (Highlands Region), Tobermory (Isle of Mull, Islands Region), and Longrow (Campbeltown Region).

I’m also so glad they had a selection of cigars, so my dear boyfriend got his request. Meanwhile, I enjoyed their mojitos. We both absolutely loved the ambiance of The Whisky Bar, and the fact that it was so conducive for great conversation. I also loved the small bowl of mixed nuts they served with our drinks; I think we had at least three servings, which I mostly ate, hehe. We spent a couple of hours there before we decided to walk over to Nostalgia for dinner.

I’ve always loved Nostalgia and have dined there several times, but it’s a first for Jessie, so I recommended their US Angus Rib Eye, which I reviewed here as one of the highlighted dishes on their Friday Night Classics, but it’s available any day.

Since I’ve already tried that, I went for something somewhat lighter: The Lemon and Prawn Risotto, which has prawns, delightfully makunat candied lemon rings, and fresh basil in a creamy risotto. I enjoyed the refreshing, tangy touch from the lemon. My dish smelled so good and tasted so flavorful and savory.

Our meal came with three types of bread served with butter with sun-dried tomatoes and regular butter.

We were so stuffed after our delightful meal, that we could no longer bring ourselves to experience the heated indoor pool that everyone has been telling me to check out when in Oakwood. You can also supposedly hear music when you’re underwater, and when you look up at the ceiling, there are countless tiny lights that look like constellations—so dreamy! Even if we just didn’t have it in us to take a dip that night, I still wanted to see how the pool looked.

After that pool detour, we went back up to the room to enjoy the tub and our huge and super comfy bed while watching Kung Fu Panda before turning in for the night with contented smiles on our faces.

Our booking came with buffet breakfast for two, and I must say I really enjoyed the breakfast spread at Nostalgia the next day! Not only were there several stations, they also had a lot of the things I enjoyed! I wasn’t very hungry, but I still made sure to sample as many of the items I liked as I could. View the gallery for some of the items on the buffet spread. Click the first thumbnail to enlarge the image and launch the rest of the slideshow.

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Special alert: By the way, I heard that the Tex-Mex Buffet is back in Nostalgia for lunch until the end of this week only! They also serve unlimited Shirley Temples. Try it while you still can!

Staying at Oakwood allowed us to really enjoy each other’s company even more along with the finer things in life we both appreciate: a comfy bed, luxurious and cozy spaces, a tub (in my case), cigar and whisky (in his), as well as good food and good wine. If you want a quiet yet meaningful celebration of any special occasion in your life as a couple, or even with your family or friends, especially if you’re staying longer and don’t want to be away from the comforts of home, Oakwood is a good place to book your stay.

Oakwood Premier – Joy Nostalg Centre is located along ADB Ave. in Ortigas Center. The Whisky Bar and Nostalgia Dining Lounge are at the 6th floor. For reservations and more information, please call 637.7888 ext. 8603/8604. To book your stay in the hotel via Agoda, click here.