Seda Atria Hotel, Iloilo City

Seda Atria is a new urban lifestyle hotel in Iloilo City which opened last September 2015, making it one of the newest hotels in the city. Seda Atria is also the first Seda Hotel in the Visayas region and fifth Seda Hotel in the country. It has a total of 152 rooms and suites, including ambulant rooms.

Basic Ilonggo (Hiligaynon) Phrases for Travel

Traveling to other provinces allows you to learn about a new culture by appreciating local art and architecture, trying out the local delicacies, and interacting with the people using their language. When visiting Iloilo, Negros, and Capiz, it will be handy if you learn some basic Ilonggo (Hiligaynon) phrases. While most Ilonggos, Negrenses and Capiznons can very well converse in English and Tagalog, trying to speak their language will make the experience more fun.

Must-Try Restaurants in Iloilo for 2016

For those of you who are visiting Iloilo City for the Dinagyang Festival and are looking for the best places to eat, then this article is for you. We have listed down some of the best restaurants in Iloilo that we have personally tried and highly recommend to visiting tourists in the city. This list will be constantly updated so be sure to save the link to your bookmark. Restaurants are listed alphabetically and are in no way ranked in any order.

Yusay-Consing Mansion in Molo, Iloilo City

The Yusay-Consing Mansion, or simply Molo Mansion, is one of the newest tourist attractions in Iloilo City. Located right across St. Anne Parish Church in Iloilo City's Molo district, the mansion was constructed in the late 1920's and has been acquired by SM Land Inc to restore the house to its former glory and transform it into a heritage museum.

Celebrate Christmas at Richmonde Hotel Iloilo

If I would be spending the holidays in Iloilo City, there's no better place I can think of to stay and celebrate Christmas and New Year than Richmonde Hotel Iloilo. Having experienced the top notch amenities and service of the hotel, I am sure that Richmonde Hotel Iloilo can make my holiday celebration even more special and memorable.

Learn more about: Richmonde Hotel Iloilo | a Premier Business Hotel in Iloilo City

Richmonde Hotel Iloilo, Iloilo City

Richmonde Hotel Iloilo is a 149-room business hotel situated at the center of Iloilo Business Park, a premier business and lifestyle township project in Mandurriao, Iloilo City. The hotel will cater to the growing development of Iloilo City as the business and commercial center of Western Visayas, with a strong focus on the Information Technology (IT), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Meetings-Incentives-Conferences-Exhibitions (MICE) industries.

Richmonde Hotel Iloilo Now Open, Offers Introductory Rates

Photo Courtesy of Richmonde Hotel Iloilo

To celebrate the successful soft opening of the new Richmonde Hotel Iloilo, the hotel is offering its special introductory rates available for a limited number of rooms only.

*Deluxe Room (Single occupancy) at PhP 3,500 nett
*Deluxe Room (Double occupancy) at PhP 3,800 nett

2013 Domestic Air Travel Trend in the Philippines

Here are the Top 10 Domestic Air Travel Destinations in the Philippines for 2013, according to the annual Travel Trends report recently released by Skyscanner, the world’s fastest growing global travel search site. The list is based on actual flight searches conducted on the travel website and its mobile apps.

Destination Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2014

Dinagyang is an annual religious and cultural festival happening in Iloilo City on the fourth Sunday of January. The festival celebrates the Ilonggos' devotion to the Infant Jesus, the Santo Niño and the arrival of the Malay settlers on the Panay Island who later acquired the island from the Atis.

Iloilo City: Breakfast at Madge Café

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo - We always wanted to try Magde Café during our past visits to Iloilo City but never had the chance due to time constraints. Finally this time, we were able to drop by in this coffee shop inside the La Paz Public Market. Yes, you heard it right, is it inside a public market. Here, they don't sell ambiance, there's no aircon, no fancy furniture, no cozy lighting, no classy music. They sell coffee.

In a modern world dominated by coffee machines, espresso machines and instant coffee, it will be a feast in your eyes how they prepare their coffee, the traditional way. When ordering coffee, you will be asked how you want your coffee. This is because they have three coffee intensities: mild, regular and strong (may be served black or with milk).

We ordered the strong blend with milk (Php25.00) and suman for breakfast. The first sip of this Ilonggo coffee was pure heaven. It is definitely arabica, with earthy tones, but the overall flavor is very unique which I couldn't compare with the other coffee variants I tasted before. According to the owner, Mr. Peter de la Cruz, they source their Arabica coffee beans from the highlands of Iloilo as well as from Guimaras Island.

As you drink your coffee, you will notice a constant stream of customers coming in. Some even bring their own cups, probably owners or workers from the nearby market stalls. The patrons would simply seat on their favorite spot, reading the newspaper while waiting for their "usual" coffee served in a cup personalized with the patron's name.

Madge Cafe is located inside the La Paz Public Market. The entrance to the market is right in front of the Grand Dame Hotel. From the entrance, turn right on the second alley. Madge Cafe has been here for decades and is here to stay, says the owner. So if you have the chance to visit Iloilo City, do drop by Madge Cafe for a truly Ilonggo coffee experience.

Iloilo City: Museo Iloilo

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo - Museo Iloilo is a uniquely designed building structure compared to majority of museums in the Philippines. The architect behind the trapezoid prism shaped building is Iloilo-based Sergio Penasales.

On the building's façade are images of the province's most famous landmarks, including the Miag-ao Church, the Molo Church and the Cemetery Chapel of San Joaquin.

During our visit, we were not able to enter the museum as it was closed due to the celebration of the national holiday of Independence Day.

Museo Iloilo is located Bonifacio Drive, right in front of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol of Iloilo, in Iloilo City.

Iloilo City: Iloilo Provincial Capitol

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo - This six storey building replaced the Old Provincial Capitol of Iloilo as the seat of the provincial government of Iloilo when the later was damaged by fire in November 1998.

back entrance of the building

Today, the Iloilo Provincial Capitol is considered one of the most modern capitol buildings in the Philippines. Highlight of the edifice is the view of the Capitol's dome from inside. Under the dome is a rotunda with a fountain as centerpiece.

view of the dome from inside the building

The Iloilo Provincial Capitol is located along Bonifacio Drive, right at the back of the Old Provincial Capitol of Iloilo, Iloilo City.

Iloilo City: Arroyo Fountain

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo - There is perhaps no other landmark that best represents Iloilo City than the Arroyo Fountain.

Located in front of the old Provincial Capitol of Iloilo, the fountain stands in the middle of the road serving as a roundabout for vehicles coming to and from the different districts of the city.

At the centerpiece of the fountain are four caryatids supporting a circular entablature, on top of which is the fountain basin. Both the base of the fountain and basin feature mythical sea creatures.

The Arroyo Fountain was named after Senator Jose Maria Arroyo (1919-1928). He was the author of Act No. 3222 of September 16, 1925 establishing the Iloilo Metropolitan Water Works.

According to Explore Iloilo, the current site of the Arroyo Fountain is where the original flagpole of the old Provincial Capitol used to stand. The building, also called Casa Real, is undergoing renovation aimed at restoring the building to its former glory. To be called Casa Real de Iloilo, it is one of the most anticipated heritage conservation projects in Iloilo today.

It will be surely be a marvelous sight to see the Arroyo Fountain with the completed Casa Real de Iloilo at the background. Yet another reason to keep coming back to Iloilo City.

Iloilo City: Filipino-Chinese Friendship Arch

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo - Iloilo is one of the many cities in the Philippines with the highest population of Filipino-Chinese and their presence is most evident in downtown Iloilo, particularly along J.M. Basa Street and Iznart Street.

Iznart Street, also referred to as Calle Real, features Spanish and American era buildings making it Iloilo's counterpart of Manila's Escolta. At present time, it is dominated by business owned by Chinese-Ilonggos, most of which are general merchandise and construction supplies and hardware stores.

In the beginning of 2012, the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Arch was erected at the corner of Iznart Street facing Plazoleta Gay, serving as a new landmark of Iloilo's local China town.

During our visit, we made a walking tour of Iznart, Aldeguer and J.M. Basa Streets. It was like walking around the streets of Santa Cruz, Manila, only the streets are wider and there are less people.

Unlike Ongpin in Manila, we only spotted one Chinese restaurant in the area. It was along J.M. Basa Street which we will try on our next visit to Iloilo. We hope that more Chinese-Ilonggos would establish Chinese restaurants in Calle Real. They will not only appeal to the food-loving Ilonggos but will surely draw more tourists to the area in search of new culinary adventures.

This visit to Iloilo's China Town adds to our appreciation of the rich history, culture and heritage of the city. With this we say 我們愛伊洛伊洛 (We love Iloilo City).

This post is part of the new Chinoy series, and is a joint post between Pinas Muna and Chinoy Edition.

Iloilo City: Coffee Break (the Avenue, Smallville)

Even before the opening of Starbucks in Iloilo, the city already had its "coffee shop culture." One of the most prominent coffee shops in Iloilo is Coffee Break. From online forums I read that Ilonggos actually prefer Coffee Break over Starbucks.

It was 1:00am and Smallville was still alive. From Smallville21 Hotel, we crossed the street to the nearby the Avenue to see what Coffee Break has to offer. It is the usual self-service cafe with warm lighting, comfy chairs and couches, ultra-cold aircon and relaxing background music.

In addition to coffee, tea juices and soda are also served. They also have a wide selection of pastries, sandwiches and pasta dishes. We tried out four different pastries (butterscotch white choco crunch P40.00, butterscotch peanut butter bar P40.00, passion brownie P40.00, cappuccino dreams P45.00) to match our usual iced latte P65.00. Of the four, we picked out butterscotch peanut butter bar and cappuccino dreams as the best.

Overall, I enjoyed Coffee Break's ice lattee, though I found it a little flat in terms of coffee intensity. I'm sure it is a matter of my personal taste. Their pastries weren't bad as well, a little more improvement would make them close to perfect. Being a Starbucks fan, I don't think I would be able to provide a fair assessment of Coffee Break, but if there is something that made Coffee Break stand out, that would be the warm Ilonggo hospitality. Coffee Break keeps an Ilonggo identity, reason for it to keep its domination over the local market.

See complete photo album: Iloilo City, Iloilo: Coffee Break (July 30, 2011)

Iloilo City: Afrique's (Smallville)

After a tiring day of road-tripping in southern Iloilo and Antique, we were back in Smallville starving and ready to feast for dinner. Afrique's was just the perfect place. They serve pizza, pasta and steak, and the serving size is good for sharing for two to three people. We ordered Sgt. Pepperoni Pizza (Php260.00), Pasta Italiana with Meatballs (Php130.00), and a pitcher of Cucumber Cooler (Php150.00).

We first tried Afrique's back in February 2011 and it was only now that I had the chance to write about Afrique's. It is a restaurant that I always recommend to friends in Manila visiting Iloilo, as Afrique's serves good food at available prices that is perfect for family or a group of friends.

Afrique's opened its branch in Smallville (Red Square area) in 2009.

See complete photo album: Iloilo City, Iloilo: Afrique's Smallville (July 29, 2011)

Like them on Facebook: afrique's gourmet pizza, pasta and steaks

Iloilo City: Molo Church

It was 6:00pm when we arrived at the van terminal at the Molo District of Iloilo City coming from a two hour trip from San Jose, Antique.

Before going back to the hotel, we passed by the famous Molo Church. Officially called St. Anne Parish, the original church was built in 1831 and the construction of Gothic-Renaissance-styled church began in 1869.

Among the visitors of the church was Dr. Jose Rizal during his trip to Manila in 1896 after being exiled to Dapitan.

The Molo Church is part of the Lakbay Jose Rizal @150 travel program, in celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal.

See complete photo album: Iloilo City, Iloilo: Molo Church (July 29, 2011)

Iloilo City: Ted's Oldtimer Lapaz Batchoy (Diversion Road)

From Smallville21 Hotel, we took a short walk to Ted's Oldtimer Lapaz Batchoy along Diversion Road. This branch opened in early 2010, and is among the growing number of branches around the Philippines. Lapaz Batchoy being an Ilonggo original is best experienced nowhere else but in its birthplace, Iloilo City.

For breakfast, we ordered longganisa meal (Php69.00) and omelette meal (Php69.00) both came with free (instant) coffee. The highlight of the breakfast was Ted's special batchoy (Php55.00).

I should say, I haven't tasted any other batchoy as good as Ted's Oldtimer Lapaz Batchoy. I will never let any trip to Iloilo City to pass without a visit to Ted's Oldtimer Lapaz Batchoy.

See complete photo album: Iloilo City, Iloilo: Ted's Oldtimer La Paz Batchoy (Jul 29, 2011)

Like them on Facebook: Ted's Oldtimer Lapaz Batchoy

Visit their website: http://www.tedslapazbatchoy.com/

Iloilo City: Starbucks Iloilo (SM City Iloilo Southpoint)

Right after dinner at Plazuela, we went straight to Starbucks Iloilo, located at SM City Iloilo Southpoint (between Plazuela de Iloilo and the main building of SM City). The café occupied two floors with most of the seats located on the second floor. Unfortunately, the branch didn’t have an Iloilo City Tumbler yet.

Starbucks opened its first branch in Iloilo City last April 2011, making Starbucks Iloilo its third branch in the whole Western Visayas region (Starbucks Boracay being the first and Starbucks Bacolod being the second).

Whenever I travel, I always make sure I visit my favorite coffee place, Starbucks.

See complete photo album: Iloilo City, Iloilo: Starbucks Iloilo (July 27, 2011)

Iloilo City: Peppy Thai Deli (Plazuela de Iloilo)

How could the Thai people afford Thai food if they are as expensive as they are in Manila? I always believe that Thai food shouldn't be expensive, especially here in Asia. Iloilo City's Peppy Thai Deli makes authentic Thai food that everyone can enjoy without spending a fortune.

Though the cuisine is definitely Thai, the restaurant set-up is very Pinoy. You look at the food display and point which ones you want to order, turo-turo style.

For dinner, my group (of three) ordered 3 pieces of Pandan Chicken (Php 40 each), 3 sticks of Thai Pork BBQ (Php 30 each), 1 serving of Red Beef Curry (Php 80 per serving), 3 cups of Plain Rice (Php 20 per cup), and 3 canned sodas (Php 30 each). Our total bill did not even reach Php 500.

Peppy Thai Deli openned its newest branch last January 2011 in Plazuela de Iloilo, a commercial complex located right beside SM City Iloilo. I will surely try their other dishes on my next visit.

See complete photo album: Iloilo City, Iloilo: Peppy Thai Deli (July 27, 2011)

Like them on Facebook: Peppy Thai Deli