Azure Residences by Van Florendo

I had a good time at Azure Residences, and this was my first staycation. The buildings, pools, courts, and the atmosphere inside and out were all supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. My room felt clean and calm, and it was well maintained, with a fancy vibe. I’m still confused about how reservations and the lobby queue work, especially for a big group split across several rooms. Maybe I just don’t know the rules well enough. This is only my personal experience, and I try to be honest in my reviews. Four stars is a decent score.

The condominium is clean and secure, with guards at the main gate and at each tower, so I had no safety concerns. There are small shops like 7-eleven for everyday needs, and SM Mall is very close. It’s a good place to stay if you need to be in this area, though I wouldn’t recommend it otherwise because rush-hour traffic is bad. The roads and traffic system are poorly managed during the day. I’d give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

We got a clean room for one night for just Php1000.00, good for two people. It had a fridge, microwave, plates, glassware, knives, and even some groceries left by a previous guest. The TV didn’t work, but that was okay since the wifi was really good. You can also get groceries at the nearby mall. The city view from the roofdeck at night is great, and the place is very instagrammable. It closes at 10pm. The beach is white and there’s a wave pool, with a great city view at night. Checked-in guests swim for free, and there are lockers for your belongings. Proper swimwear is required. Check-in took 30 minutes because our room wasn’t ready, even though we’d told the host 30 minutes before arriving.

The pools look nice, and the place is attractive, but I didn’t enjoy the overall quality of life there. Even an Airbnb-style apartment stay comes with a fairly complicated set of rules. The area around it is hectic, with congested highways nearby, and the mall doesn’t have much to offer.