I was having my breakfast of croissants with homemade raspberry jam when I suddenly stopped and realized that I was on my third plate of the same thing. Even if I sampled every dish on the buffet spread, I always ended up with more plates of croissants and homemade jams. It was our last day in Iloilo, and I couldn’t miss this chance to have one of the best pastries I've had—only at Days Hotel Iloilo’s The Promenade Restaurant, our basecamp in our Iloilo gastronomic and cultural exploration.
Our Moshi Moshi Gid 2025 annual backpacking trip commenced with a 12-day trip to Japan, where I noticed that people usually use Apple Pay for payments, ‘coz it’s so convenient. Originally, the plan for our second leg was to go to Boracay and spend two weeks there, but the costly airfare for a direct flight to Caticlan made us fly to its neighboring Iloilo Airport. We originally planned on riding a bus from Iloilo to Caticlan, but decided to scrap our Boracay plans and instead, go around Iloilo, Guimaras, and Capiz. It was a good decision, after all, as Christian and I got to reacquaint with Iloilo City, which was named in 2023 as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.
I’ve been to Iloilo several times and even witnessed the famous Dinagyang Festival in 2012. My last trip, though, was in 2013, and we only made the city as a jump-off place going to the provinces of Antique and Guimaras. I have the faintest memory of Iloilo City, but we were taken aback by how things are in 2025, for all the good reasons (the food and how they are starting to put the electricity cables below the ground).
Days Hotel Iloilo was our home for six days, and we couldn’t be much happier. Primarily because of its perfect location—right across the Iloilo Provincial Capitol. We never had any problems riding a jeepney or taxi to and from the hotel.
We checked in at around ten in the evening and were immediately assisted by a staff. The hotel reception was located on the fourth level of Atrium Mall, and on the levels below were some shops and a grocery store. It was convenient every time we needed to grab a bite or buy some stuff.
The fourth level is also where you can find Days Hotel Iloilo’s in-house restaurant—The Promenade, conference rooms, gym, and spa, while the fifth level is dedicated to the hotel rooms.
The three of us were all stunned when we saw how big the room was, like 60-sqm. big. We could fit in three standard-sized hotel rooms inside it, I’m not kidding, that’s how big it was. Each spot had its own designated area, which was clearly defined.
The kitchenette greeted us as we entered the room. There was a fridge, a microwave oven, an electric kettle, dinnerware, and cutlery. There’s also a coffee and tea-making station and a kitchen island with high chairs that we didn’t get to use ‘coz we always had our breakfast in the restaurant.
The dining area was next to the kitchenette. There’s a round table that can sit four people, and next to it is a lounge area that has a sofa that could turn into a bed. There's also a wardrobe that has a safe inside. The toilet and bath were huge as well and are complete with bath amenities.
The sleeping area, a third of the whole space, is the actual size of a standard hotel room. The king-sized bed was comfy with its fluffy pillows and warm duvet. An entertainment area with a TV rested on the opposite side of the wall.
There’s also a work station, which I utilized as a vanity table where I put all our sunscreen and stuff (I don’t wear any make-up, but I’m too keen on skin protection).
A seating area can be found right next to the floor-to-ceiling windows—the focal point of the suite. I parted the curtains aside and saw the whole downtown Capitol area, which was really beautiful at night.
Our son gasped with so much amazement and sat on one of the lounge chairs. He then pointed out some cars going around; he was glued to them for some time.
Upon checking into any accommodation, we’d usually unpack right away, claim our own space (for everyone’s sanity, Haha), and we’d bounce off for a meal or something. But during that time, we were all drawn into the huge glass windows that engulfed the room. That night, and for the next days, we just left the curtains parted, just because.
The Promenade is the in-house restaurant of Days Hotel Iloilo, and this was where we had our daily buffet breakfasts.
We’re the kind of family who’d oversleep when we’re at home, but during vacations, we’d wake up earlier than usual just to enjoy buffet breakfasts in hotels. That would most probably be our brunch, and our next meal would be a snack in the afternoon. In the case of our trip to Iloilo, it would be a sin not to try the local food scene in a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.
We didn’t set any expectation during our first breakfast at The Promenade, ‘coz usually, hotel breakfast buffets are not remarkable. But when we saw that they had Pancit Molo and some local rice cakes, we knew that Days Hotel Iloilo would be our daily first stop in our gastronomic exploration of the city.
The staples on the spread were the crispy bacon, fresh fruits, salads, breads, rice cakes, and an assortment of hot and cold drinks. The main dishes would vary, but you would surely get your carbs and proteins nonetheless.
Every day for five days, we made it a point to try every dish they had. What I remember the most were the Pancit Molo, Bam-i, their pasta section, where both the white and red sauces were good, Ilonggo adobo, and the hot chocolate.
My super favorite, though, was a combo of freshly-made croissants, butter, and their homemade berry jams. The croissant was so good that I had to eat at least four of them for me to get satiated. For the jams, I tried the blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, and even the orange marmalade—I super loved the raspberry.
Our son would always go directly to the drink station first to see the fresh fruit juices for the day, and then would head straight to the pancake/waffle station and fix his stuff. Then he’d go to the fresh fruits section to pick some of his favorite fruits.
Christian, on the other hand, is a silog kind of person, so he’d go for the meat dish, fried rice, and egg—he’d usually go for omelettes with everything in it. No matter what meat dish it would be, he would always request their version of Iloilo’s sinamak.
As oversleepers, I’m always amazed at how we’d wake up so early just to enjoy our breakfast meal, and I must say the Days Hotel Iloilo serves one of the best hotel breakfasts that we’ve tried so far.
Our bodies were aching after the Japan leg of our trip, so we were really looking forward to a really good massage in the Philippines for the second half of our trip.
The Wellness Club Spa houses the gym and spa of Days Hotel Iloilo. We are not gym rats, but we were so excited to check out the spa! They offer different types of massage, but we opted for their Signature 150-minute massage
They have a room for couples, but because nobody will be there to tend to Akira, we decided to book different times.
I went first, and the moment my masseuse started to massage my foot, I knew that I was in for something really good!
The foot massage lasted for a solid one hour, and it was so good. The next 90 minutes were pure bliss. My mind kept wandering off, but I always tell myself to focus on the massage and how it feels. I was totally rejuvenated after two and a half hours of bliss.
As a family, we always try to maximize the time we have, especially when we’re traveling. Whether we’re exploring the city or just having a chill time in our hotel room, we always find time to savor and enjoy these privileges that we have. And each time I woke up with a great view of Iloilo city from our glass windows at Days Hotel Iloilo, I was always reminded of how blessed we are to have the privilege of exploring, or just being alive. Because, as someone who wasn’t given the chance to spend more time with my parents, I truly know that life is indeed short.
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