The Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo, located just a stone’s throw away from Festive Walk shopping hub and right next door to the Iloilo Convention Center (ICC), making it ideal for business travelers, vacation goers, and participants of MICE events. Plus, the wedding of my cousin was in ICC, so it was the perfect hotel for my family to stay in during the preparations.
If you’re looking to enjoy upscale accommodation and world-class hospitality during your visit to Iloilo, checkout my staycation in Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo…
COURTYARD ILOILO
Iloilo Business Park, Mandurriao, Iloilo City 5000 Philippines
Telephone: +63 33 330 7600
Facebook: Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo
Instagram: @courtyardbymarriottiloilo
Website: https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ilocy-courtyard-iloilo/
Check out low Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo rates and availability from Booking and Agoda.
The fifteen-story property, with a total of 326 guestrooms and suites, presents a minimalist and thoughtful design to meet the requirements of the guests, may it be for work or relaxation.
In my opinion, all the rooms are identical—the only difference is the location of the room (higher floor rooms are more expensive) as well as amenities like concierge lounge access.
THE ROOMS
The room we stayed in came with a concierge lounge access and complimentary breakfast for two at the Runway Kitchen.
The king size bed in my room was a dream to sleep on and the air conditioning worked perfectly! The hotel provides DreamMaster mattresses covered with a thick and fluffy mattress topper and lined with 100% cotton and high thread-count linens. I had the best sleep ever, exactly what I needed after my long connecting flight.
To be honest, I planned to go to the gym everyday during my stay and even brought my shoes and workout clothes, but instead I decided to bury myself in my bed and watch Netflix on my phone.
The LED framed mirror is my favorite in the bathroom! The perfect lighting made it ideal for putting on my makeup for the wedding. A hairdryer is stored in a box under the counter top. You’ll find complimentary toiletries, dental kits and water bottles. The toilet is fitted with a bidet spray.
Our room had a view of the Iloilo Convention Center. The location of the Iloilo Business Park is actually the old airport, so the roads are actually the old runway.
The room is spacious for a mid-range hotel that meets international hospitality standards, a great value for your money.
CLUB LOUNGE
Guests who have booked the rooms with lounge access can enjoy these benefits.
Located on the 15h floor, the lounge offers a lot of things to their guests such as complimentary:
– Private check-in and check-out
– Breakfast buffet from 6:00 to 10:30. (The selection is limited, best to eat in the main dining area.)
– Complimentary all-day coffee, tea, canned soda and dry snacks.
– Afternoon tea from 14:30 to 17:00.
– Hors d’oeuvres & desserts 17:30 to 19:30.
– Dinner buffet 18:00-19:00.
– Complimentary use of meeting room for one (1) hour per day.
– Alcoholic drinks and cocktails during happy hour.
– Business services, for a fee.
(It is worth checking the transition schedule of the items offered from morning till evening when items are removed.)
Open: Mon-Sat, Open: 16 hours daily
Closed: 12 midnight to 6:00 AM
Our favorite feature of the lounge was its happy hour when guests with club access can make their own cocktails and drink as much beer and wine as they can.
Here you can meet up with your clients, business partners or even friends and take advantage of the venue fitted with sofas, chairs and tables while you enjoy the view of Iloilo City. I met up with my high school classmate Jo Shiela from Bacolod City, who happened to be working in Iloilo at that time.
BREAKFAST
The Runway Kitchen is Courtyard’s all-day dining restaurant that serves an array of international cuisines.
Start your day with an assortment of cold cuts and cheese.
But first head over to the grilling station, one my favorite parts of the breakfast, as it takes extra time to grill the food.
I recommend the birthday hotdog or chorizo…
You can also make your own batchoy or molo, which if you ask me was the highlight of the breakfast spread.
Batchoy – A serving of egg noodles called miki, topped with generous amounts of fried garlic, crushed chicharon (crispy fried pork skin), scallions, slivers of pork meat, intestines and liver, and for the finishing touch—a spoonful of bone marrow. The secret to the dish is in the buto-buto broth, which is slow-cooked for hours with beef, pork and bulalo mixed with local guinamos (shrimp paste) for flavoring. It’s a cholesterol-laden nightmare but quite the treat every now and then!
Molo – Pancit Molo is a soup dish made of meat-filled dumplings with shredded chicken and a very savory thick broth. It originated from the town of Molo in the province of Iloilo, influenced by the wonton soups brought in by the community of Chinese settlers in the area.
Multiple choices for your morning viand. Their sausages, bacon, tocino…
…Assorted dried fish also known locally as “uga” best paired with the local vinegar called “langaw” and garlic rice.
Eggs, pancakes and waffles cooked to your liking.
Or if you just prefer a light breakfast, they have a selection of fresh fruits and ice-cold yogurt.
THE POOL
(Photo courtesy of Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo)
Checked-in guests can relax in the outdoor pool, not to mention the pool bar which offers great cocktail drinks.
Best enjoyed during sunset hour.
THE GYM
We all have that feeling of not wanting to workout while on vacation. (Someone who wants to stay fit can really feel guilty dining at all those yummy seafood restaurants around Iloilo.) I got excited to find dozens of modern exercise machines, treadmills, free weights and plenty of open spaces. I never had to wait for my turn on the gym equipment.
FESTIVE WALK
Just right beside the hotel is the Festive Walk mall, where you can dine, shop and buy last-minute pasalubong items.
FINAL THOUGHTS
We ended our day at the Lobby Bar for some socializing over drinks or some dessert complemented by the sophisticated lounge and live music playing.
Overall, we loved our stay at Courtyard by Marriott because of:
– Ideal location that’s conveniently just beside the ICC and business district.
– Friendly Filipino staff.
– Great selection on the breakfast buffet.
– Location right across the upscale Festive Walk mall.
– Very comfortable beds that I just want to bury myself in all day.
– Conveniently in the metro where you can do a city tour or discover a new restaurant.
– Modern accommodations and notable amenities right in the middle of the city, perfect for both business and leisure travelers.
COURTYARD ILOILO
Iloilo Business Park, Mandurriao, Iloilo City 5000 Philippines
Telephone: +63 33 330 7600
Facebook: Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo
Instagram: @courtyardbymarriottiloilo
Website: https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ilocy-courtyard-iloilo/
Check out low Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo rates and availability from Booking and Agoda.
Live an Awesome Life,
ABI of Team Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: We were media guests of Courtyard by Marriott. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions and insights.