Best Staycation in Manila (feat. Discovery Primea)

Discovery Primea staycations are finally back after two years! While everyone was going out of town last long weekend, we went for a pleasant drive and staycation in the city (away from the crowd).

Our boys loved Discovery Primea because of:
✅ the food, especially the pizza, burger and solo paella,
✅ the infinity pool with skyline views of Makati, Rockwell and Ortigas,
✅ the bathtub with TV,
✅ the awesome weekend brunch, and
✅ the romantic alfresco dinner at Flame. 🔥

Here are some tips for your next awesome staycation at Discovery Primea.

Welcome Home

Discovery group usually has the most innovative welcome treats like this chocolate ball with a welcome message puzzle. I missed this!

This handwritten welcome note was so beautiful and meaningful. After a long time of tough lockdowns and quarantines, it was such a milestone moment to be able to go on staycation at Discovery Primea.

DISCOVERY PRIMEA
6749 Ayala Ave Makati 1226 Metro Manila
Telephone: +63 2 7955 8888
Email: dp.rsvn@discovery.com.ph
Instagram: @discoveryprimea
Facebook: Discovery Primea
Visit https://www.discoveryprimea.com

Homey Suites

The beds are quite comfortable, and most of the time the boys just wanted to hang out and stay in the suite room that invites you to relax, watch a movie, just take a break and forget about recent events.

Their in-room dining menu has such delicious offerings that, sometimes for the safety of the kids and for the family to spend more time together, you just want to eat in—not with takeout food, but with freshly cooked meals in the comforts of your suite.

During our staycations, one boy loves bathtubs with TVs and just hangs out there for hours.

Pool with a Skyline

One of the highlights of our stay was swimming all day with the boys and enjoying the views of the city skyline from morning to sunset.

Make sure to book your swimming pool time slot immediately upon check-in. Our favorite time slots were 8:00-9:30am, 12:00-1:30pm and 4:00-5:30pm. Merienda time is perfect for poolside dining.

The mini-jacuzzi bubbles with heated water, which is very relaxing for the adults, massaging weary muscles and tensions in the body.

It’s a bit windy at the 3rd floor poolside area and can get cold at times. The heated pool area becomes busy so you have to take turns with other guests to maintain social distancing.

Best Pizza, Burger & Solo Paella

**Let’s do Brunch!** (₱495). Sunnsy-side up egg, American cheddar, smoked bacon, fresh tomato, Iloilo green lettuce, Gilarmi signature dressing

We tried almost all of their burgers during our stay, and Let’s do Brunch was the best. Their burger library is well curated and we also liked The Persian, The Spanish Quarter, Korean Chicken Burger and Le Bistro.

**Wagyu Beef Paella** (₱820) with black pepper aioli

One new discovery is their line of signature paellas—so good!

We tried almost all of their good-for-one paellas and liked the Wagyu Beef Paella best, with generous smothering of aioli sauce. We also liked Paella de la Tierra with chorizo & roasted chicken, and the Paella de Champiñones with assorted roasted mushrooms. Yum!

**Four Cheese Pizza** (₱690). Mozzarella, blue cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Davao ricotta

Their sourdough stone-baked pizzas are the best—with the right chewy and crunchy dough and the best combination of toppings which made this Four Cheese Pizza with blue cheese taste good as far as the boys were concerned.

We also loved their Tartuffata (with black truffle cream), Salumi (bestseller), Pepperoni Calabrese and their pineapple pizza, Pizza Alla Chef Beam.

Awesome Brunch

Brunch Menu | Breakfast | Weekend Libations | Dessert

The weekend brunch was definitely one of the highlights of our stay. There were big family groups and there was adequate space allotted for each family at Tapenade to still make you feel safe and secure.

**Pizza Alla Chef Beam** (₱590). Prosciutto ham, pickled jalapeños, grilled pineapple

Surprisingly, the kids loved the ham contrasting with the sweetness of grilled pineapple. They just gave the jalapeños to their papa, adding more spiciness to my pizza. 🙂

**The Breakfast Paella (₱480)**. Fennel sausage, chili flakes, mushrooms, sunny-side up egg

We couldn’t get enough of their paella, a meal in itself with sausage and egg mixed together. Malinamnam.

**Filipino Favorites** (A traditional breakfast) (₱640). Choice of beef tapa, longganisa Lucban, Tocino or doing na bangus, 2 eggs any style, garlic rice, pickled papaya, salted egg.

The kids loved the tocino! Instead of ordering a full breakfast, just order their tocino, beef tapa or longanisa Lucban separately to pair with the breakfast paella.

**Chicken Arroz Caldo** (₱450). Spring Onions, Garlic

Sometimes, a really good Arroz Caldo is perfect for a weekend breakfast treat! This Filipino porridge with chicken and lots of garlic bits and egg is quite good.

Flame Al Fresco

**Flame Menu:** Flame ala Carte & tasting menu | Cocktails, Soju, Sake, Juice, Soda, Beer | Classic Cocktails, Coffee

Flame opened its al fresco dining section during the pandemic and this is one of the most romantic (and safe) dinners you can have with your family, the finale to your staycation.

**Flame’s Dirty Saketini** (₱395). Vermouth, cornichon brine, honey
**Soju & Tonic** (₱395). Basil, ginger, grapefruit bitters, tonic water
**Soju & Yoghurt** (₱395). Yoghurt, blue berry liqueur, lemon and lime soda
**Sake Matcha Sour** (₱395). Lemon, matcha, honey, egg white

Got to try their innovative cocktails—an Asian combination of sake, soju, gin, whisky, and even yoghurt. It’s fun to experiment with their Asian concoctions to start your dinner.

**Lobster Fried Rice (₱790)**. Free-range egg, chorizo Macau, char siu pork, Bakkwa, spiny rock lobster

Never fails to excite your palate and senses and deliver tastewise. Best to mix the fried rice with the egg and chorizo for a Chinese kind of umami with lobster.

**Sisig Pizza** (₱690). Crispy pork, chili, roasted garlic, onions, egg, mozzarella

The sisig pizza is the favorite of most foodies and only available at Flame. The sisig bites add a crunch and a nice meaty highlight to the pizza. Eat it with a bit of egg. Sarap!

**Flame’s Foie Gras Cheeseburger** (₱690). Homemade buns, US Angus beef patty, American cheddar, tomatoes, potato chips, seared foie gras

Their umami burger with foie gras and US Angus beef patty is the best burger reserved only for Flame diners. It’s been a while since we had burger this good.

**Josper-Grilled Rib Eye** (₱1,600). Green onion potato cake, carrots, shiitake, onions, “bulgogi” sauce

Of course, if you are celebrating a special milestone, their steaks at the Flame are the best, cooked to your liking (medium) with Josper-grilled flavor you can taste.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Discovery Primea is a heaven for a family staycation, especially for families with kids of different ages.

First, Yugi always looks forward to the pool and bathtub, and we spent hours just wet all day long during the staycation.

Second, if you have four boys, they only have one common criteria—the food needs to be very good—and Primea meets all their cravings for a good pizza, burger and solo paella.

Third, safe family bonding over good food is assured, whether it’s an eat in with room service, a special brunch table at Tapenade, or a romantic celebration at Flame Al Fresco.

Best of all, I missed the impeccable service at Discovery Primea. Glad to see people being employed again to serve you on your next family staycation.

Congratulations to Discovery Primea for successfully re-opening for staycation leisure guests. We missed you!

Live an Awesome Life with Christ,

Founder & Digital Creator, Our Awesome Planet

Disclosure: Thank you to our friends at Discovery Primea for our awesome staycation experience. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.

P.S. We loved Primea’s home-made ice cream available for in-room dining guests. Hope they can offer new and better dessert options.

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