When I was informed about a one-night staycation at Y2 Residence Hotel, my first reaction was "Where is it"? Candidly, I've never heard of such a place in Metro Manila in my entire stay in the metropolis. I was told that it was actually in Makati City, where business, entertainment, and images of frenzied lifestyle are in sight.

My mind continued to work again, with some wild questions hovering around my head. Why is the hotel called Y2? Was it because it was established during the Y2k period? Or is the hotel owner related to Yohji Yamamoto, Japanese famous fashion designer of Y-3 products? Hahaha! But when I "googled" the hotel, I came to know based on their website's logo that the Y2 was based on the Yin-Yang philosophy of balance and harmony. So, that explains its name, which made me more curious to check it out!

The hotel was an hour and a half ride from where we are. Even if the hotel is walking distance to Century Mall (about few minutes by car to Rockwell/Power Plant Mall) and other bars and coffee shops, we encountered difficulty locating it as buildings in the neighborhood were like close next to each other. As soon as we approached the lobby, I noticed it was not as grand but just right for a 3-4 star boutique hotel. However, it has unique features, with Buddha framed arts on the wall, also metals and glass all over in an artsy way with the black and white motif already visible.

In the elevator, we were with a company of business travelers from Middle Eastern countries, and so probably I thought the hotel is frequently visited by foreign jaunt lovers from these countries. Unfortunately, the elevator has no lock security measures as anyone can just hop in and maybe roam around the premises. In other hotels, guests are normally given a key card in order to access the elevator.

When I entered the room, I was awed to see the two-bedroom unit reserved by June's hubby as it was quite spacious despite the lack of sophistication of a 5-star luxury hotel. But with the lower price tag, the clean and spacious unit (inclusive of breakfast) turned out to be a bonanza! It has a living room with amenities such as TV, free WiFi, and sleek furniture. It also has a Japanese mural as an accent to the wall.

On the other side is a decent dining area and on the far end is a fully equipped kitchen with a refrigerator, induction cooker and a microwave. Near the kitchen is another bathroom.

dining area

fully equipped kitchen

The black and white Yin Yang feature were again utilized inside the unit which flows down to the bedrooms (black and white decors) and bathrooms (black and white tiles). The interiors of the unit have an oriental "Zen" influence to it, with a minimalist theme.

bedroom 1

bedroom 2 with TV

bedroom 2 bathroom

The bedrooms were clean with a comfortable bed and white soft linens, in contrast to the negative reviews of some of the guests.

But before throwing ourselves onto our beds, we had our dinner first to fill our empty tummies. We ordered food outside and it was delivered on time. Thereafter, the roomy living room provided us a space and the opportunity to stretch our muscles and joints, trying hard the Silento and Twerk It Like Miley dance swaying our shoulders and placing our hands in the air, with the music coming from June's hubby smartphone and a powerful Bang & Olufsen Beoplay A2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker!

We slept soundly, waking up to another brighter day. But before leaving the hotel, we went up the rooftop to see the swimming pool. But my excitement faded as the pool looks like a kiddie pool where only a couple of guests could be accommodated.

Good, we had our breakfast first at Y2's Pink Panda Southeast Asian Diner to regain lost energy before climbing up the pool!

So far, the one night stay at Y2 Residence Hotel in Makati was wonderful and quite memorable! Probably, the Yin Yang positive vibe contributed to the joyful moments we had during our stay at the hotel. 

Incidentally, that day was the birthday of a special person, my husband! Thank you very much for the treats my family dears!

Address:
Y2 Residence Hotel
4687 Santiago Street
cor. Valdez and Singian Streets,
Makati City, Philippines