Recently, Vietura Aesthetic Lifestyle Center located in Sofitel Manila celebrated their one year anniversary. As a special treat to some of their blogger friends, they invited us to experience first hand the Vietura Beauty Staycations that they are offering to clients.
The entire experience would be a two day event in which I would escape the responsibilities of house, home, and children so that I could be pampered and recharge. I was lucky enough to have my friend, Patty with me on this beauty retreat, and we were able to enjoy ourselves, bond, and beautify!
Jane from Sofitel e-commerece asked us to meet in Vietura before check in. I was amused that both Patty and I wanted to keep our bags to a bare minimum for our trip to Manila’s only resort. We knew we would need very little from home on this mini pampering vacay.
My partner in pampering for the two days free from responsibilities.
Vietura clients can make an easy entrance and exit to the spa if they would like to have services done privately. The separate entrance to the spa provides clients the ability to discreetly come in and out without having to enter through Sofitel’s main lobby.
Oh, but how I love the main lobby of this hotel. The floral arrangements always make me swoon…If only I had an entry and foyer large enough to accommodate such beauty…
While we were waiting in Vietura, I took the opportunity to snap some pics of the interior. Just as a medical spa should be, it was calming, green, and modern. I felt immediately at home, and the vertical gardens in the waiting areas made me feel as if the air was extra healthy because of all that greenery!
Picstitch of all the entrance to Vietura and the vertical garden in the lounge. I wish I could do a vertical garden like this in my living room.
After we had a welcome drink, we were ushered upstairs to the club floor where would check in. This is a special floor reserved for guests who want extra special treatment. (As if checking into Sofitel is not lovely treatment already!) Check in was quick and painless at the desk in Club Millesime. Patty and I had both just come from lunch so we didn’t partake in the afternoon snacks that were laid out for us, but GOSH! Everything looked so yummy. It was at this time that we were also able to meet some of the other bloggers who were with us on this beauty adventure.
There are some things that you cannot put a price on.
(Side Note) Just the other day, I was able to receive the results of my Mindprint consultation. Through Kaiz I learned that innately, I am drawn to the details. (I knew this, really I did.) But there is a big difference between knowing something and hearing someone who doesn’t KNOW you at all, tell you that…”Yes, you have an affinity for the details.” (“And your fingerprints say so.” But that’s for another post on Mindprint)
Fortunately, at Sofitel…they pay attention to detail as well. When Patty and I arrived, we both had handwritten notes from the General Manager. I was touched that Mr. Adam Laker knew of my situation and the rough week that I had just come off of. Unfortunately, we had the kind of week where Nino’s Lola passed away and we had a hospital stint in Asian because he had dengue. Truth be told, I was all over the place taking care of everyone and everything that I was completely exhausted. This Beauty Staycation was EXACTLY what I needed. More importantly, I appreciated the thought that went into that little note which was left to greet me on my pillowy soft bed as I began my stay.
Thank you Adam for being so thoughtful. It was a rough week that was made better by some beautifying treatments.
Patty and I had some time to settle in before we would move onto the first activity of the day. We took the opportunity to relax, check emails, social media, and freshen up for our consultation.
I LOVED the Mango Madelines on this welcome tray. Super yummy! And do you see the size of those strawberries?
Soon after we settled in, it was time to meet with Cecil for my consult. We discussed the beauty treatment I would avail of, the risks, and the healing process. I was excited to try something new, and excited to see the positive results afterward.
Cecil explained the ins and outs of the Platelet Rich Plasma procedure (try saying that 3x really fast) that I would receive the next day.
I wasn’t familiar with this type of procedure but being a SoMom, I know how to use social media, (and the internet) to research and find the answers to my questions that would arise later that evening and the next day.
Vietura is offering their luxurious Beauty Staycation packages at a discount for a limited time only.
After our consults, we were invited to explore the hotel for a little while, so we could convene later with the other bloggers for a health and wellness talk by Dr. MJ Torres. During her talk, Doc explained how Vietura came about, and why she offers the non invasive treatments that she does. She shared part of her journey as a doctor and why she no longer focuses on surgery. She believes that with lifestyle changes and a little help from Vietura, men and women alike can make healthier choices to find beauty on the inside as well as the outside.
Patty and I had a little side joke how we were the oldest bloggers in the bunch.
Through Doc’s talk we learned of all of the other services that are offered at Vietura and we learned about the other doctors behind the clinic. This was also the time for all of us to open up and ask questions either privately or in an open forum type atmosphere about the services being offered to us.
Top to Bottom, Left to Right: David Guison, Angela Nepomuceno, Sarah Tirona, Patty Balquiedra, ME :-), Blessy Townes (Director of E-Commerce from Sofitel), Jobelle Alonzo (Marketing Coordinator of Vietura), Kathy Felizardo (Operations Manager of Vietura), Jane Santiago (E-Commerce Executive from Sofitel), Ivy, Joanne Tan, Dr. MJ Torres, Rowena Wendy Lei, Marj Sia, and Lissa Kahayon.
After our group pictures we were able to move on to dinner at Spiral in one of the private function rooms. I love that you have the option to eat intimately with family and friends in the rooms that are separate from the rest of the buffet. This type of venue allows all the wonders of the Spiral Buffet but with a little more privacy. It was the perfect place for us to learn about the De-light Dinner that we would be partaking of, in our quest for health and wellness during our Beauty Staycation.
The privacy of the functions rooms in Spiral allow for intimate conversations and in this case more opportunity for the bloggers to get to know one another.
We learned from Matthieu Chapuis (Assistant F&B Manager) about the origins of the De-Light Menu. In an effort to provide Sofitel guests with healthier, portion controlled meals that are low calorie but still deliciously light; chefs pack each bit with layered flavors that literally “delight” the senses.
Matthieu explained the origins of the De-Light Menu, the benefits of eating low calorie portioned meals, and where to find and order these healthy dishes when staying in Sofitel Manila.
I really enjoyed every dish that was set in front of me. I found it amusing that some of the other bloggers were a bit disappointed with our “healthy” menu. At home, we really try to prepare healthy dishes, so many of the dishes from the De-Light Menu seemed familiar to me. Steamed fish and seafood is popular with Nino and the kids, so I know that I could play with some of these dishes at home and everyone would be satisfied. I’m not quite sure why so many people have the misconception that healthy food tastes bland. I found all of the dishes flavorful, light, and super fresh. Even the herbs used in our dishes were cut from Sofitel’s OWN herb garden! (Now, that’s FRESH!)
What’s more, is if you wanted to eat this healthy during your next “all you can eat” Spiral lunch or dinner buffet…all you have to do is look for the De-Light logo next to the dish to be sure you are making healthy choices.
Because we were so stuffed from our dinner, Patty and I opted to enjoy our full body massages from LeSpa a little bit later in the evening. This left us time to chit chat with Jane in the comfortable lounge area of Le Spa.
With a comfy place to wait for our massages, Patty and I were able to catch up with Jane and learn more about the other services and staycations that Vietura has to offer.
The Filipino Pride Massage from Le Spa is a one hour massage that was exactly what I needed to rest easy and prepare for the following day. Both Patty and I took advantage of the sauna, and the steam room before our massages so we truly enjoyed the soothing healing touch of our therapists as a cap to the entire day.
And what a wonderful way to end the night…with a relaxing massage that melted away any tension I was carrying. (Photo Credit: Patty from Nonstop Babble)
I liked that the massage therapist was keen on asking me about pressure and my comfort levels. The Filipino Pride Massage “relieves muscle tension and energizes the body with an invigorating combination of Swedish, Shiatsu, Thai, and Filipino reflexology massages.” This meant it took all the parts that I like about each of these different styles of massage and put them together. Hooray for the perfect ending to a wonderful day, and the beginning to a good night’s sleep.
Look for the follow up post (Day 2) real soon 🙂
