We were attending a wedding next door at the Acacia. Chose the Vivere due to the 2 bedroom option of the Imperial Suite.
Conveniently located in the Alabang district and right across from the very lively Festival Mall, the Vivere Hotel sits 31 stories above Laguna bay. initial impressions were very positive with a Lobby that was very opulent. friendly doormen, bellhops and check-in agents welcomed us in. we got in very early in the morning and opted to pay for the early check-in which was a FULL night's stay. it was a reasonable price as it was so we were ok with it.
the room was very nice. clean lines and sparkling tiles. the Imperial Suite has a separate living area, dining area, 2 bathrooms with 1 tub/shower combo and 1 with just a standup. the bathrooms did not have very much counter space, unfortunately. the water pressure was both weak and did not deliver HOT water, just lukewarm. very disappointing. there was also no TV in the 2nd bedroom. 2 of the 3 AC units were remote controlled and the one in the 2nd bedroom was hardwired. kinda weird. oh, and there was supposed to be a mini-bar setup, but, there wasn't.
we ate our morning breakfasts at the Nest on the 31st floor. the staff up there were very friendly and remembered us each morning. the food was buffet style with a good amount of Filipino and Western options. we ordered sparkling wine a couple days and were surprised how pricey it was considering we were in the PI. the day of Typhoon Uwan they had the breakfast setup on the 2nd floor ballroom. the elevators got pretty busy for breakfasts, but, we didn't wait too long most days. we also dined at Shogun, the Japanese spot at the lobby level, but, was not technically associated with Vivere. no room charges allowed. good food nonetheless.
the location is extremely appealing. the Alabang area is very clean and well maintained. mama had some concerns when i initially told her we'd be walking back from the wedding (800 meters) back to our hotel. no worries at all. Festival Mall is located a quick 5 min walk from the hotel and is filled with so many eateries, shopping, lounging and most importantly for us, KID friendly amenities. the mall had an amusement park and a trampoline park. further up from the hotel was more dining options as well as a grocery store that we used to grab some stuff to stock up for Typhoon Uwan.
there is a pool on the 4th floor. it's small with limited lounge chairs, but, very refreshing. there is a bar/dining area, but doesn't open till 4p so that was inconvenient unless you BYOB, which we did. the kiddos enjoyed swimming during the Typhoon with sideways rain. the area was not impacted much from the weather.
Overall, we liked our stay. All the staff we encountered were very friendly. The dining options were good, just wished they had a lobby bar option. The location can't be beat. The rooms need some attention, specifically the water pressure and temperature. They need to add a TV to the 2nd bedroom as well as modernize the AC in that room. The hotel bills itself as a 5-star, but, is not. 3.5 to 4 is more their speed. read more