You can’t miss The Tides because it is situated right at the center circle of D’ Mall (the island’s mall) in Station Two. Though I had seen its entrance a couple of times, going in to take a peek never entered my mind. Last February 19 was my first encounter with this new establishment. I realized then that this nine by eight foot opening was the unassuming gateway to a magnificent artistic lair.

As I entered the lobby, just a few steps from the entrance, I saw the room billow into a spacious courtyard. Neat wooden planks warmly received my feet as I walked passed five white gigantic pots lined up in the middle and distinctly spaced from each other. At the far end was a wall of mirror reflecting the pots in a line, giving a visual effect of a very long hall. The color white dominated. For a while I felt like I was in a different place… a very calm place.

Lisa Cruz, our photographer, and I were met by the General Manager, Mr. Pete Gonzales. He brought us to the main dining room on the third floor for the food shoot. It was a fairly big room where sixty people can sit comfortably. I liked the teakwood chairs which gave it a classic touch. One by one, the officers of the resort came up and introduced themselves. ‘How proper’ I thought.

I couldn’t wait to get a taste of the food considering that they are the recipes of the celebrated chef, Chef Fernando Aracama who is a part owner of the hotel. We started with the Pork Chinios and Green Onion Quesadilla. It is an interesting composition of hoisin flavored meat and spring onions spread over a bed of cheese at the base of the pita bread. It tasted intriguingly different from the regular quesadillas but the sour cream and piquant diced tomatoes with parsley fused the blend superbly. Then I had a little serving of the creamy bacon pasta which is a lavish mix of onions, crispy bacon bits, sliced button mushrooms, white wine, cream and basil leaves on penne pasta topped with parmesan cheese. Great white sauce! Is it right to say heavy and yet light? It was rich and creamy but surprisingly, that ‘saturated’ taste never came and I did not feel my tongue thicken like I always have with rich foods. I had to get a second serving of this… and a third! Tsk, tsk, very bad for the diet. For the seafood, we had Lemon Grass Crusted Cream Dory. The lemon grass crust did not only take out the fishy taste but added a hint of savory flavor. It was served with mashed potatoes in dalandan buerre sauce which was enjoyably light considering that the potatoes were prepared from scratch. I would say it is perfect for a light meal. The next food I tasted was supposed to be the first to go in a meal but I saved it for the last because I am such a Caesar’s Salad monster. It was as fresh and classic as it can get with romaine lettuce, caesar’s salad dressing and croutons but with a maestro’s touch. With this I meant the innovatively sprinkled fried cheese bits that perked up the scrumptious cheesy fl avor. To conclude my meal was a portion of Mango Ice Box. It was a dessert based with graham crust, great sweet tasting white cream topped with fresh mango slices. A refi ned blend of sweet and sour sealed with a dash of chocolate syrup. A real winner! … not only for dessert lovers but for everyone. According to Mark Cabrera, the food and beverage manager, this dessert is a collaboration made by their in-house chefs. It was featured in a magazine and guests who read it ordered it. This is why the dessert landed in the hotel’s menu.

I checked in at the hotel in the afternoon of the following day. There I again met Rudy Vizmanos, the front desk manager. I couldn’t help but notice his quiet and supportive ways.

Before going up to my room, I had to touch this awesome furniture that caught my fancy. It was a round stool that held cylindrical wooden pegs which could actually be removed one by one. Sitting on it was a pleasant surprise as it comfortably followed the contour of my behind. This piece was especially made for The Tides by Kenneth Cobonpue, a famous furniture designer from Cebu. It is gaining popularity because people were talking about it.

I loved my room! It was a stylish composition of geometric lines and curves carefully put together. My chats with Norman Tamayo, the multi tasked admin manager who was second in command, informed me that all the wall papers used in the hotel come from Italy, made by Rasch of Germany. The bathroom fi xtures did not only look expensive but they really were, considering that they were by Bravat, an up scale maker of bathroom fi xtures. The tub which was situated at the far end of the room did not strike me to be just for bathing. It was an immaculate, grand, white piece of furniture that dominated its corner of the room. All these were handpicked by the owner himself, Eric Cua, the force behind the in style Embassy resto and bar at the Fort.

Since it was drizzling, I decided to turn in and enjoy my room. I fi lled up my tub and surrendered to the comfort of warm waters. Ahh… it is good to pamper yourself once in a while. Taking a shower afterwards was another tale to tell. I did not see any visible contraption to show evidence that there was one. I was tinkering with the knobs of the tub when I accidentally pushed one that allowed rain to fall from the ceiling. I had an elating rain shower. That moment certainly jived with the saying on the wall “shower of power.”

The next day I was raring to discover more of this fascinating hotel. I went to the dining hall for breakfast bright and early, but a number of hotel guests already snatched the early birds award. They were garbed for the day’s activities… maybe an island hop, speed boating or snorkeling in the nearby surroundings. I had no intention of doing that for the day. Touring this hotel/resort was more what I had in mind.

Beyond the dining room was an open area where I crossed after breakfast. They called this the ‘solstice.’ I immediately noticed the symmetrical semblance of this part to the courtyard… the wooden planks as fl ooring, a wall of mirror on the far left and three gigantic pots in the middle. I sat in one of the eight cabanas made of chrome and white cloth and just allowed the wind to tousle my hair. Again, the color white dominated. The place looked fl awless in the bright sun; it was a perfect picture of serenity. I can imagine how nice it is to do my yoga here. Towards the right was an elevation of six steps to get to the pool… an alluring sight with sun lounges on either side ready for the taking. Some guests were there for a morning dip and I spotted an attentive life guard who made himself visible.

It must take a lot to keep the place in perfect condition at all times. Kenneth Estilong, the House Keeping Manager surely had his hands full and yet was never too busy to help a guest. I remember the time when he went out of his way to show me how to use the electronic key of my room.

I wanted something light for lunch so Mark suggested Grilled Chicken Salad Wrap and Virgin Mojito. For a while I was successful in taking in something light but it was broken by the mango fl ambé which I had for dessert. Mind you, I did not regret every spoonful of it. It was a whammy! The caramelized syrup in the base of the bowl was slightly crunchy and chewy. I was such a lucky gal to be able to enjoy another creation of Chef Fernando.

I had my sundown drink at the bar adjacent to the ‘solstice.’ This time I had a non virgin mojito. Now I know why they say that the ‘solstice’ is a perfect place for chill out parties. I can imagine the guests with their cocktails, socializing and listening to the latest beats of the current hot DJs while watching the sun set. Isn’t this reason enough for you to be there?

Dinner was by the bar with GM Pete Gonzales, who has a trail of twenty years of hotel experience behind him. He was stern with his staff, and yet he is loved and respected by all
of them. ‘It’s all about heart’ was what he said when he was talking about the passion in his work.

I had to fly back to Manila the next day, and saying good bye was not easy after getting to know the people and the place. The Tides was a real sanctuary from the busy city life of Manila, but it still had the stimulating touch of the metropolis in the island.