The Best Hotel Beds in the Philippines

What else haven’t you heard about The Shangri-la Mactan Island Resort and Spa? That it is a paradise resort on a paradise island? That it looks out into the vast, aquamarine, Visayan sea? That it had recently completed a three-year major renovation program on its 547 rooms and suites? That the resort now features cutting-edge design and sleek modern furniture? That its Chi Spa village offers the ultimate in spa experiences? That their newest landmark, the Marquee, a multi-function tent has raised special occasions to a higher bar and an even grander scale? That is has been repeatedly recognized as the top three of Asia’s leisure and resort destinations and is a three-time winner of Time Magazines’s Readers’ Choice Awards? We know all that. Just by looking at photos of the Shangri-la Mactan Resort we clearly see how breathtaking it is. But there are some things that one might never find out unless one lives the experience. Here’s letting you in on a few secrets about it.

I have not had as restful a night’s sleep prior to flying down South. But there was something about their bed, the pillows, the linen, which just had me feeling like I was swathed in layers of clouds. I couldn’t get up in the morning; didn’t want to. I wasn’t willing to shed off the cocoon of comfort that the sheets and the bed provided. But then like all good things…

And so I bounded out and kicked off the sheets because I just had to see for myself what was underneath all that. I stripped the mattress of its linen and investigated the brand to figure out the source of all that comfort. It was not a regular run-of-the-mill bed. It was a Simmons orthopedic bed and they have this same top-of-the-line set-up for each of their 547 rooms and suites. And it doesn’t end there. On top of the mattress are three, yes, three, layers of mattress pads that are down-filled. It is these that give that extra-luxurious feel to the supine body at rest. It also must be noted that their all-white cotton sheets have 800 thread-count, which means that there are 800 all-cotton threads per square inch of fabric. When these sheets are rinsed in their laundry system, the staff uses a special rinsing process which neutralizes the fabric texture to match the PH balance of the human skin, which is 6.5. This process is tested every week to make sure that the 6.5 balance is consistent and maintained.

The feel of the bed, the mattress pads and the linen is comparable, truly amazing to the ones in Raffles hotel in Singapore and at the Ritz Carlton in Boston. It is with much pride then, that in our very own Philippines we have this as well.

Now the pillows are quite tricky to describe because words won’t do them justice. They are both firm and supple. They are filled with 50% goose down and 50% feather so they conform to the natural contours of the body. They cradle the curves of the head and the neck and remain firm when a certain position is held over a period of time. They have hypoallergenic fiber-fill or buckwheat ones for those with allergies.

And the bath and hand towels are just as posh with a decadent feel to it. The 100% terry cotton looped threads are thick and soft and as you wrap yourself in a towel you feel as though you were enveloped in a bear hug.

One other remarkable item in Shangri-la Mactan’s arsenal of luxurious linens is the Chi Spa’s Kashwere robe, which is exclusive to them—I’m sure it is available at the EDSA Shang branch as well. The robe feels like panels of marshmallows but is surprisingly very absorbent. It is made of 100% polysynthetic Kashwere microfibre that has been patented by its manufacturers because of its exact same feel as natural cashmere. The advantage of Kashwere is that it is machine washable. It doesn’t shrink nor wrinkle, in fact it is best tumble dried because the fabric reacts to heat in a way that makes it revert to its original softness. The Chi robe feels exactly like the famed Loro Piana 100% cashmere robe but which costs ten times as much. So for the ultimate in luxury linen, there is Chi’s Kashwere robe—only you will know it’s not cashmere. It was too good I had to get one for myself. Try it.