Lukslofts Hotel – A Unique and Modern Luxury Hotel in Batangas City
Prepare to be wowed by Lukslofts Hotels in Batangas City. I had early start to a fulfilling day, brimming with excitement to visit this beautiful hotel. Based on their website, I knew that this was an exceptional and remarkable hotel. This is a hotel that has broken boundaries in the hotel industry by adding a modern and technologically innovative twist. Lukslofts Hotel certainly went the extra mile with room amenities.
THE RIDE
They arranged for me to get picked up in Makati, but I was not prepared to ride in style. The service car was a Mercedes Benz E240, one of the luxury cars that they offer. Other impressive choices on the list include a BMW 7 series, Ford Everest, and Chevrolet Spin. The friendly and accommodating driver offered me a bottle of water. There was also jar of peanuts along with some wet wipes at my disposal. From the get go, I already knew that this experience was going to be extraordinary.
The travel to Batangas was very comfortable and a managed to doze off during the trip, which lasted a few hours. SM City Batangas is conveniently located next to Lukslofts Hotel and is the perfect landmark; but the hotel is very hard to miss. I was awestruck with its striking exterior of red and black tiles. It could very well pass of as a Museum of Modern Art building. The owner wanted it to be as bold, weird, and eye-catching as possible, so it could stand out even from afar.
THE RECEPTION
As I entered, I was warmly greeted by Mara, the Guest Services Supervisor, and Kaycelene, a Guest Services Officer. The lobby area was consistent with the modern theme of the hotel. Black and red are the predominant colors with its bold LL logo (for Lukslofts) clearly visible. A magnificent crystal rectangular chandelier was its striking centrepiece. These colors, as well as the style of the hotel interior, are predominantly Turkish colors, as the owner of the hotel is Turkish.
There are digital world clocks and television screens showing the latest news by the Front Desk. All their government certificates and permits are in digital form; guests and visitors are welcome to scroll through the screen and often do! They also have a tablet for visitors to register in instead of a visitors log book. Visitors of can stay for 30 minutes in the loft. They allow up to 6 guests at most to stay in, or visit, the lofts.
CHECK IN DETAILS
While checking in, they gave me a cold face towel and a refreshing welcome drink made from three different kinds of berries. They used a scanning device to scan my face, as they use eye recognition for the automated door locks. An innovative feature, it also saves guests the time of having to look for their key, and minimizes the use of plastic by eliminating key cards. They ask guests for an incidental deposit of Php 5,000.00 upon checking in, which is refundable upon check out.
THE LOFTS
APPEARANCE
The highlight of the Lukslofts Hotel, which is already full of impressive features, is its lofts. The hotel has 10 Luxury Lofts and 1 Honeymoon Loft. I have not seen hotel rooms such as the ones in Lukslofts Hotel before. At 85.5 square meters, the lofts are crammed with as many impressive amenities as possible. The loft has stark red, black, gray and white colors splashed all around. What also jumps out at you is the gorgeous hanging staircase and openness of the loft.
The lofts do not have any windows, as they want the guest to achieve a sense of privacy. Guests can detach from the outside world and relax thoroughly in this luxurious cocoon. You will not actually notice the lack of windows as the loft is well lit, spacious, and have strategically placed mirrors. Another reason for not having windows is to eliminate dust, a tactic that worked given that the lofts are immaculately clean.
JET POOL
The first thing anybody notices when they enter the unit is the enormous freshwater jet pool. They use freshwater and it has no chlorine which can cause harmful effects to skin and hair. The water gets replaced each time a guest checks out as the owner is a stickler for good hygiene. The pools in the lofts on the lower ground level are 5.5 feet deep; on the second floor they are 4.5 feet deep. Streaming jets have a continuous flow of water on one side, making it ideal to swim in as a form of exercise if one goes against the current. The water temperature is perfect, not hot nor cold. You can spend a good number of hours immersed in the relaxing water, gently massaged by the stream of bubbles. The controls of the pool are digital and very easy to use, equipped with a timer for energy saving purposes.
LIVING AREA AND ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
The living area has an oversized sofa and chaise lounge chair, both of which are comfortably soft. The entertainment system boasts of a 49 inch LCD television. It also includes a sound bar is perfect for listening to tunes while relaxing in the pool.
The entertainment system itself has thousands of movies and television series dating as far back as the 80s. They only use DVD copies to ensure the best quality viewing. It has several themes, such as a fireplace, aquarium, forest, and many more. You can customize the theme to show specific celebrations, such as a birthday or anniversary greeting.
The Smart TV is not just for entertainment, it also serves as your digital butler. You can choose from a wide selection of services – room service, housekeeping, in room spa services, chauffeur service, view bill, and check out. It can also activate the do not disturb as well as automatically unlock the main door from the TV.
You can see the full digital theme of the lofts in other aspects as well. Each loft comes with at least 2 tablets that have the same digital butler services as the television. This also serves as the telephone when you need to speak to anyone from guest services. The tablets can also control the lights and the digitally activated main door. All bedroom and bathroom doors are automatic, as well as the trash bins.
KITCHEN
The fully equipped kitchen is a dream for anyone who loves to cook. Guests can bring in outside food for free, but alcoholic drinks will have a minimal corkage fee. The kitchen has a display of complimentary UCC coffee and tea. The large fridge has select complimentary mini-bar items such as fruit cups, chocolates, sodas, and drinking water. However, most guests pf Lukslofts Hotel opt to have room service instead. With an array of in-room activities to choose from, the guests will want to maximize their time in the unit.
SAUNA
An unexpected treat is that the lofts come with their very own saunas! The lofts on the ground floor have Finnish wood saunas, while lofts on the second floor have infrared saunas. Saunas are great for relaxing, as well as releasing endorphins and toxins from the body. After using it for 15 minutes, I felt cleansed and refreshed.
LUXURY LOFT AND HONEYMOON LOFT
Lukslofts Hotel has two kinds of lofts. The Luxury Loft has 2 bedrooms, each with its own floor to ceiling glass wall and electric privacy blinds. Both bedrooms have a 49 inch television screen that also serve as digital butlers, queen bed memory foam mattresses, bathrobes, and walk in closets.
The bedrooms have a shared bathroom, and also another bathroom located in the lower floor of the loft. The bathrooms have a large rain shower, automatic sliding doors, USB powered humidifier, and automatically timed lights & exhaust fans.
The Honeymoon Loft has the same amenities and facilities as the Luxury Loft. The only difference is the bedroom area. The Honeymoon Loft has one large bedroom with a pool table and living area, along with a 55 inch flat screen TV. The bed comes from high end and well known furniture designer Roche Bobois. The bathrooms have the same features in both kinds of lofts.
THE HOTEL FACILITIES
I toured around the different areas of the hotel. The hallways look modern and endless, thanks to their gray and white colors with a fashionable and futuristic design. The hallway lights have sensors so that they switch on only when there are people passing by; an excellent concept to save energy.
The bar boasts funky red and white colors with red bar stools. They also threw in swanky massage chairs that have jacks, so you can plug in your listening device for some tunes. Of course, the experience would be better if you also enjoy some of their specialty cocktails or wine selections.
The restaurant, Luks Cafe, has striking aqua blue and gold walls and crisp high-back white chairs. Television screens are on display to show fish in an aquarium for a soothing and calming effect. Their kitchen is also equipped with a large screen that shows orders coming in from the lofts in real time. This eliminates the middleman from having to take orders, saves on paper, and saves a lot of time as well.
THE FOOD
The restaurant menu has international dishes that taste scrumptious, and the plating that can easily compare to other fine dining restaurants around the world. The restaurant is open to moderating menu dishes to fit guest requirements. There are Halal, vegan, and vegetarian options; they take special consideration of guests with specific food allergies as well. In house guests can have private functions in Luks Cafe, which can accommodate up to 26 persons.
I felt very privileged to try some of their divine dishes. I started off with brioche and a large bowl of hearty cheese and broccoli soup. It followed by a generous serving of a tender Chateaubriand steak on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes. To cap off the meal, I had a divine truffle cake with roasted almonds that had a dome of crystallized sugar for an added visual wow factor. They only use olive oil when cooking their dishes to promote healthy eating. They also like to dabble in molecular gastronomy, which elevates their food to a level that many regular restaurants cannot achieve.
THE GUEST ATTRACTIONS
Lukslofts Hotel caters mainly to couples who want to spend some quality time in a unique and luxurious setting. As there is so much to do within the loft, most guests spend the whole day indoors. Guests who stay longer may want to venture out and explore the nearby areas. There are many activities to choose from. The tourist spots to see would be the famous Monte Maria shrine and Taal Lake. Anilao and Mabini are famous spots for diving activities, and Laiya is well known for its beaches.
Given the technological advancement of its facilities, Lukslofts Hotel also attracts business travellers. The owners of Lukslofts Hotel have been in the Software Development Business for 7 years, and came up with the idea of integrating all their technological expertise to develop an out of this world luxury ultra modern hotel in the country. This is the only hotel in the Philippines that offers such advanced and unique features & amenities. One of the best amenities is their high speed internet of 600 MBPS, provided by Integranet, a sister company of the hotel.
OTHER VIRTUES OF LUKSLOFTS HOTEL
There are two aspects that I highly commend this hotel for. First, they believe in preserving the environment and instil energy efficiency as well. The owner wants hotel operations to be as paperless as possible. He is even quoted as saying “We do not want to kill trees”. This is also evident in their usage of sensors and automated, remote controlled electricity switches.
Secondly, the service is astounding. From the very moment I set foot in the car that picked me up, to the security that greeted me outside the hotel, to the guest services personnel I spoke to upon checking in, to the waiters who greeted me outside the restaurant and served my food, everyone has brought one hundred and ten percent service to the table. I could tell that they really loved what they were doing and proud to be working for such a unique brand. Guests get pampered not only with the fabulous amenities, but also with the warm and sincere attention given by the staff.
The owners are very hands on in maintaining the high standards of the hotel. The owners constantly stay over and take note of every area that needs enhancement. They also seek to constantly improve on the lofts, adding amenities and fixtures whenever they can.
TO INQUIRE AND RESERVE
Lukslofts currently has a promo until October 30. They are offering a 30% discount on weekdays and 20% discount on weekends. They also have several packages to suit your needs which can include dinner, cake & flowers, champagne, personalized bathrobes, a one hour massage, a prenuptial shoot with a photographer, round trip luxury chauffeur service, and a day trip picnic with personal chef. For inquiries, please call +63 43 302 1000, email sales@lukslofts.com, or visit their website www.lukslofts.com .
