The Apo View Hotel

Nestled in the heart of Davao City's bustling metropolis is the imposing facade of the 10-floor city landmark. The Apo View Hotel is a first class hotel with world-class facilities - 159 guest rooms, ballrooms and conference rooms, business center, live-music lounge, discotheque, pool, casino, and spa services among others.

I got a chance to taste this hotel's luxurious amenities when my mother became a member of the Diamond Club. Armed with complimentary tickets, the family trooped inside our spacious room for a night's stay. We swam in the exclusive pool. What's nice about this experience was the view. Situated at almost mid-height of the building, we could see the busy streets below. It was specially made beautiful because it was nighttime and the city's lights were twinkling a different colors. After rinsing ourselves, we roamed the hallways and discovered where the casino, the restaurants and pubs are. We dined at the Top of the Apo, the hotel's restaurant, aptly named so as it was located at the topmost floor of the building. We dined on the scrumptious buffet offerings while gazing the city's nightscape. It was with satisfied smiles that we plodded back to our room. With the very inviting bed before us, we tried to delay the inevitable by watching the television and talking non-stop with each other. When we could no longer keep our heavy eyelids from closing, we laid down on super soft comforters and slept soundly. The morning after was again spent on roaming around the hotels grounds and facilities. We left the hotel before lunch. Short though the stay was, the experience was well worth it. It isn't everyday that common people like us could sample world-class service and surroundings.