With
millennials now outnumbering baby boomers for the first time, new brands are emerging specifically to cater to the preferences of this new generation while older brands are faced with the challenge of reinventing themselves or risk becoming irrelevant.
It is the same situation in the hospitality and travel industry, where big name brands are being challenged by boutique hotels which offer a more personalized experience and even Airbnb which offers not only cheaper rooms but also a way to further immerse themselves with the local culture.
No frills technology is also important for the
Hashtag generation, and the availability and ease to book a room online, keyless room entry and perhaps the most important—wifi speed so they could constantly update their social media feeds with whatever activities they are doing.
Some things however, remain constant, such as the appreciation for luxury rooms, value for privacy and a unique hotel experience.
Last month, I got invited to check out one (if not the only five star hotel) in Batangas City. But unlike most hotels located in Batangas which also offer resort amenities,
Luks Lofts was located just behind SM City Batangas.
At first I thought it was just going to be one of those “themed” boutique hotels which boasts of the usual interiors and warm hotel staff, every hotel in the country has been bragging about. I made the mistake of not checking their website first, which turned out to be a good decision, as it proved to be a day full of unexpected surprises.
The first surprise was our hotel “shuttle” service. We were used to riding the usual Toyota or Nissan Vans to take us to our destination so we were looking for a big van as our driver told us his location. Turns out we were not taking a van—but a BMW to Batangas! Now how often do you get the chance to be chauffeured in a BMW?
The trip to Batangas via that new expressway was quick and smooth and in just an hour and a half we were looking at the black and red cube façade of Luks Loft. It reminded me of something that came out of a video game with its red and black square tiles, It looked kind of strange I admit, resembling more of a themed restaurant or bar than hotel. But as soon as we stepped between those sliding doors, it felt like we were transported to a futuristic lobby with large screen TVs and large wall mirrors.
According to Badette Baco and Shami Khokar, Luks Lofts is a replica and extension of their house in Batangas. “Whenever we would have friends over, they would always complement the design of our house, so when we put up Luks Loft we decided to make it a bigger version of our home so that our friends and guests would also get to experience what we have.”
Shami who is of Turkish descent and lived in the US said Luks is Turkish for luxury and it looks like they definitely spared no expense in making sure that every piece of furniture, and amenity are either customized, imported and truly one of a kind.
We were then ushered to one of the 11 LoftStyle hotels rooms. Badette said each of the room has an identical theme and look except for the Honeymoon Loft.
Unlike other hotels, keys are unheard of at Luks Loft, since they just often get misplaced anyway. Instead the door uses a high-tech facial recognition system, all you need to do is look at the camera and Voila! The door will automatically open! Its like something straight out of a James Bond movie.
If that wasn’t enough to make your jaw drop, wait till you get to see the room interiors! Instead of a sofa and living room area you get a full size wave pool crowned with a digital fireplace! The pool uses fresh clean water and absolutely no chlorine so, its perfectly safe for you and your partner .
There is also a private sauna room just adjacent to the dinner table. So you can either choose to warm up in the sauna or cool down and take a dip right after finishing your meal!
There is also a big LED TV that shows more than just 1000 international TV channels and doubles as your videoke machine.
The 49’ inch screen also puts other SMART TVs to shame as it serves as your digital butler which you can access via a specially designed menu where you can call for room service, order food, check your running bill and even open your door!
If you are planning to cook something special, each room has a complete kitchen appliances and utensils with a refrigerator that’s packed with imported snacks and drinks and even Ben & Jerrys ice cream pints.
To make your meal even more luxurious you will be using exclusive Versace Luxury Medusa fine dining wares. The plate alone is peg at $655 apiece so be extra careful not to crack or god forbid! Drop it!
Each room has 2 bedrooms located at the loft, with amenities that you’d never want to leave the bed! The exquisitely designed queen size bed is adorned with memory foam mattresses, premium linens, vanity and a wireless tablet for communications—yes none of that old school phones! Make calls or skype via the tablets located at your bedside tables. Complete with bathroom and toilet and automatic close and open glass doors.
To say every single corner of the room is “instagrammable” would be an understatement as you can take a picture of even the wall and still get lots of likes for its unique design and texture.
The rooms are not the only instagram worthy things at LuksLofts. Head over to the 3rd floor and check out the Luks Café which is exclusive to hotel guests only. The Asian fusion-inspired cuisine and the molecular gastronomy desserts tastes as good as it looks. And if you don’t see a lot of waiters that is because you order via the tablet that will be provided to you.
The dining room is a state of the art itself with modern interior and a make believe fireplace . I love the blue and yellow combination of the dining room. The food was satisfying and again worth posting on all your social media accounts.
The interior looks like an extension of your own room with the same amount of detail and elegance in each piece of furniture and personalized dining wares.
Luks Café serves Wide Range of Menu Selection Premium Meats, Fish & Produce, Selection of Fine Wine & Spirits. Among the dishes that I couldn’t forget were the steak, the Dynamite Chicken, and the Molecular Egg Milk and mango dessert plated in a form of sunny side up egg, with bacon coated half with chocolate and strawberry sauce. All their dishes are prepared by their award winning chefs who only use Olive Oil.
I should say the whole place is worth to be blogged and featured. It is a class of its own. It is something you should definitely check out if you are looking for a truly unique and modern hotel.
The only downside is that you would never want to leave your room!
After a day of swimming, eating, singing and relaxation. We had a hard time leaving the lofts, we left at 9:00pm and prayed along the way that we could get the chance to visit and re-experience the luxury only LuksLofts can offer.
Lukslofts is located at LuksLofts Building Joseling Road, Batangas, 4200 Batangas, Philippines.
