It’s only November but the list of legal holidays for 2015 has already been released. Intrepid travelers have been raring to book flights online and are just waiting for budget airlines to come out with promos.

While domestic or foreign travel is always something worth looking forward to, one option that is gradually gaining steam is a “staycation.” A coined word which combines “stay” and “vacation,” it basically means staying in the city but enjoying the creature comforts found in a hotel.

When choosing a place to stay, families usually go for hotels located near shopping malls, or serviced apartments with built-in kitchenettes.

One property in Makati that recently opened its doors to corporate accounts and local residents is Citadines Salcedo.

The property was built from the ground up, unlike other properties that take over existing hotels, spruce them up a bit before branding and managing them. You can tell that the building is new because the furnishings are clean and modern, and it has that unmistakably new smell.

Touches such as gilded capiz shell on mirror frames, wall sconces and pendant lamps give the guest rooms character and an air of luxury.

The neutral palette is given jolts of color in the kitchen’s green backsplash, and the cushions and ottoman in the living area.

Only the studios and one-room suites are available at the moment (the two-bedroom suites and lofts will be on the market in the next few months) but both categories come fully equipped with a kitchenette, a living area, spacious shower, queen-sized bed and floor-to-ceiling windows.

“Citadines Salcedo Makati is the first Citadines-branded serviced residence in the country that combines the convenience of a hotel with the comforts of home. More than being just a place to stay, the property is part of a bigger community that makes living in the Philippines much more enjoyable for our residents,” said Arthur Gindap, Ascott’s regional general manager for the Philippines and Thailand.

Spoiled for choice

In the 1970s, Salcedo Village was one of the most sought after residential and commercial areas in Makati City.

The area is experiencing a resurgence in interest with the opening of restaurants serving an array of cuisines and businesses offering services that go beyond the usual.

Within walking distance of Citadines is the Saturday Salcedo Market that has fresh produce as well as cooked food that residents can stock up on for the week. Aside from the popular Ineng’s pork barbecue fresh off the grill, the Zamboanga-based Alavar restaurant sells seafood cooked in its delicious coconut-based sauce that is also sold in 500-gram packs.

Residents and workers are spoiled for choice with restaurants like Apartment 1B and X.O. 46 just a stone’s throw away.

For lunch at Apartment 1B recently, we feasted on a tasty dish of mussels and stewed tomatoes topped with slices of herbed bread to sop up all that sauce. This was categorized under appetizers but could very well be a main dish. Dessert was frozen pie: vanilla ice cream in a chocolaty tart shell topped with walnuts and ribbons of caramel.

Dinner at X.O. 46 was a fiesta of Filipino favorites like crispy pata (fried pork trotters), pork binagoongan (pork stew flavored with fermented shrimp), seafood soup and gising-gising (vegetables with pork and chili).

Specialty services

Last year, Marco Katigbak and his business partners opened Felipe & Sons, which labels itself as a “barberdashery,” another coined word that combines “barber” with “haberdashery.”

This hybrid shop offers straightforward barbershop services with the option to have your haircut while drinking beer. Located near the entrance is a tailoring shop where one can have clothes made or altered. There is even a display of rare sneakers.

“Salcedo Village has really changed since we opened last year. There are now more restaurants and specialty shops within walking distance of one another. There’s Wildflour and Toby’s Estate Coffee, among others. It’s really becoming a community that families and friends can enjoy,” Katigbak said.

Citadines Salcedo Makati, tel. 8639888; X.O. 46, 5536632; Apartment 1B, 8434075 and 7035494; and Felipe & Sons, 9497703.