Our family together with my in-laws stayed at Ascott Makati's 3-bedroom serviced residence for a few days during one of our vacation in the Philippines and was greatly impressed on how luxurious and spacious their serviced apartment is. I totally forgot to blog about our experience but it was nothing short of awesome, it's worth every single penny we spent. In fact, we find their rates quite reasonable considering how atas (high class) the place is. Needless to say, Ascott set the bar high for us when it comes to booking a serviced apartment accommodation. 

Prior to our pleasant Ascott experience, we had a horrendous experience in staying at a serviced apartment in Malacca. The kids couldn't forget about the broken lift and malfunctioning door lock. The apartment is evidently poorly maintained and worst, they threw our family in one of the property's least presentable units. We ended up transferring to their hotel premises after expressing our disgust  disappointment to the management. Oh what a nightmare, I dare not talk about the rest of the horrific details here. 

Recently, we had the pleasure of staying at Somerset Medini Iskandar Puteri, one the many Ascott's serviced apartments across the globe. Somerset Medini wasn't as luxurious and excessively spacious as Ascott Makati but it met all our needs and exceeded our expectations. I thought a 1-bedroom apartment with extra bed is good enough for our family of four but we were graciously hosted in a 2-bedroom Premier apartment instead. Although the kids prefer to sleep with us in the same room, they were thrilled that they get their own private space. G in particular was so excited, he unpacked his own luggage and carefully arranged his travel essentials in a side table with drawer next to their bed.

Here are top five reasons why you should book your next JB staycation at Somerset Medini:

I have to admit, Somerset Medini's best selling point next to being an Ascott property is it's favoured location, a 5-minute walking distance to Legoland Malaysia Resort. See that building with red roof in the photo above? That's the Legoland Hotel right next to the Legoland Water Park and Theme Park. While it is considered the most practical place to stay when visiting Legoland, the price tag that comes with its Lego-themed rooms aren't as pocket-friendly as Somerset Medini's rate.

Tip:

If you are planning to visit both Legoland Water Park and Theme Park on the same day, try to arrive at Somerset Medini by 9:30am. You may not be able to check in right away if the rooms are not ready but you can leave your things and go straight to Legoland to beat the opening hour at 10am sharp. You can either go to the theme park or water park first, depending on your preference. 

We picked water park first as it can get way too hot to frolic under the sun in the afternoon. We came back to Somerset after having lunch right in time for check in. We rested for a while after taking a shower and before hitting the theme park. The benefit of booking an accommodation when visiting Legoland, you can stay at the theme park until its closing time (7pm) and have a restful night before going back to Singapore the next day.

During one of our staycations here in Singapore, G commented why every time we go for a staycation or short vacation overseas, we always stay in "just a room". No living room, no kitchen and no place to eat, he complained. I had to remind him of our experience staying at Ascott Makati and he blurted, "Oh yes! I really love that house! I feel so rich staying there!" I had to laugh out loud, the kids do say the darnedest things eh? I can't blame him though because the place was really huge and luxurious.

Like I mentioned earlier, Somerset Medini isn't as luxurious and spacious as Ascott Makati but it did not disappoint. Our 2-Bedroom Premier serviced apartment came with a dining area, living room with balcony, kitchenette, two bathrooms (one with standing shower and one with a bathtub), a master bedroom and a kids' room. It's so homey, we almost wanted to extend our stay if only the next day wasn't a back-to-work day.

Let me give you a virtual tour.

3) The Oasis Green Garden and their evident love for nature.

Things I do for the 'gram. No, I am not a young millennial but a young aunty. 😂#insidejoke #notocyberbullying . . . Kidding aside, stay tuned for my blog about this beautiful place we stayed at last weekend. 💚

A post shared by Cherry 🍒 (@cherryberrylifestyle.sg) on Sep 25, 2017 at 7:03am PDT

One of my current obsessions in life is plants or anything related to green therapy and nature love. Imagine my delight discovering the Oasis Garden complete with man-made waterfalls, a lovely bamboo tunnel and a mist pond. There is lush greenery everywhere! In fact, their love for nature was evident not just outdoors but indoors. Apart from all the nature-inspired canvasses scattered all around the building premises (lobby, corridors, bedrooms, living room and dining room), there's a dainty terrarium you can admire at the reception while checking in, their bathrooms came with eco-friendly Bio Naturals toiletries and even the carpet is inspired by nature.

4) The kid-friendly wading pool and Instagram-worthy infinity pool. 

Next to location, we always had to check the swimming pool when booking an accommodation. I know I already sound like a broken recorder but my kids are water babies, they can stay in the water for as long as they please if you leave them be. I find it amusing when G actually asked if he could swim first before heading to Legoland Water Park. I had to convince him that there's a wave pool in the water park where he could swim as well. He actually knows that already but I think the pool just looks so inviting for him to resist a quick dip. 

Tip:

Bring your own floaties for the whole family and schedule the swimming sessions for late afternoon or early morning to avoid the scorching sun.

5) The hotel-like facilities with unobstructed outdoor views. 
There is a gym and a playroom, both a bonus for health-conscious travellers and families with young children. The best thing is both facilities came with unobstructed views. You can admire the beautiful outdoors while exercising or playing.  The gym is actually quite spacious, what's shown in the photo is just the facade facing the infinity pool. The playroom on the other hand is only suitable for toddlers. It came with a shoe rack and a viewing cum sitting area for parents.

Are we going to stay at Somerset Medini again? The answer is a resounding yes! It is budget-friendly considering it offers about the same standard of hotel service and amenities. We were allowed to check out as late as 3pm too so we didn't have to rush at all and the kids get an extended time having fun in the pool. The only thing we did not appreciate much is their mediocre Continental-themed breakfast buffet spread that is temporarily served in a makeshift area which sadly is poorly maintained. The floor wasn't clean and when we arrived at around 8:30am, most of the food trays are already empty and it took a while for the staff to replenish it. Nothing to worry though as you may opt to go and eat at Medini Mall which only takes about 3-minutes walk.

Disclaimer: 
Our family was hosted by Somerset Medini Iskandar Puteri for a 2D1N stay in their 2-Bedroom Premier serviced apartment. All photos and opinions are our own and no other monetary compensation was received.

Somerset Medini is one of a premier collection of The Ascott Limited service residences in over 100 cities in America, Asia Pacific, Europe and The Middle East. The 33-storey building houses 310 units that are exclusive yet inviting. From the exterior facade to the interior and it's facilities, the residence marries contemporary with the comfort and familiarity of home.