Look 1: Zara t-shirt / Susto The Label playsuit

Look 2: Pink Manila top / Topshop culottes / Zara shoes

Rewind to 7 weeks ago: just landed back home from Hong Kong, post-holiday blues slowly seeping in and a mad urge to travel again. There were many things I loved about Hong Kong beyond the iconic skyline over Harbour City or the train system that is, we’d all have to agree on skin and sweat and bloody lines, is far incomparable to ours (come on now, LRT). But home will always be home and I’ve never felt more refreshed to be back.

Coming from a millennial raised in the city, it’s hard to believe that cultural heritage is something I’ve always been passionate about. That’s why transportation or technological progress isn’t exactly what has me in oohs whenever I visit a country or place. I live for the culture, the cuisine, the construction and the city itself.

I spent a weekend at The Henry to cure the PTD and get a little taste of old Manila architecture. This isn’t your average Eloise at the Plaza moment with ceilings higher than your standards and crystal chandeliers. The boutique hotel, which nestles just within the metro, is an oasis on its own and is built out of refurbished heritage homes — grilles, azulejos and everything you can ask for in a midcentury dreamscape. You name it.