Gourdo’s Dream Oasis: Sleepcare at The Podium
It had been a while since I last went to The Podium. I came back for Gourdo’s Dream Oasis media event and went home with two pillows and new pillowcases.
I would blame the special prices, but I did make those decisions myself.
Gourdo’s Dream Oasis: Sleepcare x Healthguard, in collaboration with A-Fontane, brought pillows, bedding and a few reasons to rethink bedtime to The Podium. I attended the media event on , part of the September 4 to 6 pop-up.
Before the program even started, though, I had a reunion.
A familiar face at The Podium
Hosting the event was Cerah Hernandez Co, a friend I have known since college. It was lovely catching up before the program, then watching her do what she does so well. Cerah kept things moving, filled the afternoon with useful information and made sure there was no dead air. She also had her own stories about using the products, which made the conversation feel more personal.
My favorite involved her sister, who lives in Amsterdam. She loved the Sleepcare Memory Gel Pillow so much that she made sure there was room for it in her luggage. Even while abroad, she also arranged to give their dad one.
Making luggage space for a pillow is a fairly serious endorsement. Anyone who has packed for an international flight knows that every item has to justify its existence.
I also witnessed Cerah buying pillows for herself and her husband. The family enthusiasm was clearly still going.
Before the event, I also had the pleasure of talking with Quentin Chan, one of the heads of A-Fontane, who was fresh from Hong Kong. She shared that A-Fontane and Gourdo’s have been partners for more than two decades. I enjoyed learning how Filipinos coming home from Hong Kong have helped introduce the brand to others through word of mouth.
There is something reassuring about a recommendation that travels that way. Someone uses a product, likes it enough to talk about it, and brings that familiarity home.
I also had an insightful chat with Susan San Miguel, General Manager of Gourdo’s. She was generous with her knowledge of the products, but I appreciated the life wisdom just as much. At this point in my life, when sleep can feel like a luxury, that conversation landed close to home.
Exploring the Dream Oasis pop-up
The Dream Oasis setup gave visitors several ways to get acquainted with the products. There was a pillow quiz, a trial bed and a Touch Bar with filling samples. The aroma and tea stations added to the afternoon’s focus on winding down.
Being able to experience the products in person was a big part of the appeal for me. You can read about a pillow’s filling or a fabric’s thread count, but having the products there gives you a better sense of what you would enjoy using at home.
A closer look at the Sleepcare pillows
The Sleepcare Memory Foam Comfort Pillow has a contoured memory foam shape and a cotton-polyester cover. The Sleepcare Memory Foam Gel Pillow adds a gel layer and a removable, washable bamboo cover. Gourdo’s describes the gel option as designed for a cooler sleeping experience. This was the pillow behind Cerah’s story about her sister in Amsterdam.
The Sleepcare Anti-Dust Mite, Anti-Bacterial, Anti-Bed Bug Pillow has polyester filling and a 200-thread-count cotton-blend cover. The Hotel Atelier Premium Queen Pillow uses microfiber filling and a 200-thread-count combed cotton cover. According to Gourdo’s, both feature Healthguard treatment.
A-Fontane bedding and a challenge against the clock
A-Fontane bedding was also part of the experience, including StayClean, which the brand describes as having stain- and liquid-repellent properties. The dressed bed gave visitors a look at how the bedding worked together, with its soft colors and botanical pattern.
Then came the Speed Bedding Challenge.
Making a bed looks manageable until there is a clock involved. A fitted-sheet corner needs fixing, a duvet needs to cooperate, and the pillows still have to go into their cases before the whole thing looks finished.
Cerah kept the demonstration entertaining with familiar problems from home. She talked about getting the fitted sheet the wrong way around and about her children getting underneath the sheet while she was trying to make the bed. Those little stories made an everyday chore fun to watch.
As for my own take-home choices, I left with two 200-thread-count Sleepcare Anti-Dust Mite, Anti-Bacterial, Anti-Bed Bug Pillows and bought A-Fontane pillowcases. I had to take advantage of the special prices.
After experiencing the quality of the products in person, I’m looking forward to settling into my own bed with them and, hopefully, getting better sleep. A little more care for something I use every night felt like a worthwhile purchase.
For anyone exploring the range, Gourdo’s lists its stores and its Lazada and Shopee shops as places to find the products. Check the size, care instructions and current price of the particular pillow or bedding you are considering, since the special prices I encountered were part of the event.
It was a good reason to return to The Podium. I caught up with a college friend, met people I could have happily talked with for longer, and came home looking forward to bedtime.
At least my pillows only had to make it home from Ortigas. No luggage allowance required.
About the coverage: I attended the Dream Oasis media event at The Podium on September 5, 2026. Product information is from Gourdo’s. Event images are stills from my videos. Product photos are courtesy of Gourdo’s.