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STAYING INN
By Stephanie Dychiu
Tagaytay’s small hotels give reason to stay indoors and snuggle.
Tagaytay’s small hotels give reason to stay indoors and snuggle.
Would you drive one-and-a-half hours out of Metro Manila, just to stay in? Normally no, but the bed-and-breakfast boom in Tagaytay has turned cocooning into a blissfully inactive activity. As Metro Manila grows progressively noxious, more pensiones sprout on Tagaytay’s balmy ridge. What these establishments lack in size, they make up for in concept.
Sometimes a hotel isn’t just a place to lay your head on. It can be the very reason for making a trip. A friend’s kid brother once told me, in between potato-chip bites, that his idea of a perfect vacation was to check into a hotel and order room service. That nine-year-old wisdom is certainly true for these three small hotels in Tagaytay.
The Boutique Bed and Breakfast
A bed and breakfast, strictly speaking, is family-run and serves only breakfast. For it to be family-run, a family must be in residence. That’s the textbook definition, but there is nothing textbook about The Boutique Bed and Breakfast. A joint venture of friends Happy Ongpauco, Allana Montelibano, and Melon Santiago, the hotel is a mix of modern interiors, rooms named for romance, and, um, Hawaiian barbecue. All on a scenic location overlooking Taal Lake.
The stark white façade and clean lines of the building, with white Panton chairs poised carefully on the terrace, are hard to miss after you survive the bombardment of buko pie and bulalo signage along Tagaytay’s main highway. A flight of steps leads to a lobby whose views on urbanity are interpreted in glass, leather, acrylic, light touches of brocade, and the prevalence of white. This space has been a frequent backdrop for photo shoots since the hotel opened in October 2006.
Behind the lobby counter is the “Pamper Me” room, where guests can select bathroom amenities from an array of options prepared by the hotel’s chemist. Shampoo, soaps, shower gels, and eau de toilette come in different scents like apricot, mango butter, tea tree, lemongrass, chamomile, lavender, green apple, aloe vera, bergamot, orange, jasmine, chocolate, and vanilla. Stacks of DVDs lie beside the bath and body treats, in case the need to fight boredom arises.
The stark white façade and clean lines of the building, with white Panton chairs poised carefully on the terrace, are hard to miss after you survive the bombardment of buko pie and bulalo signage along Tagaytay’s main highway. A flight of steps leads to a lobby whose views on urbanity are interpreted in glass, leather, acrylic, light touches of brocade, and the prevalence of white. This space has been a frequent backdrop for photo shoots since the hotel opened in October 2006.
Behind the lobby counter is the “Pamper Me” room, where guests can select bathroom amenities from an array of options prepared by the hotel’s chemist. Shampoo, soaps, shower gels, and eau de toilette come in different scents like apricot, mango butter, tea tree, lemongrass, chamomile, lavender, green apple, aloe vera, bergamot, orange, jasmine, chocolate, and vanilla. Stacks of DVDs lie beside the bath and body treats, in case the need to fight boredom arises.
The seven rooms of The Boutique are named after the supposed seven stages of love: I Lust, I Dare, I Desire, I Dream, I Escape, I Surrender, and I Love. In that order. No surprise then that the place is popular with couples. When words are not enough, book a room to show your Desire, or prove your willingness to Surrender. But try not to Escape. It’s the smallest room with no view. It adjoins I Love, however, and can be a convenient sanctuary in the event of a tiff. Also a nice hideout for kids who don’t want to be around when parents get too cozy.
At The Boutique, Love is only second to Lust. The latter has a bigger space, better view, and more privacy. Love is solidly grounded on the first floor, open and welcoming with direct access to the public lanai adjacent to the hotel’s dining room. Lust, on the other hand, is seductively perched on the second floor, and has the only bathtub in the entire hotel. It looks out to Taal Lake through floor-to-ceiling windows, visible from the lanai below, but elusive and unreachable. Which room is more in demand? Lust, of course.
Much has been said about the architecture and design of The Boutique, but equally notable is the food. The hotel was, in fact, originally intended to be a location for Happy Ongpauco’s Hawaiian Bar-B-Que restaurant, before the owners decided the place was too scenic to be limited to dining. Says hotel manager Mylene Bautista-Bizzotto: “Our specialty is baby back ribs. People come from Manila and wait for a seat, just to have that.”
There is a niggling disconnect between the urbane interiors of the hotel and the down-home quality of its food, but that is easily shrugged off when a chunk of bulalo as big as your arm is served up for lunch. Or when breakfast in bed comes with bulalo corned beef so tender, the tasty meat flakes fall feather-like from the bone. Suck the (bone) marrow out of life, I say.
At The Boutique, Love is only second to Lust. The latter has a bigger space, better view, and more privacy. Love is solidly grounded on the first floor, open and welcoming with direct access to the public lanai adjacent to the hotel’s dining room. Lust, on the other hand, is seductively perched on the second floor, and has the only bathtub in the entire hotel. It looks out to Taal Lake through floor-to-ceiling windows, visible from the lanai below, but elusive and unreachable. Which room is more in demand? Lust, of course.
Much has been said about the architecture and design of The Boutique, but equally notable is the food. The hotel was, in fact, originally intended to be a location for Happy Ongpauco’s Hawaiian Bar-B-Que restaurant, before the owners decided the place was too scenic to be limited to dining. Says hotel manager Mylene Bautista-Bizzotto: “Our specialty is baby back ribs. People come from Manila and wait for a seat, just to have that.”
There is a niggling disconnect between the urbane interiors of the hotel and the down-home quality of its food, but that is easily shrugged off when a chunk of bulalo as big as your arm is served up for lunch. Or when breakfast in bed comes with bulalo corned beef so tender, the tasty meat flakes fall feather-like from the bone. Suck the (bone) marrow out of life, I say.
Checking into the hotel is not necessary for a taste of its food, scenery, and design-conscious surroundings. If you’re heading up on a weekend, however, it’s wise to call ahead so you don’t waste time waiting. Rooms and restaurant seats are sometimes booked weeks or months in advance. The hotel staff welcomes group bookings (not hard to fill up seven rooms) and can make special arrangements for marriage proposals, anniversary surprises, and such.
The Boutique Bed and Breakfast is located at 45 Aguinaldo Highway, Silang Crossing East, Tagaytay City (Phone: +63 46 413-1885, +63 46 413 1798, +63 46 860-2716, +63 927-3632660; Email: theboutique.bnb@gmail.com). Room rates range from P4,555-P6,985 on weekdays and P5,650-P8,985 on weekends. Rates are for two and include breakfast, complimentary facials, and hot chocolate at bedtime. More information at www.theboutiquebnb.com.
T House
The Boutique Bed and Breakfast is located at 45 Aguinaldo Highway, Silang Crossing East, Tagaytay City (Phone: +63 46 413-1885, +63 46 413 1798, +63 46 860-2716, +63 927-3632660; Email: theboutique.bnb@gmail.com). Room rates range from P4,555-P6,985 on weekdays and P5,650-P8,985 on weekends. Rates are for two and include breakfast, complimentary facials, and hot chocolate at bedtime. More information at www.theboutiquebnb.com.
T House
The T is not for tea but for tranquility—this is the first thing guests learn about T House. Aptly situated beside the Ina ng Laging Saklolo (Mother of Perpetual Help) church, T House opened in June 2007 to restore calm to worn-out souls. Upon entering the property, bamboo shrubbery and the sound of trickling water set the tone for the Zen-like experience the hotel hopes to impart to guests. It’s not the first establishment to attempt this, and it most definitely won’t be the last.
But T House is determined to awaken feelings of well-being and transformation. Though it lacks a lake view, it has its own spa and gourmet restaurant. The property stands on land that the owners, Fem and Mario Paguio, originally earmarked for retirement. Mature fruit trees create a natural canopy over the hotel, and support numerous Japanese lanterns that hang over the pathways.
Zen philosophy teaches that all beings come from four basic elements: earth, fire, water, and air. The 15 rooms of T House are thus grouped into three clusters called Fire, Water, and Earth (sorry, no Air). The color schemes of the rooms are based on the element they are assigned to: red and yellow for Fire, blue and green for Water, brown for Earth. Natural stone accents on the floors and walls, and the use of recycled wooden beams for railings, keep the structures warm and inviting despite their generally sparse appearance. At T House, the allegiance to Zen does not preclude modern bathroom fixtures and flat screen TVs in every room.
But T House is determined to awaken feelings of well-being and transformation. Though it lacks a lake view, it has its own spa and gourmet restaurant. The property stands on land that the owners, Fem and Mario Paguio, originally earmarked for retirement. Mature fruit trees create a natural canopy over the hotel, and support numerous Japanese lanterns that hang over the pathways.
Zen philosophy teaches that all beings come from four basic elements: earth, fire, water, and air. The 15 rooms of T House are thus grouped into three clusters called Fire, Water, and Earth (sorry, no Air). The color schemes of the rooms are based on the element they are assigned to: red and yellow for Fire, blue and green for Water, brown for Earth. Natural stone accents on the floors and walls, and the use of recycled wooden beams for railings, keep the structures warm and inviting despite their generally sparse appearance. At T House, the allegiance to Zen does not preclude modern bathroom fixtures and flat screen TVs in every room.
Soaps come from one of Tagaytay’s most well-known establishments, the Ilog Maria Bee Farm. At Ilog Maria, honey and beeswax are used as natural moisturizers to make soaps, face scrubs, bath salts, toothpaste, and many other products. The soaps come in delicious scents like kalamansi, carrot, cinnamon, coffee, ginger, rosemary, spearmint, and oatmeal.
The in-house spa occupies a large cabana equipped with a few massage beds separated by curtains. The aromatherapy massage treatments are divided into Energy (revitalizing), Serenity (calming), Stress-Less (relaxing), Passion (mysterious), and Detox (cleansing). The most popular aromatherapy treatment is the T House Jojoba Blend.
The most eye-catching area of T House upon entry, if you navigate through your stomach like I do, is the theater kitchen. From the garden, you can watch the kitchen staff assemble the evening’s meal, and sort through their shiny collection of pots, pans, and other implements. Spa cuisine that won’t starve you makes up the menu at the T House restaurant. Favorites include the salmon salad with wasabi mashed potatoes, tuna citrus salad, and chocolate pancake ganache with walnuts. The signature dessert is a panna cotta trio made up of raspberry, pineapple jam, and fresh mango, on a base of lemongrass. Wash it down with the T House signature cocktail—non-alcoholic—of guava, papaya, and mango. Tea at T House is served with fresh rosemary, tarragon, and mint leaves picked from the property’s own herb garden.
The restaurant can seat 40 on its ground floor and 60 on its upper al fresco floor, making T House an excellent venue for medium-sized parties that can be kept somehow intimate. As a wedding reception venue, it is snug enough to ensure bride and groom properly bump into all guests, instead of sending bleary-eyed smiles halfway across a ballroom. All 15 rooms can also be reserved for group vacations or family reunions.
T House is located at 3195 Calamba Road, Tagaytay City (Phone: +63 46 483-0011 to 12, +63 928-9409954; Email: stay@THouseTagaytay.com). Room rates range from P4,025-P6,325. Rates are for two and include breakfast. More information on www.THouseTagaytay.com.
Potter’s Ridge
The in-house spa occupies a large cabana equipped with a few massage beds separated by curtains. The aromatherapy massage treatments are divided into Energy (revitalizing), Serenity (calming), Stress-Less (relaxing), Passion (mysterious), and Detox (cleansing). The most popular aromatherapy treatment is the T House Jojoba Blend.
The most eye-catching area of T House upon entry, if you navigate through your stomach like I do, is the theater kitchen. From the garden, you can watch the kitchen staff assemble the evening’s meal, and sort through their shiny collection of pots, pans, and other implements. Spa cuisine that won’t starve you makes up the menu at the T House restaurant. Favorites include the salmon salad with wasabi mashed potatoes, tuna citrus salad, and chocolate pancake ganache with walnuts. The signature dessert is a panna cotta trio made up of raspberry, pineapple jam, and fresh mango, on a base of lemongrass. Wash it down with the T House signature cocktail—non-alcoholic—of guava, papaya, and mango. Tea at T House is served with fresh rosemary, tarragon, and mint leaves picked from the property’s own herb garden.
The restaurant can seat 40 on its ground floor and 60 on its upper al fresco floor, making T House an excellent venue for medium-sized parties that can be kept somehow intimate. As a wedding reception venue, it is snug enough to ensure bride and groom properly bump into all guests, instead of sending bleary-eyed smiles halfway across a ballroom. All 15 rooms can also be reserved for group vacations or family reunions.
T House is located at 3195 Calamba Road, Tagaytay City (Phone: +63 46 483-0011 to 12, +63 928-9409954; Email: stay@THouseTagaytay.com). Room rates range from P4,025-P6,325. Rates are for two and include breakfast. More information on www.THouseTagaytay.com.
Potter’s Ridge
Potter’s Ridge seriously challenges the logic of building your own resthouse in Tagaytay. Why bother when there is a place that perfectly approximates the imaginary Tagaytay home of your imaginary aunt? “I want them to feel like they’re my relatives,” says Marissa Potter of the guests who come to stay. By all accounts, she has succeeded.
While other pensiones invest in stylish design and chic concept to set themselves apart, Potter’s Ridge has gone the opposite route and stuck to the basics. Its choice location puts guests almost directly between Taal Lake and Balayan Bay, and the simple open structure of the hotel makes the most out of the breezes and sunshine that pour copiously through the windows. The absence of overly professional polish in the décor creates a genuine sense of being in a home instead of a hotel. Most of the furniture was obtained from a surplus auction house and restored by Marissa, who likes fiddling with fixer-uppers.
The entire Potter’s Ridge, in fact, was one massive fixer-upper when Marissa first laid eyes on it. After living abroad for thirty years and working for Reuters in the Middle East, she returned to the Philippines and bought an empty lot in Tagaytay. The property had a 50% drop, but this did not deter her from pursuing her project—even if it meant having to rappel down whenever she had to check on the foundation. Fortunately, at 2,678 feet above sea level, views at Potter’s Ridge are still fabulous even five storeys below the ground floor.
While other pensiones invest in stylish design and chic concept to set themselves apart, Potter’s Ridge has gone the opposite route and stuck to the basics. Its choice location puts guests almost directly between Taal Lake and Balayan Bay, and the simple open structure of the hotel makes the most out of the breezes and sunshine that pour copiously through the windows. The absence of overly professional polish in the décor creates a genuine sense of being in a home instead of a hotel. Most of the furniture was obtained from a surplus auction house and restored by Marissa, who likes fiddling with fixer-uppers.
The entire Potter’s Ridge, in fact, was one massive fixer-upper when Marissa first laid eyes on it. After living abroad for thirty years and working for Reuters in the Middle East, she returned to the Philippines and bought an empty lot in Tagaytay. The property had a 50% drop, but this did not deter her from pursuing her project—even if it meant having to rappel down whenever she had to check on the foundation. Fortunately, at 2,678 feet above sea level, views at Potter’s Ridge are still fabulous even five storeys below the ground floor.
There are 19 rooms at Potter’s Ridge, all spacious, clean, and outfitted with basic furniture. If you’re looking for five-star amenities, this is not the place for you, but if you appreciate seeing priceless Asian art in one room and silver Mickey Mouse cabinet handles in another, you’ll feel right at home at Potter’s Ridge. There is a charm in the lack of effort to live up to someone else’s idea of sophistication.
Food in Potter’s Ridge is served in an expansive dining room surrounded by views of Taal Lake and Balayan Bay. The atmosphere is beautiful yet homey at the same time. Marissa says guests sometimes get so comfortable, they come out to breakfast in pajamas. And why not? The laid-back vibe of the place really does trick your mind into thinking it belongs to you.
Food in Potter’s Ridge is served in an expansive dining room surrounded by views of Taal Lake and Balayan Bay. The atmosphere is beautiful yet homey at the same time. Marissa says guests sometimes get so comfortable, they come out to breakfast in pajamas. And why not? The laid-back vibe of the place really does trick your mind into thinking it belongs to you.
The kitchen is run by Chef Mau Santos, who trained under Chef Ed Quimson. Marissa recommends Potter’s Trotters (their version of crispy pata), zucchini crunch (zucchini sautéed in tomatoes and herbs with crunchy pork rind), Alfonso banana leaf wrapped tilapia (named after Alfonso, Cavite, the nearby town where most of the Potter’s Ridge staff hail from), and Glen’s pesce pasta (pasta named after Marissa’s husband Glen, made with mackerel, herbs, olive oil, and dried chilies). Chef Mau’s bulalo steak is a must-try, as is the special coffee made through a “secret” method by the staff from Alfonso.
A home away from home is what every bed and breakfast aspires to be. Though its facilities are not perfect, when it comes to creating a sense of home, Potter’s Ridge succeeds without really trying.
Potter’s Ridge is located at Km 67 Aguinaldo Highway, Laurel, Batangas (Phone: +63 46 413-0368, +63 919-4629897; Email: info@pottersridge.net). Room rates range from P2,800-P4,800. Rates are for two and include breakfast. More information at www.pottersridge.net.
(This article originally appeared in Filgolf magazine, October-December 2008.)
Potter’s Ridge is located at Km 67 Aguinaldo Highway, Laurel, Batangas (Phone: +63 46 413-0368, +63 919-4629897; Email: info@pottersridge.net). Room rates range from P2,800-P4,800. Rates are for two and include breakfast. More information at www.pottersridge.net.
(This article originally appeared in Filgolf magazine, October-December 2008.)
