Let’s face it – life gets pretty hard sometimes. With all the stresses we face with work and our other responsibilities, it’s not wrong to just want to sit back, relax, and enjoy some much-needed R&R, right?
Living room area
So I made sure all my work tasks were done before heading to my little weekend staycation experience in Tagaytay.
Now, when you say staycation, you think “a vacation spent in one’s home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions.” But for me, a staycation means I get to stay indoors, somewhere nice and cozy, vacationing from all my stresses, with nothing else on my mind except to relax. Who else can relate?
So, one rainy weekend, I said “BRB Manila,” and “hello Tagaytay!”
I was lucky enough to score a one-bedroom suite in this nifty hotel – One Tagaytay Place. A good 90-minutes (in good traffic conditions) from the metro, One Tagaytay Place is at Calamba Road, Barrio Sungay West, Tagaytay.
The room, which I love, welcomes you with a mini living room area, complete with a two-seater sofa and a small coffee table, a dining table and chairs (not seen in photos), and a counter with a mini-fridge and your usual water, cups, coffee, and tea. They have a simple little bathroom and a generously sized bedroom with a queen bed, two bedside tables, and a dresser table.
Clean, cozy, comfortable queen sized bed
Water, Coffee, Tea (which gets refilled daily!)
Let me stress again how much I loved the room. It honestly felt more like an apartment than a hotel room. The size had enough space to fit my bags, and it didn’t make me feel cramped at all. I may have even thought about how it would probably be a good size/kind of apartment for me whenever I do decide to get my own place (hihi). The bed was superb, too. One of the most comfortable beds I’ve had the luxury of sleeping on.
The room came with breakfast, which was held on the 3rd Floor from 7 AM to 10 AM. Breakfast included Filipino breakfast staples rice, eggs, corned beef, longganisa, tocino, bread, spreads, fruits, and cereals. There was also a ham carving station, an egg station, a taho station, and a pancake station.
The Pancake Station was definitely my favorite.
To complete the staycation experience, I also made sure to reserve at their very own O Spa, for a one hour Revitalizing Massage. If I had to talk about the thing I absolutely loved the most about One Tagaytay Place, it would have to be it’s Amacena Restaurant. Forget the usual Tagaytay bulalo (okay… maybe don’t forget it – but make sure this place is on your list of places to try when in Tagaytay) and indulge in these Filipino dishes with a twist.
When I say ‘with a twist’ I mean: You get your good ole’ classics like Lechon Kawali, but with a healthy serving of black rice. You get to enjoy Tagatay’s famous Tawilis but on a pizza, complete with generous white cheese, or mixed with salted egg and tomatoes in a flavorful bowl of rice. You get your sweet tooth satisfied with ube and leche flan but in a Turon ala Mode kind of way. You get your mouth watering for their Kare-Kare, with US Short Rib (Yep, you heard me, STEAK KARE-KARE.)
Lechon Kawali with Black Rice (P380)
Tawilis Fried Rice (P230)
Leche Flan Turon (P150)
Tawilis Pizza (P400)
Smokin Bistek with Onion Crisps and Soy-Mansi Gravy (P260)
Grilled Inasal Caesar Salad (P260)
Crispy US Short Rib Kare Kare (P1,010)
No, I did not eat all of those in one night. I could have, though. All of it was just that good.
If you’re looking for a quick getaway from the big city, then I highly recommend One Tagaytay Place. It’s nestled on the quiet side of Tagaytay, its got comfortable rooms, a spa, and a pool. And best of all, it has an amazing restaurant that you don’t even have to go anywhere else to get great food!
One Tagaytay Place
Facebook: www.facebook.com/onetagaytayplace
Twitter: @OneTagaytay
Instagram: @ONETAGAYTAYPLACE
When in Tagaytay, make One Tagaytay as your second home.
Written by: Nina Alamar
