Tagaytay Weekend Escapade: Taal Vista Hotel

Wow, it's been two long months since the last. Aside from being too busy with work and studying, I've been experiencing this writer's block. But after seeing a travel blog just recently, and realizing that I'll have another pile of travelogues waiting for me, I decided to do a quick review of a place we visited two months ago. This is also long overdue as I should have posted this immediately after our stay (I'm so sorry Senyorita! I know this is unforgivable).

In May, I won a free overnight stay at Taal Vista Hotel care of Senyorita, my favorite travel blogger (that's why this makes it more embarrassing). Since it was nearing Mother's Day, we decided to spend that special weekend and celebrate there.

The lobby welcomed us warmly though there were many people being accommodated. It was check out time for most guests, but the staff was still able to offer the newcomers with welcome drinks. It was a quick and easy check in, and we excitedly went to our assigned room at the end of the building.

Though the walk was somewhat long, I realized they gave us one of the best rooms. Why? Well, Taal Vista Hotel has always boasted of the best view of Taal Volcano! And a good view, they gave us.

I liked our room's interior design. Simple but elegant. I also love how the room was accentuated with the lovely flowery-patterned curtains that stood out among all the designs. It also has a unique bathroom where the toilet and bath have been separated with no main door and the mirror in the middle. Overall, the room gave us a cozy and relaxing feeling with a great view to look at outside!

Someone's getting married!

A great view of Taal Volcano! Can you spot the rainbow, too?

During the night when we decided to eat out (yes, this is still a budget blog), I was amazed at how the lights were positioned in the parking area. I have this affinity for trees that are given good lighting, so I actually fell in love with the sight. These things rarely happen so I immediately took out my camera to take a photo. When we got back to the hotel, I changed into my sleep clothes and hurriedly got to my own bed, all ready to have a good night's sleep!

Start of dusk

Entrance to the main lobby

I am in love!

I did have a good sleep, and actually had a hard time getting out of bed in the morning because it was too comfortable, and the fog outside didn't help at all. However, I also didn't want to miss out on the free breakfast so I forced myself to get up. We were halfway through the breakfast hours so we didn't get to eat at Cafe on the Ridge (the hotel's restaurant that I should try when I get back), but we were accommodated at one of the ballroom halls just beside it.

Food was limited to a number of choices, but I must say they've still got me. The first thing I tried was the sinangag (fried rice) and corned beef, my favorite breakfast combination (that I didn't get to take a picture of since they went right to my tummy, har har), and they didn't fail me! Loved it until the last bite. There were other choices from the Filipino breakfast table, such as dried fish and sausages, and there was also an omelette stand by the side. Fruits and cereals were also at one table, as well as the drinks, but I lastly went for the pancakes for my "dessert", and poured quite a lot of strawberry syrup (there are other choices) on my stack of three.

When we were satisfied, we walked around the back of the hotel for a bit and went to the famous viewdeck of Taal Volcano. The weather was also perfect as it wasn't too cold. That moment brought back a lot of childhood memories since it was the first time I got back to the hotel after around 10 years, and I always had a picture at that spot of the hotel. It was really nice to look at how Taal Vista Hotel has evolved beautifully throughout the years.

View of the hotel from the back part

Childhood memories relived!

One of the things I'm happy about this place:
Taal Vista Hotel is PWD-friendly! :)

We also took a short tour of the lobby. It was nearing lunch time and the restaurant and lobby cafe were getting busy because it was Mother's Day, but the stress was eased by singers who performed some Filipino favorites. I especially liked the flower arrangement in front of the reception area, well mostly because it was yellow. Haha. After that short walk, we went back to our room to prepare for check out. As usual, everything went smoothly.

Overall, I'd give our stay a rating of 9/10, just because we didn't get to experience dining in Cafe on the Ridge and because the food was quite limited during breakast, but in general, me and my mom enjoyed and it was a perfect weekend/Mother's Day getaway. Again, I want to say a special thank you to Senyorita for the free stay, and I'm really, really sorry for this super overdue blog post. It was such a pleasure staying in Taal Vista Hotel as well, and I do hope I can come back next time, and get to experience more of what it has to offer!

Whew! I hope that made up for the hiatus.

-E

PS: I totally can't figure out how to bring back my comment box. Someone help please?