We booked a weekend staycation at Taal Vista Hotel last month to celebrate my birthday. We've been meaning to go to Tagaytay ever since it opened to tourists on September, but the rules kept changing so we held off. Eventually we were able to push through with the trip, lucky enough to have come during a period when requirements weren't that strict. No need for travel pass, health certificate, and the hotel also didn't require a negative COVID test. The only requirement is that you fill out a health declaration form when you arrive, and wear your face mask and face shield at all times. They also don't allow Monday check-ins at this time so do note that when you're planning to go to Tagaytay. LGU has ordered establishments to shut down on Mondays for disinfection.
Here's a video of the room tour! Please watch, like, and subscribe! :)
On to the blabber...
I really like the room that we got. It's a Premiere King Room with a lake view and it's stunning!
Super comfy king sized bed
Big windows with roller blinds
Large cabled TV
Amazing Taal view
Basement and open parking available
Room service
Swimming pool (not sure if heated)
Fitness gym
Viewing deck
Restaurants
There's Casino Filipino and McDonald's across the hotel
There's also a water pitcher by the desk that you can refill from the water station by the hallway.
Yup! There are water stations placed along the hallway for your drinking water needs. It dispenses hot and cold water and it's just so convenient. I actually love this feature because we didn't need to buy our own water or keep asking for water bottles from housekeeping.
The TV is big but the smart feature is disabled, meaning you can't watch Netflix or Youtube or whatever. Good thing we brought our Xiaomi Mi TV stick with us so we were able to binge watch Parks and Recreation during our stay!
They also have a hygeine kit like this, containing face masks, alcohol, and wipes.
These are the bathroom essentials...
Body wash, shampoo, and conditioner are fixed on the wall
Breakfast buffet is served from 6am to 10:30am (IIRC) at the Veranda restaurant...
When we stayed over the weekend, I was actually concerned that we have a neighbor. I thought hotel occupancy is limited and guests should be at least one room apart from each other.
It gets noisy when someone hangs out at the balcony. You can literally hear them and it's very easy to peek over at their side as well. You can see through the balcony windows and people can look up to you when they're down at the open area. It's a bummer that we weren't able to enjoy the balcony that way. It's noisy and not that private. :(
Hallways can get pretty noisy with footsteps as well. The room we got has a connecting door too, so that's less sound barrier for us. Privacy tip: Try to get a corner room and make sure you don't get a connecting room hehe!
We had a chance to walk around the hotel and found how expansive it is! The Lake View rooms are separate from the Mountain and Ridge view rooms.
That's where the other guest rooms are. It's a long walk from the Lake View area, and tbh the building looks old. I'm sure the rooms are upgraded though! Hehe the facade reminds me of a dorm though. The pool and gym area are near this side so if you're up for the pool, this area is cool! Maybe it's quieter here? Hmm...
Yeah I guess that's about it. Despite the noise and lack of privacy at the balcony, we had a very enjoyable stay. We ordered twice from their room service and in fairness, ang sarap and the price is reasonable too. The staff are very courteous and nice and I would love to stay here again in the future.
We got the Premiere King Room for ₱6,500/night (promo).
Taal Vista Hotel Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay City https://www.taalvistahotel.com/ +63 (7917) 8225 | +63 (46) 413 1000
To celebrate my parent's 31st wedding anniversary, I booked a staycation for the family at Kasa Luntian, Tagaytay. We all enjoyed our stay, and wished we could extend but oh well, we'll just come back next time!
The Serviced Residences at Kasa Luntian is part of an Alveo Land development located along Tagaytay-Calamba road. Kasa Luntian is part hotel part residential area, with its hotel services managed by Hospitality Innovators, Inc. (HII).
The best thing I liked about the place is really the ambiance and how the suite is designed. The interior is soooo beautiful. Love the layout, decor, and patterns used in the room. The one-bedroom suite we booked looked super big at 55sqm, considering it has a fully equipped kitchen, a dining area, spacious shower and toilet, and a balcony you can actually chill at.
Check-in
Check-in at Kasa Luntian is okay. The front desk is situated at The Lanai building, which is different from where your actual unit will be. So once you get your key card you have to move to another building.
The front desk area is super lovely! What it lacks in space it made up for the beautiful design. Welcome drinks (pandan juice) is a nice touch too!
There's temporary parking beside the reception area and after check-in you'll be given a car pass you can use to drive in and out of the property. To check-out you also need to go back to the font-desk area. Mild hassle right but it's fine if you have a car. Plus, walking around the place is such a delight! It's quiet and serene and the landscape is truly relaxing. The guards are also super nice and polite.
There's free open parking for hotel guests available beside each building. Covered parking is reserved for residents only. You can probably get in, but only to drop your luggage by the elevator. The Lanai also has a few restaurants and shops like 7-Eleven, Nailandia, and Taza Mia.
Before I move on to the things I liked and didn't like about our stay, here's a pic spam of the amenities and our room!
Amenities
Very relaxing ambiance.
Gorgeous pools, which reminds me of our condo lol. There's some serious DMCI vibes to this place, considering it's built by Ayala lol. Maybe because there's a resort theme to it.
We didn't really roam around that much so we only saw the pool and this small playground for kids. I'm not sure what else is there but I know there's a function room somewhere hehe.
One-bedroom suite
Now onto our room...
Oh this room is soooo lovely!
There's a fully equipped kitchen enclosed with a counter-top. There's an electric stove/oven, exhaust, set of knives (which needs sharpening), cooking utensils, a pot and pan, microwave, kitchen sink with sponge and dishwashing liquid.
They also have this complimentary glass bottle of drinking water, which they will remind not to take with you, both during check-in and check-out. Yeah. Apparently, guests keep on taking it with them because it's cute lol. There's a tabletop sign beside it which we didn't read lol. Perhaps it contained a note not to take the damned bottle, that it's not a hotel hoardable if you know what I mean hehe, but guests probably don't pay attention so management resorted to just keep on reminding everyone? Kinda condescending. For a while it felt insulting, being reminded TWICE, not to take something from the room. Sorry if I probably look like the kind who would request for extra bottles of shampoo lol, but heyy, you didn't have to imply it.
So. Can you request for extra water? That's 150 for you lol. There are better ways to remind your guests not to take the bottles with them, and drinking water should always be complimentary in the hospitality industry. If they care so much about losing glass bottles they should stick to the good 'ol plastic ones. Urgh.
What else. They also have four sets of eating utensils, as well as bowls and plates. We loved the kitchen so much because we brought in a lot of food and cooked a lot as well! They have glasses and teacups too, complimentary instant coffee and tea, and electric kettle.
I loved the living area. There's a big flat-screen smart TV equipped with cable. You can also watch Netflix and Youtube as soon as you connect it to the wifi (which wasn't setup properly, I had to call the front desk to fix it). The daybed is amazing, I actually slept in it!
Dining is perfect for the four of us. :)
The bedroom is separated by a sliding door. The balcony is spacious enough you can actually hang out outside.
That's fake turf by the way.
Closet space is enough for a staycation, there's also a safety deposit box, hair dryer, iron, and ironing board. There's an extra hidden storage behind this wall painting beside the bedroom door. Just slide the artwork aside and it will reveal more storage space for you.
Here the view from our balcony...
The pool is probably their greatest feature so I specifically requested to get a pool facing view, and also a high floor. Latter wasn't granted but it was fine cos the pool view provided such a nice backdrop during breakfast!
Price point
We stayed overnight on a Saturday and our bill totaled to around ₱8,500. Which is too much, so I don't recommend staying here on a weekend unless they have a promo. I mean if you're gonna charge me 8k+ for a night you better submit to all my requests, but that didn't happen so I think it's overpriced.
For the quality of our stay, I'd say ₱5,000 tops. Room plus taxes cost us around 7k. Then remember they charged us for extra people so that's additional 1.6k. The weekend rates can get really steep so I'd recommend staying from Sunday-Thursday if you can.
Price varies of course but Saturday rates are the worst.
Okay. Now down to the things I thought needed improvement:
For some reason our room smelled like paint. Anyway, we quickly got used to it.
There's an apparent lack of mirrors in the suite. The only mirror present is in the vanity area, and the lighting is bad over there. Can't glam yourself up and take OOTDs. Sad. Hope they get a full-body mirror in a well-lighted corner hehe.
Hairdryer cannot be plugged near the vanity area, where the only mirror is. I guess this was deliberate to avoid accidents? So at least add more mirrors diba so we can properly fix ourselves lol.
As mentioned, I didn't like how they remind guests to leave the glass bottle behind, both during check-in and check-out. Reminder during check-in is enough, then they could charge any lost bottle from the security deposit. But to ask us if the water bottle is still there when we checked-out? I really find it insulting. Could've just put a note on the bottle's packaging instead or highlighted it on the tabletop sign you know, something like "Take the water, but not the bottle". Anyway.
Extra drinking water will cost you, so just bring your own.
The flooring is elevated as you enter the room, so be careful. I fkn tripped twice on my way in and hurt my nails. Arte no.
The TV remote control is makunat. Ang tigas nung Enter and up arrow haha!
No extra keycard.
Not really something they should improve on but they're really strict with extra persons and guests. We're 4 adults staying in a one-bedroom suite with a capacity of 2 adults and 2 kids, and we were charged 800/per extra person. Not like most hotels where you can sneak in more guests lol. Fair is fair so next time, we'll just come in pairs. Visitors are only allowed until 10pm and they need to register at front desk before meeting you. Hmmm...
Hopefully they offer breakfast and other amenities too like a spa! That would really complete the serviced residences experience :D
If you booked online via 3rd party agent (Agoda, Booking, etc.), check-in time is 3pm. You can probably request to check-in early though. We came in around 1pm and had to wait until 2:30pm to get our suite ready. We just happily waited at one of the gazebos. But srsly, if I hadn't called front desk to follow up on our room (they said they would call), they'd probably let us wait 'til 3pm. That's how I feel about the girl who attended to us lol. Parang ayaw nya kami pagbigyan sa kahit ano lol.
And to sandwich my feedback...
I'm probably coming back despite the mild annoyances and hopefully they've improved by then (ie. mirrors).
Their official online photos did not disappoint!
We all had a good night's sleep! Bed and linens are comfy, daybed in the living area is super comfy too.
I wasn't able to swim because I got my darned period but their pool looks really awesome there's even jacuzzi on one level. Plus two of the levels can be heated, I guess it depends on the weather. It wasn't on the morning my parents swam.
The guards are super nice.
I really really enjoyed the TV haha. Netflix should be a standard in Hotels you know. As in. Nobody watches cable anymore.
I loved their bathroom essentials. The handwash, shampoo/body wash, and conditioner smelled sooo sooo good!
Toilet has bidet, hooray!
Place is perfect for 2 adults. More than that and your bill will make you feel unwelcome lol.
Finally, here's short video tour of the place! Enjoy!
Hope you liked this post! I'd say Kasa Luntian is great for couples and those with at most 2 kids only. Hoping they'd considering catering larger groups but I would understand if they can't to preserve the serenity of the place lol, after all it's also a residence. Looking forward to our next stay.
I spent my birthday weekend with my family at this unit in Citiland Tagaytay Prime Residences. It's our second time staying at the same condo building and we're always delighted with our bookings! I was supposed to book a place at Serin West but none of the bnb's I like are available on my birthday.
Of course, I was taken by the photos on the Airbnb page, I'm a sucker for great interiors and high floors with nice views, and while this unit isn't the best in terms of furnishings, it's incredibly bright and looks immaculately clean. And so we're in.
And indeed!
The view is amazing. The unit has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. In total there are 3 balconies. The master's is facing Taal lake and the rest is facing the city. It's a corner unit too so there are a lot of windows. I love it!
The unit is big, spacious, and very well lit. The living and dining could be updated but because the place is so spacious, it doesn't look too bad.
They have a TV but it's not equipped with cable and the unit doesn't have wifi (it does have TV Plus but it's crappy). For that reason I brought my laptop, HDMI cable, hard disk with movies, and my Globe at Home Prepaid Wifi unit (in case Globe signal is strong -- it wasn't).
The kitchen is small but it's stocked alright with everything we need - mugs, plates, utensils, electric kettle, microwave. The ref is big too! My parents had to bring a rice cooker though because hahaha we're a family who likes to bring baon and prep food during outings lol.
Now we go to the bedrooms!
The master's is big enough and the view is really stunning. I guess I'll never get tired of a lush scenery. The wind is fresh and the nights are very cold!
The other bedroom is smaller with 2 single beds, but man it has windows all around.
We're a family of 5 and I could say the unit is only good for 4 people. My sister had to sleep on the couch but it's very comfy naman so I guess it's okay for 5 na rin haha.
Citiland Tagaytay Prime Residences is also very centrally located. There's a McDonald's right across the building, a 7-Eleven on the ground floor, and it's only a few meters away from Tagaytay Rotunda where you'll never get hungry. There's Fora Filinvest and Ayala Serin Mall close by. Urgh, best place to be, unless you're craving for a more nature-filled retreat hehe. I'm always afraid of exploring places outside the highway. I feel like I'm gonna plunge too deep into the town and that the car wouldn't be able to bear the uphill trek back to the city center. Yun talaga issue ko hahahaha.
There you go! I left a nice feedback for this unit so if you're looking for a 2 bedroom in Tagaytay with a great view, you may want to consider this place. The hosts are so nice they even allowed us to check-in early. They also provide 1 reserved parking slot and if there's a need for another you could use the condo's guest parking. The unit is worth ₱3,000/night but the rates depend on the season. :)
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Still not on Airbnb? Man, you're missing out on tons of beautiful and affordable accommodation! If you want to sign up, please do so using my referal link so we'll both get free travel credits! Yeyy!
In celebration of our third year in the company, me and my batchmates (finally) ate out (of town!!).
After so many failed attempts at dining out, we finally pushed through! It's been a struggle getting all of us together for a meal 'cos we're working different shifts now so it's harder to schedule a time where all of us won't be hassled haha. I'm guilty of bailing out for the last couple of times simply because I'm too lazy. #sorry
Pero in fairness, natuloy rin. I guess it's because our third year marks something super duper special to all of us, and we want to celebrate that. That is -- the end of our bond! I'm quite aware we can always break that part of our contract that says we're tied to our company for three years, but heck we're good kids so we held back updating our profiles on Jobstreet for three years. Char.
Anyway. We commuted to Tagaytay and can I just say that I'M NEVER DOING IT AGAIN. Jusko the biyahe took all of me.
From Gil Puyat, we rode a Tagaytay-Nasugbu bus and dropped off at Olivares. From there we rode another bus labeled Alfonso/Mendez and dropped off at Mahogany Market.
This is (arguably) where the best bulalo in town is. It's on the second floor of the two-storey building labeled "Tagaytay Mahogany Beef Market & Bulalohan"
It was a Sunday okay, and lunch time at that, but I didn't expect the entire place to be soooo swamped with people. I wasn't aware this place was thaaat popular.
We were lucky we chanced upon a group who just finished eating so we were able to get seats immediately. The entire floor is lined with eateries, all serving the famous bulalo. They have free senyorita bananas too (at least from the carinderia we ate at).
Here goes the big caserole (with a burner underneath). This is ₱350 and is good for 3 persons.
Of course they don't just serve Bulalo, they also have common Filipino delicacies. We ordered beef caldereta (₱150), fried tawilis (₱150), fried hipon (₱150), and lechon kawali (₱150). Rice is at ₱20 each.
The servings are pretty small for ₱150, but can be shared by 2-3 persons per plate so pwede na rin!
Aaaah I'm definitely coming back here.
After eating lunch we rode a jeepney and got off at Magallanes to take pictures of Taal Lake, of course. Haha.
It may not be one of the best locations to get a view of the lake but it's one of the most popular and it has Starbucks too so keri lang. Will visit the other more beautiful Starbucks next time! Hahaha
After lounging around, we walked aaaaaall the way to Ayala Malls Serin. We thought it won't be far from Magallanes but when I started (internally) complaining, the mall is already within sight so pinush na lang namin.
Good thing it was very cool that day, umambon nga lang ng slight haha.
If I were to live in a condo I prefer a low-rise to mid-rise one like the one they're building beside the mall.
Pic spam!
Aaaaand there you go, we walked a bit, drank milk tea, and chatted. Then we crossed the street and boarded a bus back home. The commute was really exhausting. I don't recommend it haha.
