All the good stories about Baguio – the cold weather, the strawberries and the zigzag road to the city were all, but stories for me until I experienced the Summer Capital of the Philippines last Tuesday week (delayed posting for this story because I was in the mountains :))

An invitation from Azalea Baguio (which was verbally sent last December) finally pushed through in mid-May before summer officially ends. I packed my bag on the morning of Tuesday before I headed to the meeting place where vans were waiting for us to take us to the 5-hour journey to the mountain town.

Van 1: I, Duane, Seph, Aisa, Trice and Anagon
Photo taken by Tracy, grabbed from @anagon

Three vans headed  up North boarding Manila bloggers and influencers to experience Baguio. I was still tired and restless from the weekend trip and all I needed was a good sleep and comfortable bed (if not my bed). I have good faith in Azalea Baguio after experiencing the comforts and service of Azalea Boracay. 

I boarded van number 1 with Duane and our favorite fashion bloggers. Haha. En route, we talked about politics, social media and more politics in between naps. By the time we reached the Kennon Road, I was wide awake. It reminded me of the time we went to Bantayan Island, Cebu and the roads were much crazy zigzag than going to Baguio. It was bearable for me. My mom was a bit worried but I assured her that our driver is used to driving the road. 

Finally. Azalea Baguio.

I love the private road that leads to the hotel’s entrance. I spotted the signature globe fountain in the facade. 

I was expecting Baguio to be a bit cold but the weather was just perfect. I could wear shorts and shirt and/or sweater without sweating. I was glad that I didn’t bring my coat. 

I shared room with the Certified Foodies – Mhel and Ken! I am so happy that they joined the trip! They are my first blogger besties when I was just starting to attend events (I can’t believe we didn’t have a group photo!!)

We found our nest at the 5th floor. We had a suite which has a master’s bedroom, a guest room and a sofa bed. There’s a separate bathroom in the master’s bedroom and another one outside. It has a kitchen counter complete with kitchen tools if guests wish to cook for themselves.

The room has the usual hotel necessities: toiletries, flat iron, safety box, mini bar, kettle and complimentary bottled water for 3. The bathroom has a working hot and cold shower and toiletries are replenished everyday.

Thank you Duane-y for the beautiful photos! 
Read Duane’s Azalea experience here. 

The staff is accommodating and dedicated to their work. When Mhel and I were talking in the balcony, the guard reminded us to tone down our voices (in our defense, we were not even noisy). Somehow, I appreciate that because it means that they want to give all the guests the privacy and serenity that they deserve. 

They have sense of urgency when it comes to observing abnormalities in the hotel. One time, we heard a loud sneeze (we know it was a sneeze!) that echoed in the hotel lobby and the guards already checked and alerted the team in each floor to ensure that (it was just a sneeze!) and guests are safe. 

The most touching for me is when they arranged a service for me going to church. I have my Thursday duties and I really had to attend worship service wherever in the world I go. I asked our host, Melo if I could arrange a car service early in the morning and I could just pay for it. Azalea Baguio confirmed it the night before and when I went down, someone did go out to drive for me. 

He even offered to pick me up after my service, and he did. I asked him what he does for Azalea (all the while, I thought he was a designated driver), and I was surprised to find out he is the Duty Manager (!!!). He told me that the staff who would supposedly drive for me didn’t make it that morning so he took the job. Thank you Christopher! I hope you become an inspiration to your team!

On our way back to hotel, he asked me if I wanted to check out other places. I just asked him if I could swing by the bank to withdraw money and we did. He even offered to open the car door for me and waited for me outside. Even without him around, I feel like Baguio is a safe city. 

I feel like I could live in Azalea Baguio. The food that they serve in the in-house restaurant Tradisyon is superb. Let’s talk about the breakfast first. They have the usual bread, cereals and good spread of Filipino breakfast of rice and fried meat and fish.

Lunch and dinners are amazing treats. Everyday, they offer different cuisines to give guests variety of flavors even if they stay for a week. Tradisyon didn’t disappoint. On our first night, we had like a children’s party with pasta and fried chicken. They served the fun, sweet spaghetti that reminds me of my childhood 🙂

For lunch, we usually had the  favorite Filipino dishes complete with Kare-kare and Bagnet. Tradisyon’s Kare-kare is very nutty and served with beef and veggies. One of the few Kare-kare recipes I enjoyed.

When we went back to our hotel on our last day, we were surprised to see this basket of fruits and flowers. A welcome token may be a little too late but still, we appreciate the gesture. They may be too eager to settle us during our first day.

Then, of course, let’s not forget the turn down service.

Thank you Azalea Baguio for having us and for being my safe home during my first Baguio visit. I cannot wait for the next one!

#AzaleaGroupGetaway #BaguioAfterSummer
… to be continued.