If I will describe this resort in two words: Peaceful Paradise. All the modern comforts that one would expect on a five star hotel come together with it. The villas have complete amenities including your very own pool
The friendly Chinese territory has long been at the forefront in advocating for cycling as not just a cheap means of transport but also as an environment-friendly lifestyle choice.
Tagaytay is also fast-becoming one of the country's major tourist destinations. Its cityscape is changing rapidly with construction of new condominiums, shopping malls and boutique hotels. And if there's one accommodation that I would recommend in Tagaytay, it's the Domicillo Design Hotel located along General Emilio Aguinaldo Hi-way just 5-minutes drive from Sky Ranch.
Last month when I went to Kyoto, Japan, I was fortunate to be accommodated by the beautiful Bijuu Residence, and it changed the way I think about hotels. It’s one of those rare moments that a hotel has been part of the destination experience because of its uniqueness.
Classic and elegant--these are the two words that best describe Nara Hotel in Nara Japan. This 106-year-old hotel has been my home in Japan for 4 days and 3 nights.
When I received the invitation to join the Tune Hotels Blogger Fam Trip in Johor Bahru Malaysia I got super excited! I was in Nara Japan that time (March 25) with my blogger friend Morgan Zeanreh and the email that we both received almost kept us awake the whole night. We reminisced the first Tune Hotels Blogger Fam Trip which was held May last year when we were among the three bloggers from the Philippines to join other bloggers from Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia for the said event. Last year’s familiarization tour was held in Kuala Lumpur and we spent our first night at Tune Hotels KLIA2, which was newly opened that time, and the succeeding nights at Tune Hotels Downtown Kuala Lumpur.
If the Philippines has Boracay, Thailand has Phuket, another paradise island adorned by tourists from all over the world. Phuket is actually bigger than Boracay. It's located in Southern Thailand and measures 48km in length and and 21 km at its widest. The climate, however, is the same: humid all year with March to May as the hottest and November to February as the "cooler" months.
Tagaytay has always been an exciting destination for two reasons: Cool climate and spectacular view of the world-famous Taal Volcano. Not to mention that it's relatively close to Manila, it provides a perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the Philippine capital.
Tagaytay is also fast-becoming one of the country's major tourist destinations. Its cityscape is changing rapidly with construction of new condominiums, shopping malls and boutique hotels. And if there's one accommodation that I would recommend in Tagaytay, it's the Domicillo Design Hotel located along General Emilio Aguinaldo Hi-way just 5-minutes drive from Sky Ranch and Casino Filipino, and 10 to 15 minutes drive from the newly opened Ayala Malls Serin.
HAUTE HOSPITALITY
At least once every year, I go to Tagaytay to marvel at the iconic view of Taal Volcano. It's also the nearest destination to experience a cool climate, around 2 hours drive from Manila. So when I received an invitation to try Domicillo Bed and Breakfast, I didn't think twice.
The famous Rene Alcala of Manila Mirrors, exporter of exquisite mirrors framed in mother of pearl and black lip shells, is the brainchild of Domicillo Design Hotel. He collaborated with fellow designers and exporters Budji Layug and Royal Pineda of the Budji+Royal group to conceptualize the design of this multi-level structure. The result is nothing short of stylish! Alcala describes the property in three words: "organic, modern, and natural."
Domicillo has 8 rooms designed by world-renowned Filipino furniture and home accessories designers: Budji Layug, Milo Naval and Tess Pasola. It's divided into three room types: the Premiere Room (58.50 sqm. with a lower lake view, a veranda and pocket garden), the Superior Room (38.7 sqm. with an upper lake view and a balcony) and the Deluxe Room (27 sqm. with a garden view). I stayed in the Premiere Room.
Behind the bottle of wine is a king size bed designed by Budji Layug. It's the centerpiece of the spacious room filled with designer items.
The comfy bed has a wooden frame and headboard. Behind it is a console table where a box of tissue, a wifi-router and a wonderful lamp shade are located. I love the body of this lamp shade, it's covered by black lip mother of pearl shells.
On the wall, there's a painting by RM de Leon.
The room is also equipped with a work station table with a Cobonpue chair, a flat screen cable TV (Cignal), personal refrigerator hidden in a wooden cabinet and filled with various drinks, another lamp shade, coffee-making facility, and telephone system.
When you unveil the curtain, this is the view the will greet you: a postcard pretty Taal Volcano that looks like a giant painting if seen from the inside of your room. The vantage point of this view is perfect, it feels like your room was made exactly to observe this beauty.
Your own front porch has two chairs and a coffee table perfect for watching the sunrise in the morning while drinking your coffee and reading the newspaper which the hotel provides daily.
Since not all rooms are created equal, here's the set of chairs and coffee table at the veranda of the other Premiere Room.
The room also boasts of a spacious bathroom with generous supply of organic toiletries (Lavender soap, shampoo and lotion and citrus conditioner), clean towels and bathrobes.
The presence of black lip mother of pearl shells surrounding the tap and covering the tray and the prominence of glass and wood inside the bathroom makes everything cohesive to the overall theme.
On the other side you will find the power shower (rain type) in a half-open enclosure and a toilet bowl with bidet.
Outside my room is another set of round table and chairs with some scented candles and travel magazines to read. Have I already mentioned that these designer chairs are gorgeous?
Beside the round table is a pocket garden featuring different kinds of plants.
The stairs going to the upper level where the Superior Rooms and Deluxe Rooms are located add a natural feel to the overall theme.
I was able to check the other rooms and this one has a bed with a headboard made of newspapers, would you believe? The bathroom divider is covered with the signature shells that I mentioned earlier.
These ceramic stools are eye-catching.
And how can you miss this proudly Philippine-made mirror which you can now find in various boutiques abroad.
The Deluxe Room has a garden view and these:
Everything is surrounded by greens.
Domicillo was supposed to have 9 rooms but Mr. Alcala decided to make one of them a common room for the guests. I see it as an exhibit of different designer furniture and paintings.
In one of the corridors, you will find Budji Layug's console table and wheel sculpture.
Domicillo's topmost level has a View Deck that offers an unobstructed and panoramic view of the Taal Volcano. This is where you can take pictures and selfies with the magnificent scenery on the background.
RESTAURANTS
Domicillohouses two exciting restaurants--Aozora, a Japanese Cafe + Bistro, and La Finca, a farm-to-table diner.
We had our dinner at Aozora, which means "Blue Sky" in Japanese. Located at the upmost level adjacent to the view deck, this Japanese restaurant boasts of a vibrant ambiance in authentic Japanese style which is rare in Tagaytay. Their gourmet lineup is authentic Japanese as it's being prepared by Chef Seiji Kamijo Kamura from Yokohama.
Even the waiters are wearing Kimono for a more memorable dining experience.
I tried their Rainbow Maki (P320.00) which serves as a sampler of their Makis lineup like Tuna, Salmon, Tamago, Unagi, Shimesaba and Lapu-Lapu. It may not taste as awesome as the ones I tasted in Osaka, Japan, but still, these ensemble is quite good! I also tried their signature Aozora Ramen (P295.00) which is a fusion of Japanese Ramen and Tagaytay's favorite bulalo. It had a tasty broth which complemented the noodles perfectly, with very tender beef chunks and a cut of bone marrow.
After waking up to the beautiful sunrise, a delectable Filipino breakfast welcomed me at La Finca which is located at the main level adjacent to the very sleek reception area. I chose Longsilog (two fried farm-fresh eggs, fried rice, garlicky longganisa and juice). The other varieties are Tapsilog (with beef tapa) and Bangsilog (with fried boneless bangus). They also serve Continental breakfast (French toast with fruit jelly, bacon, juice and/or coffee). La Finca's specialties are Soft Shell Crab Salad, La Finca Salad (with fiddle fern or paco leaves), Pita and Kofta, Bagnet Binagoongan, Chicken Snitzel and Spinach Ravioli all being prepared by Chef Hanz Mojares.La Finca is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 7am to 9pm. They are also open for corporate functions and private events for up to 60 people in ints indoor and outdoor spaces.BLOGGER'S THOUGHTSDomicillo Design Hotel's main selling point is the spectacular view of the iconic Taal Lake that it offers in all its 8 rooms. The position of the hotel along the ridge has a perfect vantage point of the world-famous volcano, it will leave you mesmerized to say the least. Aside from the view, it has something that other bed and breakfast hotels in Tagaytay don't have: it's a designers haven. Imagine a hotel filled with furnitures and sculptures of world-renowned Filipino designers like Budji Layug, Royal Pineda, Tes Pasola, Milo Naval, Kenneth Cobonpue, Maricris Brias, Ann Pamintuan, and Eric Paras. It's like a furniture and art exhibit within the premises.Everything you expect in a five-star hotel room is provided by Domicillo: power showers, clean and comfortable bed with four pillows, flat screen cable TV, telephone, hair dryer, bathrobes, mini-bar, complete toiletries, aircon, 3 sets of towels of different sizes, strong wifi signal, etc. The hotel also offers complimentary massage which guests can avail inside their rooms until 10:00 in the evening. I have nothing bad to say about the staff, they are very accommodating and helpful. They go out of their way to make you feel at home.However, some guest may find the room rates--which start at PhP 9,000.00 (net) per night--pricey compared with other bed and breakfast hotels in the area. But for all the things I mentioned above, it's definitely worth it. Domicillo Design HotelKm. 58 General Emilio Aguinaldo Highway
Maharlika East, Tagaytay City Telephone: +63 46 413-3552 Mobile: +63 922 884-1532 Facebook: www.facebook.com/DomicilloTagaytay Instagram: www.instagram.com/DomicilloTagatay
Bangkok is one of my favorite cities in the world because of its rich culture and colorful atmosphere. Last September 2, 2014, I went to this “Land of Freedom” for the fourth time! Tune Hotels is sponsoring my 5-days accommodation and its located in 7 Sukhumvit Soi 14, Sukhumvit Road, Sukhumvit, Bangkok.
I took an early morning flight on Tuesday and arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) around 9:30am. Since I’ve been to Bangkok 3 times in the past, I know it’s best to take the train from the airport to the hotel because it’s way cheaper and faster than taxi.
It only took me less than an hour to reach my destination. Trains are faster in Bangkok compared to taxis and buses and without several stops that I did to take pictures, I think it would only take me half an hour for the travel.
I alighted from the Sukhumvit MRT station and just 100 meters away, I easily spotted Tune Hotels Asoke with its distinct red and white colors.
When I entered the hotel, the friendly staff greeted me by saying “sawasdee” with a slight bow, and with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion. It’s like “mabuhay” in the Philippines, it’s a welcome greeting and it’s also used in saying goodbye which kinda mean “good luck.”
They say third time's a charm and it's true, well at least for me. I've been to Boracay 3 times already and it's the latest trip to the island paradise that charmed me the most because of the hotel.
While some travelers don't give much importance to where they stay when they're on a trip and they see hotels as somewhat just a place to sleep, I have a different opinion. For me, accommodations are part of your journey and these hotels can give as much memories as the attractions you are going to. Well, if the hotel can give you a pleasant experience, that is.
My trip to Boracay last month was made even more wonderful because of the hotel we stayed in for 3 days and 2 nights: Zuzuni Boutique Hotel. It was a pleasant surprise when we arrived because it's my first time to a beachfront hotel, ever. In my previous trips, we stayed in a large hotel that is far from the beach. So aside from sharing the space with lots of other 'bakasyonistas,' it takes us about 5 to 10 minutes walk before we reach the beach. In Zuzuni, it was a different story.
My room is located at the 3rd floor. These squeaky clean wooden stairs directed me to my room.
And when I opened the door, everything's so clean and nice and the whole room was well-lit. According to some staff-members, everything was Mediterranean-inspired.
Here's my bed which is kinda similar to the ones in 5-star hotels. The sheets smell really nice and the comfort level is definitely 10/10!
My favorite part, and what enthralled me the most, was the balcony! Zuzuni is a beachfront hotel so the view from my room's balcony is mesmerizing. A perfect place to relax, I can see the ocean from here, some trees, the people walking by, the sailboats, and the powdery sands of Station 1.
Here's the view from my room:
And here's the sliding glass window of my room which I like to keep open because I love breathing fresh air coming from the ocean.
Located at the ground floor is the Spanish-inspired restaurant called "Cuzina." They serve Filipino, Spanish and American breakfast here. If you're a guest at the hotel, you are entitled to a free breakfast. My choice was always Filipino breakfast, tocilog and tapsilog on the next day.
After eating breakfast, I work for an hour or two with my laptop and this amazing view:
Overall, my stay at Zuzuni Hotel was great. Everything was very clean from the comfort room to the balcony. They served delicious breakfast. The staff was friendly and eager to please. The location was very convenient, it's just a few hops away from the beach and near all the shops, bars, restaurants, water sports activities, that you need. Beside there was even a convenience store where you can buy the necessities that you forgot to bring. It's also 5-10 minutes away from D Mall.
If you're Boracay bound, I highly recommend Zuzuni Hotel simply because of my terrific 3 days 2 nights experience. Take note, it garnered a very high 8.4 score from Agoda.com with lots of positive feedbacks from 42 people who've been there so you can expect more good reviews about the this hotel.
