Taal Vista Hotel- Tagaytay, what to do here?

 

Another article for our go-to destination this pandemic, Tagaytay. Invited by one of my friends, I don't know where to start or what to write, I had a great time, too much to translate it into words.

I was invited for a three day stay in Taal Vista Hotel, formerly known as the Taal Vista Lodge, one of the most prominent hotels in Tagaytay. It was a short-notice that I initially turned down. I had a lot in my plate during the normal days juggling priorities in one hand, I realized I needed this break. I phoned my friend and said I changed my mind, count me in, I need a breather.

One of the reasons why I gave it a go was for the reason that it was a hassle free vacation, no rt pcr test needed, but health declaration form must be presented and guests should be fully vaccinated. Tagaytay has been very welcoming to its guests since 2020, it's very close to Manila and always been Manilenyo's go-to destination during this pandemic. 

It was a quick trip from Manila to Tagaytay, if my memory serves me right it took us only an hour to reach Tagaytay, by far the quickest travel going to Tagaytay I had.  Upon arriving we were greeted by the hotel staff, they carried our bags and we registered our names at the lobby. I walked past the lobby extension all the way to the hotel's restaurant, I was amazed by its contemporary interior, it was not even the room yet but I was impressed in an instant. 

It's been a while since I had my hotel stay and I missed the feeling of being surprised by the hotel's interiors, that "ooooohh, this is nice" kind of moment was what I was missing. 

 

 Before we headed up to our rooms, our group decided to have lunch at Veranda (TVH's in-house restaurant) since all of us haven't had breakfast yet, we figured it's a good start, we heard excellent reviews about their food and we couldn't wait to try it. We waited for the food to be served, maybe around thirty minutes or less, when the food arrived we took photos of them. 

If you are in a company of bloggers, "Eat it while it's hot" is never their thing, for instance if you ordered a sisig just off the grill, you will see it sizzle but you're never going to eat it hot, believe me. The photo sesh took thirty minutes. We enjoyed all the food they served, like literally I couldn't choose which one is the best, we had Salinyasi, gising-gising and crispy pata, all were superb but for that meal alone I would go for gising-gising, just because I could mix it with my rice and eat crispy pata and salinyasi with it. We also got the chance to talk to the chef who prepared our food, he shared how the food was intricately prepared and what other dishes they would serve for us in the couple of days, this light conversation with him made us all excited for the next meal. 

After indulging ourselves with Veranda's food we went up to our rooms, we were given keys for each room. By the way TVH is only a four-storey hotel, not like the ordinary airbnb accommodations, it's not a condo. Actually, on our way up to our rooms I asked the hotel attendant "do you have a penthouse?" she just simply said no but I later realized that it was a stupid question to even ask, face palm. 

The room was perfect, but I had to admit,  there are other hotels with more modern designs and interiors but what made the room perfect was the view, it has the best view of Tagaytay. Of all the places I have been (hotels and bed & breakfast in Tagaytay) this by far was the most stunning view I had of Taal. From the little veranda of my room I can see the Sky Ranch theme park, as it sits next to it. I was enjoying the cold mountain breeze and seeing the fog building-up in the view made me realized that I haven't felt this in a while, this is exactly what I was missing. I stayed in the room for a bit before we headed down and went for a walk. 

 

 

After an hour of spending my me-time, we went for a walk, we went for a guided walk tour and discovered fascinating facts about the hotel. They call it "A walk through time" and found that TVH is the Philippines' second oldest hotel next to Manila Hotel, I had to ask and confirm again if we were talking about the entire Philippines or just in Tagaytay, and yes in the entire Philippines. 

We saw the history wall that tells the story of the hotel, it's like trip down the memory lane seeing the old photos of its old façade, the people who stayed here, guests who made history and people who paved the way to the country that we are today, significant people who once guested the hotel. 

What really amazed me was the fact that it was built years and years ago but the aesthetic and its charm are never behind the times. This 82-year old 4 star hotel continues to serve the present generation and will carry on to serve the next. 

See the guided walk tour package here: https://bit.ly/3C8EMYv

It was a tiring day, a snuggly cozy room was the best way to call it a day. I had a real relaxing time the entire night, just me and my laptop, streaming my favorite netflix series, it was a perfect me-time. It's been a while since I had this kind of self pampering. 

When I woke up the next day, I got to enjoy the cold weather of Tagaytay while sipping a hot chocolate, it couldn't be any better. 

I spent my entire 3 days satiating myself with everything I can here in Taal Vista Hotel. 

GLAM PICNIC PACKAGE

Aside from its magnificent view of Taal Volcano, nice cozy accommodation, and delectable food options, Taal Vista Hotel offers a unique experience to all their guests. One of the must-tries is their Glam Picnic Package where guests get to explore and enjoy their finger food options, they served assortments of finger food like Pizza, slices of bread, cakes, charcuterie platter, etc. I loved how they set up this Glam Picnic, we enjoyed sitting on the neatly trimmed lawn, enjoying the food, the weather and witnessed the sunset fade. We had this activity around 3pm until we all had our tummies full. I would love to do it again on my next visit to TVH.

 

For inquiries check their website here: 

https://bit.ly/3LSJii2

DINE UNDER THE STARS

Another food experience you all must try in Taal Vista. Dine Under the Stars is not your quintessential dining experience, here in TVH, they will always go for the superbs and the extravagant. We had this on our last night, it was a lovely set-up under an IG-worthy dome, though I was here with my friends I still felt the romantic ambiance they are trying to convey. They served NY strip steak, sea bass, rissoto, chicken, salad, and lemon sherbet. Most of the dishes they served reminded me of Hell's Kitchen, honestly. We started around 5pm, we could still see the breathtaking view of Taal, at around 6pm we could see the city lights from where we were. 

We enjoyed this Dine Under the Stars so much, I can say that it was the  highlight of our stay in TVH. Make sure to try this during your stay! 

This activity is not only for couples, this is also perfect for families who want a little twist on their dinner.

Make an early reservation here: 

Photo credit to Project Gora