Showing posts with label kid friendly hotels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kid friendly hotels. Show all posts

Thursday, August 22, 2013

A weekend in Tagaytay

Last August 9, we trooped to Tagaytay with my ex-officemates and their families and stayed at  the Taal Vista Hotel.  We bought our hotel vouchers from Deal Grocer, which had a pretty good deal at P3,999 overnight package for two with buffet breakfast!

Going to Tagaytay is usually an easy drive.  It would  take us an hour to an hour and a half to get there.  But that weekend was crazy.   We were not aware that there was an INC (Iglesia ni Cristo) gathering in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.  We were stuck in Greenfield alone for two hours, can you imagine!  Loads of buses and jeepneys were parked everywhere, plus people walking along the road made it harder for vehicles to pass through.  We were able to breathe when we hit Nuvali and there was no more traffic.  We finally arrived at our destination at 4:30pm, after three and a half hours of travel time.

It was my first time to stay in Taal Vista hotel.  I have always loved hanging out there because it is the only hotel in Tagaytay that has sprawling grounds that kids will enjoy.  Not to forget that it also a great view of the Taal Lake.

We stayed at their Deluxe Room in the new wing.   You would have to walk quite a distance going to their rooms which can be a challenge for some, especially senior citizens.   But don't fret!  They have golf carts available that can take you to the lobby or to the other side of the hotel.

The size of the room was just right.   I found it ok.  We had a King sized bed and a daybed and the room had the basic necessities.   I would have loved it if the room was carpeted, that there was a door in the bathroom and that there was a detachable shower head.

The shower and toilet areas have frosted glass doors, but it still felt weird not having a door in the bathroom, especially if you have other people with you other than family.  The shower area is quite spacious.  It is a good thing that they have a rubber mat because the tiles get too slippery when wet.  But if you have a little boy who loves water so much and would jump in excitement while showering, better bring an extra rubber mat.  Child-friendly and Child safety. Yes, these are the things that I notice or look for especially when I became a mother.

The hotel also has a small play room.   It was small and there wasn't really much to do.  They just placed some books,  a plastic playground system and a TV.  There were a few dead insects lying around in the corners of the room.  Still,  I am thankful that they even thought of putting a playroom.  But I hope they can somehow re-do it.  Make it more kid friendly and cleaner.

Moving on to breakfast, they have a pretty sumptuous buffet spread.  There was a lot of people checked in but we were able to secure a place even if we were quite a big group.  They had Filipino and American breakfast dishes like Adobo, garlic rice, lugaw, danggit, taho,pancakes, bacon, cereals, etc. They also have an Omelette station, which is always a plus.    After breakfast, the kids just enjoyed running up and down the garden.  We were not able to swim because of the inclement weather.

In general, the hotel staff was friendly.  Any chance they pass by you, they will greet you and would offer to help you in case you are carrying something.  We just weren't happy about how the F&B manager handled my friend's request about the waiving of corkage, but that's another story.

Overall, we still had an enjoyable stay.  There are some details that they are missing out on and hope they will address it. The kids enjoyed running around the garden and just having a relaxing weekend.  We will definitely go back because we love how big the place is, lots of room for running for R.



My friend's daughter was celebrating her birthday that day.  Cupcakes were made by moi.
Personalized greeting.
Deluxe Room bathroom.  No door.

Deluxe Room bathroom.

Deluxe Room.

King sized bed + a daybed.

Vanity and media area.

Playroom.

A few books in the playroom.

R running.  What's new.


R loved going up and down the garden.
  



Saturday, March 16, 2013

Weekend Staycation at Acacia Hotel

Before I pop in a couple of months, we decided to spend some alone time with our son for a weekend. Luckily, Acacia hotel in Alabang was having a promo (ahhh the beauty of groupon deals!) in Deal Grocer for only P3500 for 2 with breakfast! The reviews about this fairly new 5-star hotel in the South were pretty good.

We arrived at around 2:30pm and check out was a breeze, accompanied by a welcome drink! We stayed in the Deluxe room. The room was good enough for a family of three and bigger than the Deluxe room of Edsa Shangri-la. I so loved the King sized bed and the fluffy pillows! Rocco enjoyed himself immensely just running around the room and peaking through the glass window watching the cars pass by. Another plus would be the bathtub - especially if you have kids with you!

At around 5pm, we went down to the pool area. The pool was pretty small. So, if you're a serious swimmer, it's not for you especially if it's a weekend and full of kids. There were also a few lounge chairs but the staff were quick enough to bring in additional chairs when requested. Plus points would be the complimentary Iced Tea that they serve.

Dining wasn't a problem. If you don't feel like eating at the hotel's restaurant or just getting room service, there are restaurants near the hotel. For dinner, we decided to eat at Conti's which was just across the back of the hotel.

By 8:30am the following day, we were ready for breakfast. I was a bit surprised that there was a line and we waited for 10 minutes before we finally got a table. I was quite disappointed to see that there were numerous dishes that needed to be replenished (never encountered this in other 5 star hotels) and it took them quite a while to do so, same with the glasses. They had American, Japanese, Korean and Filipino dishes but none of the food gave me an impression. I am not really into the quantity of the buffet spread but honestly I expected more in terms of quality and taste. So yes, breakfast was a letdown and I did not enjoy it, too bad.











Overall, we enjoyed our stay in Acacia hotel, except for breakfast. I'd say I'd still recommend it and will probably go back -but either we have breakfast at an earlier time or maybe just dine out.

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