Baguio via Concorde

Baguio is the kind of place that conjures images of green pines and winding roads. It is one of the few places in the country where a sweater is considered "fashionable." But above all this is the desire for more than just a pretty picture – to get a feel of the highland chill, taste the fresh fruits and vegetables and walk along streets rich with artistic history and culture.

The next thing you need is a place to stay.

It takes, at the most, five hours to travel from Manila to Baguio by bus – slightly faster if you take a car and much quicker by plane. My companions and I opted for the bus. We took the midnight trip, hoping to catch some sleep along the way. After a stopover in Tarlac and another in Pangasinan, we came upon the newly renovated Marcos Highway. In the dimness of 4 a.m., I could see, through the bus window, a smooth blanket of cement where once was a crumbling road and reinforced steel which once was rusted road railings. In less than 45 minutes, we came upon the brand-new feature of the renovated highway – the "flyover" with a tunnel-like structure designed to shield commuters from frequent landslides.

We arrived half past five with the usual crowd of hawkers by the bus door. It wasn’t that difficult finding a cab. Baguio has one of the highest concentrations of taxicabs for a city its size, and hailing a cab is as easy as raising your hand at the curb. Baguio taxi drivers also have the rare trait of giving the exact change.

One of the nice things about Baguio is that everything is, almost always, five to 10 minutes away from each other. The cab whisked us off to where we would stay for the next three days.

Located within the Europa Center along Legarda street, the Concorde Hotel is perched atop a hill, giving a nice view of the Baguio suburbs. It was still dark when we arrived at the hotel. The front deskperson welcomed us with a note from general manager Michael Siy, inviting us to have an early morning breakfast at Denise Café, their 24-hour coffee shop. He was to meet us after lunch, after we had fully rested from the trip.

As we made our way to our rooms, we were struck by the rustic charm of the place – old wood-plank floors and earthen brick walls. Stuffed animal heads, antique rifles and pistols decorated the pillars of the central atrium where we took a glass-windowed elevator which gave a view of the grand wooden staircase accessing all five floors of the main building. The rooms all had the same quaint atmosphere as the hallways. The walls spoke of an old European allure. The rooms were cozy, with cable TV, phone, comfortable beds, and hot water to survive the mountain chill. The sliding glass windows opened into a small balcony, affording a view of the sunrise.

After having breakfast, we retired to our rooms. Contrary to popular belief, it could get hot in the highlands too. But it was more bearable here, under in the shade of pine trees and in the midst of the enveloping fog. It wasn’t that cold when we finally woke up a couple of hours before noon. We gathered for lunch at the coffee shop which specialized in Filipino, American and Continental cuisine. Immediately next door was the fine-dining Kingswood Villa restaurant specializing in Chinese cuisine. Unlike the coffee shop that could seat 100 to 120 guests, the Chinese restaurant could accommodate well around 300. Right next door was the Hanasusi restaurant, serving traditional Japanese dishes. Two function rooms, Banaue and Bahaghari, could accommodate birthday parties and other functions, the former seating over 500 people and the latter, 80-100 guests.

Much as we wanted to believe that Concorde was built during the late-1930s, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that it was put up much more recently. "Concorde is a 100-percent Filipino-owned company and was conceptualized in 1993. We started operations in 1995, and now, we’re on our seventh year," said Michael. Then, Concorde was the city’s biggest hotel with 150 rooms.

Concorde set out to be different from the others. Its comfortable and laid-back atmosphere evoked the feeling of going home to a typical mountain log cabin, with the smell of pine and warmth of a fireplace.

The hotel can arrange tours for its guests, if they wish, tying up with local transport firms and tour operators. It is favored by many vacationing groups because of its room rates, which have remained unchanged since it opened — and the fact that as many people can occupy a room without having to pay extra.

Baguio, indeed, has changed through the years. Numerous businesses and fastfood haunts line Session Road. Wagwagan stalls selling second-hand clothes and accessories dot every street corner. But stay a couple of nights more, and you’ll see the city is more than just a place to seek refuge from the heat. Concorde Hotel captures that Baguio spirit and culture. Wouldn’t it be great to start off at the right place?

(For more information on Concorde Hotel or reservations, call (074) 443-2058 or 443-2060 to 61. Or contact Concorde’s Makati office at (632) 892-3153, fax at (632)8173111, e-mail concorde@mozcom.com and log on to http://www2.mozcom.com/~concorde.)