Azalea & the best of Baguio

MANILA, Philippines - There is always something new to discover in Baguio. For visitors like us, that is something we realize again and again. Just when we thought we have explored the city enough, along come new discoveries. Nowhere is this statement more accurate than our most recent stay at Azalea Residences Baguio.

We might as well call it the discovery weekend, since Azalea Residences hosted a tour of some of Baguio’s must-see, must-try, and must-visit spots. See, guests who check in at Azalea are entitled to privileges and discounts at the vacation residence’s partner-establishments, some of which were amply represented in this tour. But first, an introduction is in order.

Since opening last year, Azalea Residences has quickly become Baguio’s holiday haven. Its signature holiday packages, namely Family Fun, Group Getaway, and Romantic Retreat, are tailor-fit to a Baguio vacation that is to one’s own liking. As a highlight, Azalea is the first hotel and all-suite vacation residence in the city that offers the full services and amenities of a serviced apartment, complete with living, dining, and kitchen facilities in all its rooms.

Azalea houses 99 well-appointed hotel and suite rooms made up of 46 deluxe hotel rooms, 16 one-bedroom suites, 33 two-bedroom suites, three three-bedroom suites, and a presidential suite. The hotel rooms and suites remind guests what Azalea is — a residence, a home — thus each room functions and feels like an extension of one’s own house. There is a living area with a sofa bed and flat-screen television with cable connection, and toilet and hot-and-cold bath (the two-bedroom and three-bedroom suites have separate master bathrooms).

The amenities are just as complete: dining set, crockery, kitchen appliances and utensils, coffee and tea-making facilities, queen-size beds with imported bed linens, balcony in choice rooms, and many more.

Step out for a change and enjoy Azalea Residences’ other features: lobby lounge, playground, business center, Wi-Fi Internet connection, 24-hour doctor on call, and in-house restaurant Tradisyon, among others.

So what does one do in Baguio? Explore and experience, that’s what. Azalea Resorts & Residences president and chief operating officer Dulah Lipardo cannot urge her guests enough to go full-on with their Baguio vacation. Lipardo says encouragingly, “We want our guests to experience the place as a holiday destination. They do not just come to the hotel to stay inside. You are in Baguio: go out and have fun!”

For those, like us, who have run out of things to go to because of our, admittedly, still-limited knowledge of the nooks and crannies of Baguio, Azalea turns into the eager tour guide, the gateway to more fun in the Summer Capital. Lipardo says, “What we are doing is to give our guests the best destinations in Baguio. We picked out the finest places to visit, dine in, and shop. We partnered with them, thus guests can avail themselves of choice privileges and discounts from them.”

Lipardo adds: “The people of Baguio are proud of their city. They like to showcase their best offerings, some of which remain unfamiliar even to seasoned tourists. Through Azalea, we are able to recommend to guests where they can find these largely untried spots. We will gladly arrange visits to these places. We noticed that people tend to go to the exact same places whenever they are in Baguio. While there is nothing wrong with that, we suggest a more-than-the-usual vacation.”

True enough, our trip was definitely more than what we expected. Rather than returning to the old haunts, we welcomed ourselves to new territories. First stop was the Saint Louis University Museum of Arts & Cultures where its famed curator/archivist Isikias Picpican gave us a crash course on Cordilleran culture and traditions. The SLU museum is a traveler’s find as it boasts of a range of collections, from Cordillera house structures to gold processing implements, from weapons to burial artifacts, from music to dances. All in all, a most informative walk through indigenous traditions, something that makes visitors appreciate more what they see and experience in Baguio and anywhere within the Cordillera region.

Off to another Azalea partner, the Secret Garden Restaurant Café in South Drive. The restaurant specializes in delicious pizzas and pasta dishes, and offers a cozier, more intimate alternative to the usual smoky city joint. It has affordable rice meals and coffee concoctions on the menu, too. Come late in the afternoon and enjoy a spectacular view of the sunset. Well, with its so inviting atmosphere and cuisine, the Secret Garden will not remain that much of a secret for too long.

As the day winded down, we decided that we, too, needed to wind down. Our Azalea guides agreed, and led us to the North Haven Spa along Ferguson Road. The spa is known for its traditional Mt. Province massages such as Gis-Gis-To for the head; Tal-Talad-Tad, for the body; and Dagdagay, for the foot. The treatments calmed and relaxed everyone in the group, proving that an effective massage is all it takes to soothe, revive, and resuscitate.

Now what would a trip to Baguio be without visiting the famous BenCab Museum? Established by National Artist Benedicto Cabrera, the museum houses his own works and collections as well as those by Filipino masters, and new and noteworthy artists. There is more: indigenous arts and crafts, native implements and weapons, paintings and sculptures. It even boasts of the lovely Café Sabel with its fresh and organic cuisine, signature blend BenCab’s Brew, and views of the forest and duck pond.

Lunch was calling at the Balajadia Restaurant, an eatery in the slaughterhouse compound that opened in the 70s. How this existed without us self-proclaimed meat-lovers knowing about it is a mystery. However, nothing was mysterious anymore when the house specialties landed on our table: the inihaw na liempo with its pig’s blood dip, the traditional pinikpikan, bulalo, and the curiosity-arousing Butts & Balls (yes, saucy cow’s genitalia for the adventurous).

Off to the Easter Weaving Room right after, where we realized how correct Lipardo was about discovering Baguio through a different route. One of the main industries of Baguio is weaving, and, sadly, most visitors never get to witness the hands behind each woven work. The establishment not only sells woven products, it also gives visitors a guided tour to the workroom, where weavers finish one item after another. The weaving process is intricate, and how the workers pull it off is nothing short of genius.

Merienda was at Choco-Late de Batirol, a favorite at Camp John Hay. The place always impresses with its various chocolate drink preparations, same with its comforting bibingka, turon, suman, and other tasty treats. Also in Camp John Hay is Baguio Deli which offers all-day breakfast, hot and cold coffee drinks, and rice meals. It even sells delightful pasalubong such as longganisa, bagnet, choco flakes, and peanut brittle. Definitely worth checking.

This, more or less, is going to be the scenario of guests who want to get to know Baguio a little more. The sightseeing leads back to Azalea, where the comforts and conveniences of home await. One can choose to kick back at the 8 Degrees Bar or dine at Tradisyon.

Tradisyon’s new executive chef David Charles Griffiths happily announced that their menu has become “more exciting.” He shares, “Because I have lived in the country long enough, I am using my understanding of Filipino culture through the dishes I create. Here we get to source the best ingredients, so we are able to use them in our dishes in surprisingly new ways. We serve here what holiday-goers like to eat, which is more toward a comfort-food direction.”

Lipardo echoes: “Tradisyon, really, is more than just Filipino food. It is holiday food. We give an answer to the question ‘What do people eat on a holiday?’”

Griffiths reveals that among such answers are pizza and pasta. “Since those who stay in prefer something more down-home and familiar, we are recommending pizza done faster, hotter, and better than what is out there. As for room service, there is a menu of selections from Tradisyon, although we are open for requests. Guests will even want more of our Southern fried chicken and fish-and-chips.”

“We are adapting the menu of Tradisyon to our evolving market,” says Lipardo. Indeed, the outlet is moving toward giving what diners want on their table: something simple, fast, filling. No wonder their Mongolian and pasta buffets have become runaway hits.

The Azalea group is blazing a trail among hotels by offering membership shares, which is a pioneering concept in the local hospitality industry.

For a set amount, a membership share will afford a member perpetual vacation rights to Azalea’s line-up of hotels with a Boracay hotel in the offing by the last quarter of 2014, allowing members to enjoy accommodations for a set number of days per year.

“We have taken the notion of traditional vacation club shares — which usually grant privileges for about 20 to 30 years — and removed the expiry date, so members can enjoy it for as long as they desire,” says Lipardo. “The shares are transferable, and can even be passed from generation to generation.”

“Membership shares are also ideal for guaranteeing low-priced accommodations in destinations that are difficult to book,” she adds, pointing out that popular locations like Boracay have no lean months — only “peak and super-peak” seasons. “It is like owning the rights to a place whenever you need it.”

“Azalea shows that there is always good reason to come back every now and then. We are here to showcase the destination, to prove that there is more to Baguio than the usual,” she concludes. “Azalea is where you come home to after enjoying Baguio’s best.”

Azalea Residences currently offers its Family Fun Christmas Season Package starting at P12,000, good for two adults and two children, and let families enjoy the following perks: complimentary breakfast and lunch (or dinner), guaranteed 10 a.m. early check-in and late check-out up to 4 p.m., Baguio City tour, three-hour chauffeured van use, 20 percent discount in Tradisyon Coffee Shop, 20 percent discount on in-room massage, discounts on selected hotel partner-establishments in the city, and 40 percent hotel discount voucher for the next stay.

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Azalea Residences is located at Leonard Wood Loop (just before the Teacher’s Camp entrance), Baguio City. For hotel information, call the hotel reservations in Manila at (632) 925-8352, 0917-8611641 and in Baguio at (6374) 424-8716. E-mail at reservations@azalea.com.ph. For inquiries on membership shares, call (632) 634-7742 or (632) 925-8518 or visit its website at www.azalea.com.ph. Photos by Fernan Nebres