Eye in the Sky: One Tagaytay Place - Pleasant Getaway on A Summer's Day

Barely 1.5 hours south of Manila, Tagaytay has always been a favorite weekend getaway for the busy city dwellers. It's also where scenic Taal Volcano, the Philippines' second most active volcano is located. But people also come here for its cool weather, laidback atmosphere and retreat-worthy environment. I've been here so many times, but so have others. In fact, featuring Tagaytay isn't our main intention in writing this. In one of my fast sojourns, I have come across "One Tagaytay Place Hotel Suites", and this is our focal feature.

Located along the city's Tagaytay-Calamba Road, this 6-floor, 155-room complex is an efficiently run modern establishment. The rooms are tastefully designed and well maintained.

My room in divided into 3 parts which includes a TV room and the main bedroom. The bed is comfortable. The rest of the place is clean. It has a bathroom, 2 LCD cable televisions, a small sofa, a ref, lamp shades and an AC, and enough chairs with laptop tables. The walls are sturdy and the halls are quiet. I also had a veranda with a view of a farm. The hotel is tucked away from the road so you don't hear a lot of noise emanating from the nearby road.

The hotel, which opened in 2008, has a swimming pool with breath-taking views of the area and the posh village below where One Tagaytay is a part of. My booking included breakfast buffet (see photo below) at the Azalea Restaurant at the first floor beside the front desk. There's Verve Art Gallery, the Aurora Ballroom, a sports bar, a fitness and a business center, a spa, and Rowena's Tarts for those sweets and pasalubongs. There's a 7-11 in front of the hotel that's open 24 hours a day. Wifi is fast.

This Tagaytay visit was short but sweet. I did roam a bit, but I wasn't there as a tourist so there was no checklist of places to see. The lookout view overlooking the volcano didn't have perfect visibility, but the view wasn't bad. What caught my attention was how Taal Lake teemed with a huge number of fish pens so it's really no wonder why "fish kill" intermittently occurs in these parts. You do wish the local government would regulated construction of these fish pens to protect the ecosystem. For the first time, I also visited Our Lady of Lourdes Church. If you have petitions, this I feel is one of the best places for the faithful owing to its serene surroundings. Besides, it's an auxiliary center for the devotees of Padre Pio because this is being managed by the Capuchin priests.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

One Tagaytay Place Hotel Suites is located in 445 Barrio Sungay West, Tagaytay-Calamba Road, Tagaytay City. For inquiries, please DO NOT inquire in this blog. Call (+632) 584 4111 | or (+6346) 483 0111 for more information. Mobile No. +63922 8348874. Their Manila Sales Office - (+632) 477 7111 | (+632) 633 1311. You may also email them - reservations@onetagaytayplace.com.

Visit their website at http://www.onetagaytayplace.com/

Hotel lobby. Fast check-in and out with their friendly staff.

To the elevators.

Interiors of the elevator.

Painting at the lobby.

My bed

TV room (above and below) although there'also television in the bedroom. Perfect for quarreling lovers? :)

My room's balcony.

Swimming pool

View from the pool . The posh neighborhood of Barrio Sungay West.

One Tagaytay Place

My haul from the breakfast buffet table.

Direction:
(courtesy of the hotel's website)

If you’re traveling via the SLEX:

Take the Sta. Rosa Exit and turn right immediately after the expressway tollgates. This takes you to the Tagaytay-Sta. Rosa Road. Drive west, where you’ll pass by Paseo de Sta. Rosa, and travel all the way to the junction where the Tagaytay City Market is located. Turn left at the junction toward Picnic Grove and People’s Park in the Sky. Our Tagaytay lodge, found on the left side of the highway, is about 800 meters from this junction.

If you’re traveling via the Aguinaldo Highway:

Drive straight toward Tagaytay Circle (Rotunda). Turn left toward Picnic Grove and People’s Park. Our Tagaytay lodge, found on the left side of the highway, about 4 km. from the Tagaytay Circle (Rotunda)