In case you haven’t noticed, my family loves going to Baguio.  Like, it’s pretty much our thing.  We’d been going there at least once a year for as long as I can remember although this was pretty much thanks to the building that the company my father used to work for owned.  It was right smack down in Session road and the company was nice enough to lease a couple of the non-commercial rooms to employees.  I remember waking up at four in the morning so we could start the drive early and be in Baguio City a little bit past noon – the perfect time for a big Chinese meal at the now defunct Star Cafe.

Unfortunately because my father retired last year (and mostly also because the company sold the building a couple of years ago), we began our hunt for the perfect hotel in Baguio.  We’ve tried out a few over the past couple of years and while a lot of the places we’ve stayed in were nice, we have yet to find something completely perfect.  You’ll notice that we’re quite the picky bunch; that tends to happen when suddenly you find yourself paying for something you’ve gotten for free for a long time.

When my Papa retired last year (and mostly also because the company sold the building a couple of years ago), our hunt for the perfect hotel in Baguio began. We’ve tried out a few over the past couple of years and while a lot of the places we’ve stayed in were nice, we have yet to find something completely perfect. You’ll notice that we’re quite the picky bunch; that tends to happen when suddenly you find yourself paying for something you’ve gotten for free for a long time.

Last month my Papa and Kuya managed to book a couple of rooms at the Chalet Baguio. Our trip was supposed to be in the first week of January (to coincide with my annual leave from work) but gosh, everywhere we checked it was fully booked! I can’t imagine how congested Baguio City was during the holidays and am somewhat thankful that we went during the “off-peak” season.

I think they got two Deluxe Room – Doubles – one for my parents and myself and another once for my brother and his family.

From the website:

Ideal for couples and leisure or business travelers who simply wish to unwind in solitude. Each of our Deluxe Double comes equipped with a queen size bed and sofa bed, LCD cable TV, air-conditioning, hot and cold shower, bathroom amenities, and free WiFi access.

Note: Rates are good for 2 persons. Extra person charge of PhP 700 per night inclusive of free breakfast.

Inclusions: Daily breakfast, 2 complimentary bottled water daily, safety deposit box, telephone, electric kettle, and minibar.

• Air Conditioning

• Room Service

• Built-in Safe

• Free Internet WiFi

• LCD Cable Television

My parents found the room to be a bit tight but I liked it. I slept on the sofa bed (the perks of being a fifth-wheel, lol) and it wasn’t uncomfortable at all. It was actually the perfect size for my height and I liked that it was right next to the big tall window that eventually became the source of warmth during the chilly mornings. The view wasn’t very nice though; it just looked out to the graveyard of abandoned cars of the neighboring junkyard.

I liked the decors because they were simple and understated yet functional. The decorative headboard also functioned as a nightlight (if you had kids, I think this would be really handy). The room also had a multitude of wall sockets that very much kept everyone happy as our gadgets all juiced up. The bathroom was also quite big although it did have that weird frosted glass as a wall that hotels seem to favor for some reason.

They had this floor-to-ceiling shelf that was deceptively spacious. It actually ended up as my closet because the actual closet was too far for me, who wanted everything within my reach. That probably would have been my only gripe about the room – the closet was too small.

The lobby was quite small. While perfectly serviceable as a waiting place for your taxi, it’s not really big enough to be a hangout place if you get sick of your hotel room. Although plus points for having the a few tables out in the lobby where guests can eat in Dulcinea, the official restaurant of Chalet Baguio. Their food was really good and very affordable. We were supposed to go out for dinner on our last night there but because it was raining we all just decided to stay in. We ended up staying a couple of hours because we all had cake and unlimited coffee after dinner, lol.

The staff was also extremely nice. They were all very courteous and polite whenever we came across them in the hallway. They even game my nephew a toy car! It’s one of his favorites up ‘til this day.

The location is also nice because it was only a few minutes from the city proper. Though this might be a down side during the peak season. I can easily imagine the street outside clogged up with all sorts of vehicles trying to make their way to Session Road. Another con for this hotel, by the way, was the itty-bitty tiny parking space. They had space for about four cars in front of the establishment and their basement parking could hold up an additional five vehicles. There is no way that that’s enough for a hotel with three floors. We actually had to park our van on the street one night because we got back quite late.

All in all our stay in Chalet Baguio was good. We enjoyed the food (I particularly liked the breakfast fare), the rooms were a little bit small but reasonably priced and the staff was great. I’d recommend going here if you’re not bringing a car.

Upper Military Cutoff Road, Baguio City, Philippines