 |
| Casa Vellejo facade |
I was up in Baguio City after having spent time in Banaue and Sagada. I was with Dutch guests and we had arrived on the tail end of the Panagbenga festival; Baguio's take on the Rose Bowl parade celebrating the city's profusion of flowers.
 |
| lobby shot |
It was crowded and noisy. Traffic was rerouted. Roads were blocked. Live performances were aplenty on make-shift stages on Session Road. And it seemed half of Metro Manila's population joined in on the fun. We had to double back to find the road leading to the hotel.
 |
| fireplace at the lobby |
But when we got there... aaahhhh! We were surrounded by a cocoon of genteel charm!
 |
| the grand staircase |
Casa Vallejo is situated on the lower slopes of Upper Session Road right where the SM Mall is located. Strategic, yes... but what a sight spoiler that mall is! In any case, it was nice that even after some controversy, Casa Vallejo was not sold to private individuals who would have demolished the historied walls of this quaint hotel.
 |
| signage in wood |
Built in 1909 in the American Colonial style, Casa Vallejo reminds one of the an old, much lived in, comfortable home where wooden floors are polished and wooden beams glow in the amber light of chandeliers. Formerly a hill station under the American regiime, not much has changed in its over a century of existence. The cavernous dining hall named Hill Station (what else?) serves updated Filipino dishes and has a great picture window view of the hills down below... now a hodge-podge of various roofing material (sad, really.)
 |
| exposed wooden beams in the dining hall |
It's a blessing that residents of Baguio took to protesting what would have been a crime to our national heritage - the demolition of Casa Vallejo! It's rooms evoke a homeyness that have an understated luxury. and the food ain't bad, either. So when you're up in Baguio for a summer get-away don't forget to make you reservations waaaay in advance. It's not that expensive and it's worth your hard-earned cash.
 |
| the Hill Station restaurant |
No comments:
Post a Comment