I've always wanted to come back to Baguio City with my family. The last time we were there together was more than 10 years ago. We unwisely planned the trip for Holy Week and had a difficult time finding good accommodations as well as got stuck in a horrible 9-hour traffic going back to Manila. That was when we decided to come back someday when the city won't be too crowded with tourists.
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| #TeamFloresca at Azalea |
Finally, we had a chance to return to Baguio after the summer rush of visitors is over -- and we had an awesome time! :) Together with a few friends and their families, we excitedly went North one fine Wednesday morning last July. I was so happy that our eldest son was able to get away from work for a few days but quite sad that our youngest had to stay behind with my mom because he had to go to school.
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| the beauty that is Azalea Baguio |
It was quite surprising how faster it is to travel to Baguio nowadays thanks to the SCTex and TPLex routes. We arrived at Azalea Hotels & Residences Baguio just in time for a delicious lunch at Tradisyon Coffee Shop. But first, we checked in our rooms and were delighted to find out how lovely and spacious our well-appointed two-bedroom suite was which had complete living, dining, and kitchen facilities!
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| the dining and living room area of an Azalea suite |
Indeed Azalea Baguio is a very ideal destination for families and friends who travel together in big groups. It has 99 well-equipped and multi-occupant apartment suite rooms: 46 Deluxe, 17 One-Bedroom, 33 Two-Bedroom, and 3 Three-Bedroom that provide guests a great venue to bond over home-cooked meals and fun conversations.
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| Rey claiming first dibs on the Swiss Miss sachet he found in the kitchen |
We didn't get to use the kitchen facilities much though because we got busy going around Baguio to quaint and charming places as well as areas that got our creative juices flowing (read more about those in another blog post).
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| at one of the charming places we went to (find out where in my other blog post :D) |
For now, here's listing down the top things #TeamFloresca loves about Azalea:
1. The rooms are lovely! Nothing beats a hotel room that has all the amenities we need for a home away from home. The beds (including the sofa bed!) are so comfortable to sleep in. For two nights, all of us, especially our son with special needs, were able to get long and very restful sleep to fuel us for another day of exciting activities.
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| our James sleeping well through the night simply means the bed is definitely a comfortable one |
2. The food in Tradisyon is really good. We ate several meals in the hotel's restaurant, which always ended with filled tummies and smiles on our faces. On two mornings, I zeroed in on mushroom omelettes and the danggit (dried and fried fish) during breakfast because they were some of the best I've had in months! I also love this dining place's interior!
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| enjoying our yummy pizza and pasta dinner |
3. There's fast WiFi! More than just posting on social media, for me, good communication lines are a must when traveling so I can keep in touch with members of my family left behind (like my youngest son and mom, in this case). Aside from landline calls or text messages via mobile phone, it's easier to chat via Facebook, post photos, and keep updated about each other from both ends.
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| Tradisyon's accent wall is something you'd love to post online, too! |
4. Transportation (with a good driver!) can be arranged to and from Manila. There are not many hotels who provide this kind of service so we are very thankful that Azalea took care of this part of our trip as well. The hotel likewise provided us a van we could use to go around Baguio with. Talk about convenience! :)
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| PWD access ramps made it easier to get James in and out of Azalea |
5. Handicap accessibility and 24-hour medical assistance. Traveling with a child who has special needs is challenging. Thankfully, we have a foldable wheelchair that was easy to push going in and out of the hotel via gently sloping PWD ramps and spacious elevators. In addition, one of the nicest things Azalea's management did was to insist for one of their nurses to join us during our tours around Baguio! We didn't ask nor expected it but we are deeply grateful for having Nurse Meg Ferrer who helped watch over James while the rest of the family explored areas nearby that were no longer wheelchair-accessible. Thank you sooooo much, Meg and Azalea! :)
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| James with Nurse Meg who is super, super nice and really great to talk to |
6. Thoughtful acts of kindness. Opening the door to one's room and finding a big basket filled with fruits as well as little boxes of cookies, chocolates, and chocolate-dipped strawberries was already very much appreciated. But when my oldest son (who works on night shift) decided to forgo dinner twice to catch up on sleep, Azalea staff offered to bring up food on a big plate to our room so Rey can eat when he wakes up around midnight. Again, that kind of service was unexpected and this mom sincerely says thank you from the bottom of my heart :)
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| fresh flowers, fruits, and sweet treats |
7. Proximity to nearby attractions. Azalea Baguio is just a few minutes away from Session Road and walking distance to Teacher's Camp and some food establishments like a Korean resto just outside the driveway. We planned to go running at the track oval but were, unfortunately, refused entry because my barefoot runner husband was not wearing any shoes. And so we headed towards Camp John Hay instead where we had a great time running all the way to Choco-late de Batirol (located around 2.5km from the hotel). It drizzled a bit so we got wet but the cold feeling was quickly washed away by a hot shower the moment we got back to our room.
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| photo op in between a practice run around Camp John Hay :D |
8. Choices of themed rooms. We were able to take a peek into other rooms aside from ours and were delighted to find various offerings that are ideal for families with young kids as well as couples who would like to have a romantic getaway. I could imagine ladies saying "Awww!" when they get surprised by their special someone with a room filled with rose petals and creatively-folded towels! On our last night, the moms and dads did videoke while the kids watched movies in separate function rooms.
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| excuse us but this room calls for some cheesiness hahaha! |
9. Quiet location. Azalea is tucked in a secluded hill, promising both the peace and gentleness of country living. It is so great to wake up in the morning and stay for a while on the balcony to gaze at the surroundings and watch the sun bathe the trees while the fog and dew melt away.
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| one of my best morning shots ever was taken from our room's balcony on Azalea Baguio's 5th floor |
10. It is, overall, a beautiful place. Azalea's structure resembles that of a ski-resort which, I've read is a clever inspiration for the Summer Capital's first vacation residence that brings thoughts of family vacations and friendly holidays. The facade as well as everything inside the establishment are definitely world-class and would delight both local and foreign tourists.
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| our big and happy group before heading back to Manila |
If you're planning to go up to Baguio any time soon, be it with just one special person or your whole gang of loved ones, book your stay at Azalea Hotels & Residences located at Leonard Wood Loop. For bookings and inquiries, log on to www.azaleabaguio.com, email reservations@azalea.com.ph, or call the following numbers: (+632) 4501151 / 4501584 / 4508753 / 5794890 / 5794894 [Manila office] and (+6374) 4248710 / 4248711 / 4248716 [Baguio office].
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| a top view of Azalea's driveway, playground (left side), and separate building (green roof) with function rooms and clinic |
Be updated about the hotel's promos and good deals by following @azaleabaguio on Instagram, @AzaleaResidence on Twitter, and Azalea Residences Baguio on Facebook.
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