If you’ll be heading up to Baguio, one of the things you need to experience is staying in a log cabin warmed by a nice hot fireplace. Unfortunately, log cabins are tough to come by in Baguio today so getting settled in a nice wooden hotel is your next best bet.
One of the places you may want to consider is the Pine’s View Hotel. Located on Legarda Road, it is the street leading to McArthur Highway. It is in a very convenient location that you can simply walk down the hill to Burnham Park.
Table of Contents
Directions
Loft
If you are coming from Marcos Highway, keep your eyes peeled when you enter Baguio because you’ll find it on the left side of the road. This is the same road leading down to Burnham Park. It is easier to spot if you look for a two-row parking space in front of a five-story building because it is the only one with this type of parking.
Straight Staircase
Once booked in the hotel, it is more convenient to just leave one’s vehicle in the parking lot and walk around Baguio. Being just up the hill from Burnham Park, a block away from the market, and a couple of blocks away from restaurants make it a good location.
It is far enough from the traffic and the urban noise, but close enough so guests can walk to destinations in the middle of the City of Pines.
Lobby
The most striking feature of this hotel is the lobby. With the walls decorated in wood and stone, it makes for a very cozy picture.
Lobby
With the posts and walls projecting a somewhat old feel to it, the floor is more modern as it is composed of big, off-white tiles.
The front desk is found on the left side and at the end of the lobby. It is behind a stone arch, in keeping with the rest of the room.
Front Desk
But the most impressive site has to be the wooden staircase. Starting somewhat straight at the bottom it begins to wind after passing through another stone arch before making a full 180 degree turn to deposit guests with a view of the loft.
For those not interested in climbing additional stairs after walking the hills of Baguio, an elevator is available for use. It fits around eight people but it does get full because it is the only one in the building.
Room
The rooms are more modest when compared to the lobby. With the only wooden things being the doors and cabinets, it is more spartan in design than other hotels.
Room
But if the design is spartan, it does come furnished with a television, a personal refrigerator, and Wi-Fi access.
An air conditioner and fireplace are conspicuously absent though. So for those who find the temperature a bit higher than expected, you may want to skip using the thick blankets. On the other hand, for those who find it chilly, an additional blanket should do the job of keeping you nice and toasty for the night.
We happened to be billed at the end of the corridor so the noise wasn’t as bad. Given that the majority of the rooms were booked by a ton of rowdy teenagers on a field trip, we were still more fortunate than those stuck in the middle rooms.
During the heat of the sun, I planned to keep the windows open. Unfortunately, the construction of the building beside us showed a lot of cigarette butts being thrown on the balcony being under construction. Once the construction is over, I expect that guests can once more open their windows to let in the cool night Baguio air.
Bathroom
Bathroom
Just like the room, the bathroom is more modern with it’s floor to ceiling tiles. With the entire room being colored in cream, it made the large bathroom look even bigger.
And for those of you who have had nightmares of freezing cold water, rest assured, your experience will be pleasant this time around.
Despite being fully booked, we never ran out of hot, scalding water to bathe in. And unlike some beach bathrooms that would clog, the water flowed freely from the shower nozzle down to the drain. No puddles, just nice hot fog.
Food
Breakfast
For a total of PhP 2,600, the complimentary buffet breakfast was simple. Composed of steamed white rice, Corned Beef, Sunny Side Up Eggs, and Iced Tea, breakfast was served from six to ten in the morning.
Being in the province, the food was within expectations. It wasn’t wasn’t the full-of-flavor food that is heavy with mono sodium glutamate, so that was a good thing. What may have been lacking in explosive flavor was more than offset by the volume of the buffet.
Service
Dining Area
This is probably the hotel’s strongest point. Every member of the staff, from the guard all the way to room service was polite and very helpful.
Before we even signed the guest book, the bellboy was ready to bring up our luggage. When we requested for drinking glasses, it was sent up in a flash. And when it was time to check out, housekeeping was finished checking for anything that might be behind before we reached the front desk.
And given the rowdiness of the kids during our stay, they made an admirable effort of quieting people throughout the day and night so other guests could enjoy some peace and quiet.
Final Thoughts
Building at Night
The Pine’s View Hotel has a very good location and staff. And I must say that the continuously flowing hot water was greatly appreciated in the cold weather of Baguio.
And while there may be cheaper hotels closer to the center of the city, one trades this for noise and traffic. So if you are looking for something that is a bit more quiet but not too isolated, the Pine’s View Hotel is an option.
Till next time, keep your camera always ready because you never know when the next great shot will come!
Must Do’s
- Leave your car in the parking lot and just walk around Baguio.
- If you have a front room, enjoy the cool air by sitting on your balcony.
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