I visited San Pablo City, Laguna, in April of this year primarily to see
its seven lakes, but I didn’t want a rushed day trip. I wanted to linger and experience
a little more of what the city had to offer. And so I decided to stay overnight
and try another destination that a friend referred, the Bato Springs Resort,
and other places in neighboring towns (to be featured in a future post).
(READ: Day Trip: 7 Lakes of San Pablo City)
(READ: Day Trip: 7 Lakes of San Pablo City)
My two-day/one-night stay in the city let me experience not just its fabled
lakes but also “culture” and the rejuvenating water of
nearby Mount Banahaw, courtesy of its colonial-themed hotel &
restaurant and popular springs resort.
Sulyap Bed &
Breakfast Boutique Hotel/Gallery Cafe & Restaurant
The establishment’s appeal resides in its heritage theme and retro vibe. It has five
buildings (1 reception/restaurant, 1 restaurant, 2 houses that serve as residences,
and 1 function area), four of which were designed and built using materials
recovered from old ancestral houses. The property includes a swimming pool and a
mini museum. There are two residential houses (casas). Casa de Alitagtag is the
premium house; Casa de Obando’s rates are lower. We stayed at the latter.
Classification: Budget/mid-range
(From the perspective of a budget traveler)
Rates: At Agoda,
regular rates started at PHP1,000+ for a twin room.
(For updated rates, visit their Web site: http://www.sulyap.net/roomrates.php)
Inclusions:
Free breakfast
Air-conditioned room
Private bath
Towels
Toiletries
TV
Complimentary bottled water
Amenities:
Free use of swimming pool
Free Wifi (Not sure)
Full-service restaurant
Mini museum
Fountain area
Patio
Reception/lounging area
Pros:
Gated
Good breakfast
Free use of swimming pool
Full-service restaurant
Not far from city center
The Room
The Gallery Cafe & Restaurant
The Food
The Food
Their free breakfast (served at their cafe/restaurant) was good, better than most
of its type in the country. However, the food items that we ordered for lunch (rice meals of some sort) were a bit
pricey and not so good.
Rating: 8.14
Value for
Money – 9
Facility Condition/Cleanliness
– 8
Comfort – 8
Location – 8
Service – 8
Design/Aesthetics
– 8
Amenities/Basic
Technology – 8
Bato Springs
Resort
Some 30 minutes away from the city center and some 15 minutes' hike from
the main road, this place is quite popular among the locals. The resort has
three tiers of swimming areas, with waters cascading from, they say, Mount
Banahaw. We went on a weekday, late afternoon (summer), and the place was full
and the cottages were not exactly clean. Nonetheless, those factors didn’t prevent
me from enjoying the rejuvenating and refreshing cold spring water that massaged my
body. It was my first time, for crying out loud. Too bad we only had less than
an hour to linger since it was getting dark and the staff had closed off the
uppermost pool for maintenance and cleanup.
 |
| Lowermost pool |
Overall, I enjoyed this experience. It would have been better if we didn’t
go there in the summer and if we came earlier.
Overall Rating: 7
 |
| Highest tier |
- Randy R.I. Espinoza
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