Showing posts with label chillout. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chillout. Show all posts

Overnight R&R at T-House Tagaytay

T-House Tagaytay | (c) Hey, Haeja
T-House Tagaytay
Last March, my family and I went to T-House in Tagaytay for an overnight R&R. It was our birthday treat to papa and ate Mariko. It was a beautiful place, without a doubt, but we had mixed feelings throughout the trip.

One of our favorite part about T-House is that it's right beside our favorite coffee shop in Tagaytay, Java Jazz. But coming from the road, the driveway was so steep, it was slightly heartpounding. And the guard stopped us right at the point where we were inclined by 45 degrees. My father was pissed because it felt so dangerous for him.

T-House Tagaytay | (c) Hey, Haeja
T-House Tagaytay
But he calmed down once we were inside because it really was soothing inside. In fact, he was really impressed by how T-House Tagaytay grew to his relaxing room cluster.

T-House Tagaytay is divided into three clusters. The voucher and room was only for four people, but I called ahead of time and paid extra to include ate Apple for an extra bed and the set breakfast.

They presented two rooms for us. I liked the first room because it had a bath tub, and I love bath tubs because we don't have one at home, and it always signifies relaxation for me. I spend at least forty minutes to an hour in bath tubs when my hotel room has one.

Bedroom at T-House Tagaytay
However, we had to choose the bigger room, the Serenity room, with only a shower so we can fit five adults and one adult. Our room had three single beds plus one queen mattress on the floor.

The beds were okay. The room was clean, and the pillows were soft enough. If you're looking to relax, this was definitely the place.

Our room also had easy access to the garden/patio outside. We were a little nervous that our room had two doors (see that door in the photo), but the room locked just fine, and we had a good night's sleep. The room also has a TV and a small living area, plus a huge wall and dresser with a water heater. If you're travelling with kids, they will let you refrigerate your children's milk in their kitchen -- just label it properly and ask the front desk.

T-House Tagaytay | (c) Hey, Haeja
T-House toilet
We were pretty relaxed until my father used the toilet and it clogged. We had to call for a plumber (well, the hotel's in-house plumber), but it was a bit of a hassle and discomfort for us. However, after fixing the toilet, we didn't have any more problems throughout our stay. Also note that they don't provide slippers and toothpaste, so you have to bring your own.

But one feature of the shower that made my sister and I laugh uncontrollably was when I was taking a bath, and she was using the toilet, and we realized the only partition separating the toilet and shower was a glazed glass wall. I think it took me ten minutes to finish showering because I just kept making funny faces through the glass. We also had fun imagining scenarios where friends would book this room and one uses the toilet while someone is taking a shower. I can just imagine the surprise, especially if they're two straight guys!

T-House Tagaytay | (c) Hey, HaejaOne detail that surprised us when we entered were the rose petals on the toilet and shower areas. It was a nice little touch, though.

Since guests at the T-House had a discount for their spa services, we were all quite excited to try out their massage. Ate Mariko was especially excited because she was looking for a massage as good as the one we had at Injap Tower Hotel in Iloilo.

However, their massage roster was full for the day until Sunday afternoon, at the time we were leaving Tagaytay. Apparently, they also accept clients who are not checked-in at T-House. So if you're planning to stay at T-House and want to book a massage, calling ahead is definitely a must. That was such a buzzkill.

My niece Aj had a lot of fun with all the space, though. We kept taking turns throwing around a soft ball. Afterwards, my sisters and I relaxed in the huge sofa with netting and watched a movie and read books. With all the trees and plants around us, it didn't feel so hot and while we stayed there.

T-House Tagaytay | (c) Hey, Haeja
Cool and breezy but had a lot of mosquitos!
Also, we were so excited to enjoy their infinity pool, but they had a party being held in their pool area, and hotel guests were not allowed to swim.  We felt so bad, so we just went to Starbucks at Robinsons. But for dinner, we went to Java Jazz because it was a rainy and cold night, and we knew their tsokolate-eh was just the thing.

T-House Tagaytay | (c) Hey, Haeja
Family time at T-House Tagaytay
When we got back to T-House, it was already dark out. I played a quick game of sungka with ate Apple (they have two at the reception as well as some books guests can borrow for the duration of their stay). Afterwards, I ordered a cocktail for me as my parents brought out the wine they brought. T-House also gave us free tasty chocolate brownies. Relaxation was definitely the agenda of the day.

It was such a relief to have that netting. We were safe from the mosquitos. The bedding just felt a little damp, but that must be because of the slight drizzle. I ordered a cocktail from T-House's restaurant, but the bartender delivered it straight to where I was (I told him where I'll be, of course). The cocktail tasted weak, though, and not as delicious as others I've drank. But the food of the other diners looked and smelled good when I passed by. Our set breakfast the next day was okay; nothing to write home about but nothing to sniff at either.

The next day, my parents went to Sunday mass at 8am. We were right beside a Catholic church, so T-House's location was definitely convenient. My sisters and I went swimming instead, since we were going to mass when we went home to Manila.

When we got there, there was only a couple of guests enjoying the place. The pool is pretty small, and if you like to take laps, make sure you'll be alone in the pool. The other half of the pool is dedicated to a jacuzzi that was also small enough for kids. The other 1/4 was dedicated to three tiled beds where you can sunbathe, literally, because your back will be slightly soaked in the pool water as you take in the sun.

T-House Tagaytay | (c) Hey, Haeja
Infinity pool at T-House Tagaytay

If you're using eyeglasses while swimming, make sure they won't fall out of your head! My sister's eyeglasses fell off while we were leaning over the edge, and it fell down on to the slightly dirty run off from the pool.

Even though there's a patio and small kitchen in the pool area, there was no server. The bathroom was on the path towards the pool, but they were locked when we were there so we had to run to our bedroom.

We didn't use the changing area in the pool room, though, because it was a little dusty and we were the only ones there.

Our stay in T-House Tagaytay was a mixture of relaxation and slight exasperation, but we definitely enjoyed the vibe of the place. The rooms are a little pricey, but we were able to get a huge discount because of a Dealgrocer voucher.


T-House Tagaytay
3195 Calamba Road, Tagaytay City, Philippines
Tel: (02) 788 7354

Mobile: +63922-8846-875 / +63939-9039-587 / +63917-5413-584
T-House Tagaytay website
T-House Tagaytay Facebook page
T-House Tagaytay Twitter page


Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post.



Busog chibog at The Plantation

Chillin'
My college best friend and I have been trying to see each other more often, especially this year. Since I'm back in the city, I met up with her on my very second day. I consider it very special because I was actually done with work two hours before we were supposed to meet up. On any other day, I would have just gone home, but since I missed her too, I decided to wait for her.

One side of their coffee menu
The Plantation has a free socket that you can use if you're lucky enough to sit by the socket, and they also have free WiFi. Since I had to charge my phone, I wasn't able to play or surf as much as I liked.

I think the people at The Plantation thought I was a journalist or 'mystery shopper' because of my notebooks. The service was pretty efficient (to be fair, there were only about five groups of diners, me included) at that time. But they were a little noisy and kept shouting around. The music was good, though, and definitely kept me company as I worked.

The night before, I saw Click the City's very helpful The Hungry Guide: Legaspi Village Food and Restaurant Map (they also have one for Salcedo Village) and after consulting with food-buff Dastine, I suggested The Plantation to Mi. Since she's pretty much game, as long as it's somewhere nearby, she agreed. To aid my pitch, I also sent her a map. (Being geographically-challenged, of course she got lost, hehe!)

The Plantation is right beside the street, but being vertically-challenged, I did not notice it immediately. I had to backtrack and by accidentally glancing up, I found it. I wasn't aware much of what they had offered, only that it fit our P250 meal requirement and that it was midway between our offices.

Chicken fingers & potato wedges (P165)
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they also served coffee and cakes, as well as the usual Pinoy and American favorites, and other The Plantation creations, too. Oh, and did I mention the 3pm-9pm happy hour everyday? Yep.

The Plantation is chillax, and the perfect spot to hang out with friends, or even just eat by yourself. There were officemates hanging out, a businessman eating by himself, other official-looking men, just buddies enjoying the booze, and some other girls enjoying the good food. I think it's perfect for groups because the serving for some dishes is good for sharing, and their menu is extensive and can cater to the health conscious to the meat-lovers like me. Also, they have tables for two up to six people.

I only read one online review to find out their notable dishes, and I was expecting good things.

I ordered chicken fingers with potato wedges and ate it while I was writing my notes for work, because I forgot my tablet and didn't have anything to read. The chicken fingers was...sad. It looked so pale, and definitely tasted a little bland for me. The honey mustard sauce was its saving grace, but I enjoy my food more if I could enjoy it without having to resort to the sauce. I was expecting the food to be a little more brown. But then again, I was so hungry so I almost polished it off before my bff arrived.

Chicken cordon bleu on pesto rice (P230)
 The bff ordered chicken cordon bleu on pesto rice. To be fair, The Plantation had a lot of delicious-sounding food so we had quite a time choosing which dish to really order. Mi enjoyed her dish, and it fit her P250 budget.

Dory Thermidor on pesto rice (P230)
Me, on the other hand, was salivating for The Plantation-original dish Dory Thermidor on pesto rice. It's described as having hollandaise sauce, and the review I read was raving about it, even though it admittedly does not look that appetizing. Ugh. Kind of a letdown. The fish was creamy only in some places, the hollandaise sauce was almost non-existent. The pesto rice tasted bland. I had to slather on honey mustard to enjoy the dish.

I actually don't order fish often because I find that they don't meet my expectations, and this one just added belief that my mom's fish is the best.

Tiger (P150/bottle), 2 + 1 free (P300)
San Mig Light 1 + 1 (P80)
We could have totally fit into our budget (although I did have that extra chicken fingers dish) if only we hadn't decided to throw our waistlines out of the window. We decided to enjoy their happy hour. Mia ordered San Mig Light while I went for the Tiger beer, which I enjoyed the last time I was in Singapore. By this time, the place was noisy and the trio of men beside our table were so irritatingly loud! They were louder than the band who started playing around 8PM.

One beef I have with The Plantation was that the waiter explained to me that the 2 bottles + 1 free bottle of Tiger beer was only P150. But when we asked for the bill, I was charged P150/bottle so I ended up paying P300. I was so full from the food that I just brought home the unopened 'free' Tiger beer and gave it to my father as a pasalubong. I paid P5 deposit for that.

Mia, on the other hand, only paid P80 for two San Miguel bottles. That's actually already a rip-off because I know beer is super cheap when you buy it in supermarkets. Ah, the price of chilling out in restaurants.


Aside from the beer, we also ordered nachos with melted cheese. The melted cheese was so delicious, and we could probably have polished it off if we weren't super full. We decided that the next time we can just eat their nachos if we wanted to drink beer.

I'm always on the hunt for good cafe mocha or ice-blended mocha drinks, so maybe I'll try their espresso-based drinks next time. It's also a good thing I arrived there early because the place was packed by 7pm.

They also have a single-toilet bathroom that's a little cramped. At night, it's better to bring your own supply of tissue to make sure you'll have some to use.

Midweek fun with one of my best, Mi. Love you :*
The Plantation has affordable food and has that just right chillout vibe, but I was disappointed with the taste of most of the dishes I ordered. I'm not sure if and when I'll be back, but I just might be back to try out their coffee and other dishes instead.


The Plantation Bar & Bistro
106 C. Palanca Street,
Legaspi Village, Makati City
(02) 501 5727
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