Monday, May 14, 2018

Azalea Residences Baguio

My first time in Baguio with friends!



I've been to Baguio numerous times before, but all of my trips have been with family... until last month, that is. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I love and appreciate being able to spend time with my family, but at the same time, I also really love going on trips with friends. 
I remember it was exactly a year ago when we headed to Lio Tourism Estate in El Nido and about two months ago since we boarded Star Cruises' SuperStar Virgo together. I'm extremely glad that our Baguio trip pushed through since Manila weather has been crazy hot and humid the past months. We all needed a break from the heat, so we headed to Azalea Hotels & Residences for a quick weekend break!
Azalea is Baguio's first four-star serviced apartment hotel, offering the style and comfort of a premier vacation hotel for a family holiday, a group getaway, or a romantic retreat. Doesn't its facade look like a ski-resort? I think it's a pretty clever inspiration for the Summer Capital's first vacation residences.
Designed for families and friends who love travelling together in big groups, Azalea Hotels & Residences Baguio has crafted 99 well-appointed and multi-occupant apartment suite rooms: 46 Deluxe, 17 One-Bedroom, 33 Two-Bedroom, and 3 Three-Bedroom all furnished with a fully functional kitchen and dining facility providing the always opportune fond experience of coming together over home-cooked meals and merry conversations.
For our stay, we booked two rooms, a Deluxe Hotel Room and a Two-Bedroom Apartment Suite.

DELUXE ROOM
30 sqm | 1 Queen-sized Bed | 1 Twin Bed | Convertible Sofa Bed | Cable TV | Living, Dining, and Kitchen Facilities | Mini Bar | Wi-Fi Access



TWO-BEDROOM SUITE
60 sqm | Master's Bedroom with 1 Queen-sized Bed, Private Bathroom, and Cable TV | Guest Room with 1 Full-sized bed and Cable TV | Convertible Sofa Bed | Living, Dining, and Kitchen Facilities | Cable TV | 1 Common Toilet & Bath | Mini Bar | Wi-Fi Access









VIEW FROM OUR ROOM



Azalea Hotels & Residences Baguio offers more beyond its guest rooms: lobby lounge, playground, business center, Wi-Fi connection in guest areas, 24-hour medical assistance, tour arrangements and vacation services, laundry and dry cleaning services, coffee shop, spa and massage services, handicap accessibility, in-room dining, and transportation arrangements (to and from Manila). There are two food and beverage outlets: Tradisyon Coffee Shop and the bar called 8 Degrees.

For a hassle-free trip, I suggest availing your transportation and tour arrangements with Azalea. That's what we did. All our tours were organized by them, so we didn't have to worry about things like parking, toll, and gas during our entire stay. 
Since we left Manila around 2 am, we were already at the hotel by 6am. So first on our agenda? BREAKFAST! 

TRADISYON: PINOY COMFORT FOOD
I was pretty pleased with the breakfast selection at Tradisyon - eggs the way you want it, bacon by request - but the best thing about it is their hot chocolate! It's just like Jollibee's!! I swear, skip coffee on this trip and just drink all the hot choco you can ;) 
After breakfast, we headed back to our rooms to rest for a bit before our next agenda, which is... lunch. HAHAHA I know, I know. It's pretty awesome :)) 
It was actually their weekend brunch buffet, but since we had breakfast earlier, let's just call it lunch. And because I had a lot to eat during breakfast, I decided to just have pasta that afternoon. We were asked to choose our sauces and toppings, so instead of getting the regular red or white sauce, I decided to combine both sauces then topped it off with mushrooms, shrimps, and tomatoes. It was so good! Kudos to the chef for getting the perfect red to white sauce ratio I was looking for. :)

After lunch, we headed out to explore the city, but I'll be sharing more of that in a separate post (which I'll link here once it's up). I want to focus this one on my stay at Azalea Residences and the numerous buffet offerings at Tradisyon.

On Wednesdays, they have the Mexican and Persian Fiesta Buffet where you can have unlimited shawarma and burritos at Php 550 per adult. On Thursdays, you can enjoy A Buffet of Local Culinary Treasures featuring regional flavors of Central, Southern, and Bicol Region for Php 500 per adult. Fridays are all about the Taste of Asia - Singaporean, Chinese, Hong Kong, and Malaysian dishes cuisine for only Php 550.
But personally, I think Saturdays are the best nights to dine at Tradisyon because of their Tuscany Steak Night Buffet. For Php 550 per person, you get to enjoy unlimited pizza, pasta, steak, and chops. It's an amazing deal you shouldn't miss!
If you're running on a budget, may I suggest their afternoon of unlimited pizza and pasta for only Php 250 per person? It only happens on Sundays though, from 3pm to 5pm, so I would suggest reserving a table if you can. 
Don't forget to drop by on Friday evenings for Dinawis at Azalea Residences where you can get your favorite Filipino street food on the grill! 
There's really a lot of things to try at Tradisyon, so if you're wondering where the dessert is in all this, I highly recommend you try their Carrot Cupcakes at the buffet or the amazing Tres Leches which you can order a la carte.
So, the next time you go to Baguio, I suggest staying at Azalea Residences. I personally love the fact that Azalea is located only a few minutes away from downtown Session Road (basically within proximity to the city's main attractions and happenings), but it is tucked in a secluded hill so you can still enjoy some peace and quiet during your stay. Their two-bedroom suite we booked could have easily fit six people comfortably. We had three televisions there and kitchen facilities that would be pretty useful for folks who'd rather stay in most of the time. It is definitely the place to be for families, friends, or business travelers on the lookout for the luxury of a hotel but with the atmosphere and comforts of home.

It was definitely my holiday haven. Until next time. ;)

Azalea Hotels & Residences Baguio is located at Leonard Wood Loop, Baguio City. For more information, call the Manila reservations number at (02) 450-1151 or (0917) 861-1641.
Email reservations@azalea.com.ph or visit their website at http://www.azaleabaguio.com
-
For more adventures, like and follow Life in Technicolor on Facebook and Instagram!