I woke up at one in the afternoon and went straight to the glass windows of our room at Paragon Hotel and Suites. It overlooked Burnham Park, the incessant downpour making everything misty. I prepared coffee on the kitchenette and slumped on the couch. It was our first day and it’s raining hard, we loved it; Baguio without the maddening tourist crowd.
It
was a typical rainy day weekend when me and my buddy embarked on an impulse
trip to Baguio. This is his favorite place in the country to just chill and do nothing, so when we had the chance we
grabbed the last midnight bus trip and slept all throughout the 5-hour ride.
Checking out some hotels with good location as we wanted easy mobility around the city, we chanced upon Paragon Hotel and Suites on an online booking site. It actually is one of the newest hotels in town and it offers comfortable stay for a minimal price.
Checking
in was swiftly done as we had prior reservations. The glass and steel façade
opened up the whole space. An old school travel desk caught my attention on one
of the hallways and I checked if it’s for real. I was also consumed on the
framed wood carved artwork on one of the walls. There were also some quirky
bicycles in all sizes scattered around. The simplicity of the hotel’s layout
and design perfectly matches the interesting and lovely travel decors.
Before checking in to our room, we did a little tour of the rooms and suites they offer. And although some of the room types are the same, each one is different in vibe and feel. It was as if we’re entering a different themed room every time. What I love the best was the all-white Premier Park Room which sadly wasn’t our booked room. Nonetheless, it was a reason in itself to visit the hotel again.
Billeted
on a King Suite (check room types and rates), we were ushered by a gracious
staff to our home in Baguio for three days.
Our
room, with three notable areas, was enormous. Earth tones with splashes of aqua
hues pumped up the whole space.
 |
| King Suite, our home for three days. |
The
living room greeted us as we entered. There’s a 4-seater dining table, couch
with coffee table, flat screen TV on a swivel entertainment rack cum wooden
divider, a kitchenette with microwave oven, kitchen sink and coffee and
tea-making facilities.
Heavy
drapes covered one side of the room, and as I pushed it aside, it revealed a floor to
ceiling glass windows with a view of Burnham Park. It totally opened up the
whole space as if we’re one with nature; it remained open until we
left.
The
bedroom was spacious, with a lounge bed, ottoman, work desk with lamp and chair,
end tables, vanity closet and a queen-sized bed with comfy duvet and fluffy
pillows.
An
open-plan was employed on the toilet and bath area. A shutter is provided for
those who’d want privacy. A bathtub with hot and cold shower rested on one end
and bathroom amenities were all provided for as well as hair dryer.
I
started to prep some coffee and lounged on the bed for a quick rest that ended
on a 4-hour effortless slumber and if not for my grumbling tummy, I
probably would’ve woken up the next day.
Paragon
Hotel and Suites is located along Otek Street and is just a block away from
Burnham Park. That same afternoon, we went out for a late lunch on a restaurant nearby and went back to our suite for some more idle time.
Later that afternoon, we went to Burnham Park on foot (and under the rain) then all the way to Session Road where our favorite bar was located. We had a lovely beer rendezvous and got to reminisce on our old Baguio affairs.
Getting
back was the same, we walked our way to the hotel in the middle
of a drizzly night.
I
have the weirdest body clock that automatically wakes me up at 5:40 a.m., it perfectly coincides with the sunrise. The next morning, my eyes routinely opened up
and noticed the great sun peeping up from heavy dark clouds, creating an
explosion-like effect on the sky. It was lovely, as shades of red and grey
filled the air--misty Baguio starting its day. I went back to bed right after taking a few snaps of that wonderful scene.
Complimentary
breakfast was served at the in-house café. We had the option to have it in our
room but we decided to have it there. Continental and Filipino traditional
plated breakfast fares were the choices. Me and my buddy had Baguio longanisa with fried rice, eggs, juice
and hot chocolate.
 |
| In-house restaurant/cafe of Paragon Hotel and Suites |
The
longanisa was garlicky yummy while the hot chocolate totally complemented the
whole meal. We wished though that the meal would be as warm as we wanted it to
be but the chilly weather easily cooled down our food.
 |
| Baguio longanisa for brekkie |
That
day, we did a little walking around and went back for siesta, again, just like
what we did the past day and went out to our favorite bar again later that
afternoon.
 |
| Fortune Restaurant |
It
was a short yet sweet stay on my buddy’s favorite chill-out city in the
Philippines. It was as if we’re homecoming babies of Baguio. We didn’t plan
anything, we just wanted to have a relaxing weekend. And it was especially convenient since we're staying at Paragon Hotel and Suites, which is near to almost everywhere we wanted to go.
Paragon Hotel and Suites (check for discounted rates)
14-16
Otek Street, Baguio City,
Philippines
Contact
Numbers: (+63) 74.444.9968 to 71
Email
Address: inquire@paragonhotelandsuites.com
Dreaming of Baguio.
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