Tradisyon Restaurant: Pinoy Comfort Food at Azalea Baguio

You know a Filipino restaurant is good when their food reminds you of your mom’s cooking and you feel right at home. There are but a few restaurants in the country that were able to make us feel that way, and we never really thought we would find one tucked inside Azalea Baguio Tradisyon Restaurant.

Tradisyon Pinoy Comfort Food Restaurant

If you’re looking for good eats in Baguio, you don’t really have to go far, really. One elevator ride from your hotel room in Azalea Baguio is Tradisyon Pinoy Comfort Food Restaurant, where they offer their guests a good mix of all-time Filipino favorites, local Baguio fare, and a few international dishes.

Tradisyon delivers a homey feel with colors and textures similar to that of a bahay kubo. The plush chairs, bright yellow lighting, and intricate wall decor all contribute to that appeal. The restaurant has a seating capacity of 70 persons, which can easily handle the influx of diners during their operating hours.

Breakfast Buffet at Tradisyon Restaurant

Guests staying at Azalea Baguio can fuel up and jump-start their day at the hotel’s daily breakfast buffet that starts from 06:00 to 10:30 in the morning.

They have all kinds of breakfast food you can think of – from breads and pastries to fresh salads or from piping hot arroz caldo to delicious Pinoy delicacies.

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Celebrate Batangas Food Festival at Matabungkay Beach Hotel in Lian, Batangas

Summer is finally over in the Philippines, but being a tropical country means that we can still get perfectly sunny days even during the rainy season. Add the fact that there are a number of pristine beach resorts just a short drive from Manila, like Matabungkay Beach Hotel in Lian, Batangas, which will also be hosting the Batangas Food Festival (BFF) from October through December 2016, featuring traditional fare picked from a sea of dishes that have culinary roots in Batangas.

Matabungkay Beach Hotel

If youâ€™re a 90s kid like me, you have probably spent a few summers at Matabungkay Beach Hotel with your family. You will be shocked to find out that nothing much have changed, especially in the main lobby.

The only thing that have obviously changed in this area was the now tiled floor. Previously, it had pebble wash floors. The wooden interior from the tables up to the ceiling is the same since it was built in the 1980s. And itâ€™s kind of nostalgic and comforting for me to know that a part of my childhood has remained the same.

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Azalea Baguio: Your Home in the City of Pines

When you think of summer in the Philippines, you would immediately imagineÂ white sand beaches and crystal blue seas. But did you knowÂ that the place that racks up the most local vacationers every yearâ€”even beating El Nido and Boracayâ€”is actually high up the mountains and boasts of a year-round cool and breezy climate, making it the perfect escape from Manilaâ€™s scorching heat? It is no other than the City of Pines itself, Baguio City! And weâ€™re so elated that we were able to cap off our summer in this lovely city, all thanks to Azalea Baguio!

One wonderful Tuesday in May, top fashion, food, and lifestyle bloggers were all hurled into three different vans for a long, butt-numbing 5-hour drive! Our destination? Azalea Hotels and Residences Baguio! Our mission? To visit the Summer Capital of the Philippines and enjoy one last summer getaway before we officially welcome the rainy season!

Azalea Hotels & Residences Baguio

Azalea Baguio is the first and only 4-star serviced apartment hotel in Baguio City. They have luxury suites that each come complete with their own kitchen, living, and bedroom areas. What I love most about Azalea Baguio is its proximity to the cityâ€™s top tourist attractions BUT, because it is far from the busyness of the city and not located directly along a major road, it is the best place you can book if youâ€™re searching for some peace and quiet.

The front desk welcomes you as you enter the main door into the hotel lobby. Behind it are their incredibly friendly staff who would be more than happy to assist you with your inquiries and requests.

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Club Paradise Resort – A Piece of Paradise in Coron, Palawan

It started a couple of years ago when Ken and I made a pact that on our birthdays, we have to celebrate by traveling some place we’ve never been. Our 2014 birthday celebration was not as spectacular as we wanted so we vowed to make up for it in 2015. And, boy, that we did… in an island paradise in Coron, Palawan – Club Paradise Resort. 🙂

Club Paradise is under The Discovery Leisure Co. (TDLCI) We planned a 4D3N vacation in Coron, but due to unforeseen circumstances – my flight with nanay got cancelled, so we had to fly out early on our supposedly Day 2 – it was cut short by a day. Ken’s flight had no issues so he was there already. Thankfully, our stay in Coron and in Club Paradise made us forget all that happened on Day 1. They gladly made adjustments to our accommodation, and we had an absolutely amazing time. Nanay was particularly amused by the VIP treatment we got from the moment they picked us up until the time they dropped us off the airport to fly back to Manila.

We were picked up from the hotel where Ken stayed on his first day and we were taken to Club Paradise’s own private port where a speed boat is waiting to take us to Dimakya Island. The speed boat ride was exciting, and we had the whole boat to ourselves. They offered us some snacks – bottled water and a sandwich. It’s a 30-minute boat ride, I think. I can’t remember ’cause we were busy taking photos and enjoying the windy ride. 😀

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Taal Vista Hotel Tagaytay: A Relaxing Escape from Manila’s Summer Heat

Aircon on full-blast and electric fans on their maximum speed, yet here we are still soaking wet in a pool of our own sweat. It is days like this that a quick getaway to some place colder like Tagaytay is more than a welcome respite from the scorching heat in Manila. And that is exactly what we did last March when we packed our bags and fled to spend a weekend at one of the oldest and quintessential hotels in Tagaytay City, Taal Vista Hotel.

Taal Vista Hotel, Tagaytay City

From the year it was established in 1939, Taal Vista Hotel has been recognized for having the best vantage point to enjoy a mesmerizing view of the Taal Volcanoâ€”famous for being the worldâ€™s smallest active volcano within a lake, which is within a volcano in the middle of a larger lake. Itâ€™s truly a breathtaking sight that has never failed to amaze foreign and local tourists alike.

The English Tudor Mansion-style hotel perfectly marries timeless architecture and design with modern amenities. The spectacular view of the Taal Lake and the crisp, cool climate of Tagaytay just add to the magical appeal of Taal Vista Hotel, making it the top choice for a quick escape from the hustle and bustle of Manila.

Rooms at Taal Vista Hotel

The rooms of Taal Vista Hotel are divided into two areas â€“ the Lake View and the Mountain View wings. The Lake View Wing, the older between the two buildings, boasts of rooms with a gorgeous view of the Taal Lake. Â The Mountain View Wing may not have a view of the lake from its windows, but it makes up for being located closest to the hotelâ€™s amenities like the outdoor swimming pool, gym, playroom, spa, game room, the view deck, and itâ€™s only a short walk away from Taza Fresh Table Restaurant.

We stayed at the Deluxe Queen room in their Lake View Wing. Our room had one single bed and one queen-size bed with clean linens and plush pillows.

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Cafe Uno of Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao for USPB Potato Safari 3

Last December 2015, I was invited by the US Potato Board (USPB) to join their Potato Safari 3 in Davao City. We stayed at the Waterfront Insular Hotel, a beautiful beachfront hotel which was only 20-30 minutes away from the airport.Â On our first night at Davao City, we had dinner at the hotel’s Cafe Uno.

The cozy and classy Cafe Uno at the Waterfront Insular Hotel is a perfect place to chill with great friends while relishing cocktails after a hard dayâ€™s work. It is a setting ideal for enjoying great conversations while listening to comforting jazz and R&B music.

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Pamper Your MOMspiration at Discovery Country Suites

Exactly a week from now, we will be celebrating the day of the most important woman in our lives. Since no amount of money can ever match how much hard work our mothers have put into raising us, one way we can repay them is by making them enjoyÂ aÂ truly relaxing experience they will never forget, like treating our beloved “MOMspiration”Â to an amazing Motherâ€™s Day weekend at Discovery Country Suites in Tagaytay City.

MOMspiration at Discovery Country Suites

Give your mother the ultimate royal treatment with an overnight stay at any of the Deluxe, Premiere, and Master Suites that all come with country breakfast and 60-minute massage sessions for 2 persons, wine and cheese sundown cocktails, and a 10% discount on food and beverage at Restaurant Verbena. You are also free to use their Jacuzzi with a beautiful view of the Taal Lake.

Deluxe Suites (Andalucia, Saint Tropez, and Ceylon)

We were given a tour at one of their Deluxe Suites, the French-inspired Saint Tropez Suite, which features two queen-size beds, a spacious bathroom, and an impeccable view of Discovery Country Suites’Â garden.

A night at any of their Deluxe Suites starts at PHP 8,838 nett, including all the services and amenities mentioned above.

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A Lovely Staycation at F1 Hotel Manila

If there’s one thing Ken, our nanay and I have in common, it’s how hard we work and how dedicated we could get with our jobs. Some may consider us (slightly) workaholic, but we do enjoy what we do. However, from time to time, we forget to give ourselves a break to rejuvenate. That’s why F1 Hotel Manila‘s invitation for a staycation couldn’t be any more timely.

A short staycation is sometimes all one needs to unwind and forget, at least for a little while, the stress of every day life. Ken and I were actually planning on staycationing at F1 Hotel before they invited us ’cause we wanted to stay there and eat at some of the restaurants in BGC since the area is too far from our home (like 2-3 hours travel time… ugh).

We learned when we arrived that they were introducing us to their holiday offerings. We were excited to find out what F Restaurant has to offer this year since we had a very tasty dinner buffet from awhile back. F is the restaurant of F1 Hotel Manila and they have an all-day buffet here (breakfast, lunch and dinner). We’ll show you all the food we enjoyed in a bit, but before that, let me tell you about our staycation experience.

First, a group photo of all the bloggers and their loved ones who were there with us.

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