Staycation Tagaytay: Potter's Ridge Hotel
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| Potter's Ridge Hotel |
Just last weekend, I had the chance to visit Tagaytay once again. This summer getaway favorite is just a quick 40 minute car ride from home in Laguna but it took me another 3 years to revisit. My previous travels to Tagaytay were most often scheduled for day trips. I was able to stay overnight in Tagaytay once, during college years. Wanting to experience that night's freezing embrace one more time, I decided to spend a quick staycation to celebrate my birthday with a fellow Taurus and lakwatsera buddy MC.
A staycation, as defined by www.urbandictionary.com is a vacation spent close to home.
It was a spur of the moment decision to spend the night here where it took me only an hour to process the whole reservation and to decide where to book for an overnight stay in Tagaytay. Browsing through lists of hotels and BnBs, reading reviews from Trip Advisor and Agoda, sorting out prices that fits my budget. In the end, I chose Potter's Ridge Hotel and called them immediately for a standard room reservation costing Php2,750 (their weekend rate) with complimentary breakfast for 2. I'm glad they accept credit card. Early the next day, we found ourselves commuting to Tagaytay.
The route we tried going to Potter's Ridge Hotel, Tagaytay:
Carmona - Biñan - Balibago - Tagaytay city - Olivarez Plaza - Nasugbu, Batangas (alight in Km 67 - the hotel is located along Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway)
It was my first try to commute coming from our house. I find the above route taxing and too uncomfortable. I should have insisted MC the route that I'm much familiar with (Carmona - GMA - Pala Pala - Nasugbu) but the curious me also wanted to experience other routes so we ended up hopping from one jeepney drive to another. After a hearty lunch at Olivarez Plaza, we rode another jeep going to Nasugbu and finally reached the hotel at 1pm.
This hotel by the ridge offers a unique blend of rustic charm and hospitality combined with your everyday modern conveniences. Taking a journey to this blissfully quiet and cozy place brings you to a spectacular view; the world’s smallest active volcano situated in the middle of a lake, the famous Taal Volcano. The surrounding areas are naturally endowed by Mother Nature’s beauty and a nearly perfect climate will leave you relaxed, rejuvenated and rejoicing.
We were there an hour early. Check in time is at 2pm. So while waiting for our room to get cleaned, the staff member toured us around the hotel to check out other rooms and made us wait in their Restaurant Zoe located at the upper floor of the building. We were both so thrilled to see these views from the hotel...
We were there an hour early. Check in time is at 2pm. So while waiting for our room to get cleaned, the staff member toured us around the hotel to check out other rooms and made us wait in their Restaurant Zoe located at the upper floor of the building. We were both so thrilled to see these views from the hotel...
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| mountain terrains (front view) |
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| view of Taal volcano from Potter's Ridge (Left view) |
view of Taal volcano from Potter's Ridge (Left view) |
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| freshly baked cinnamon rolls for only Php15! Definitely a steal! |
While waiting at the restaurant, a woman with two cute little dogs approached us. She's Ms. Marissa Potter, the hotel owner. I wasn't that surprised to see the owner there because I've read a couple of times at the hotel's reviews that she was that approachable and welcoming. When she found out that we're still waiting for our room she offered us these delicious homemade cinnamon rolls made by their very own chef. Talking about the warmth of Filipino hospitality right there.
Now let's check out the hotel's interior.
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| standard room |
During our small talk with Ms. Potter, she told us that if ever we want to go Splendido (a golf course nearby), they can give us a referral letter so that we can be properly attended to. Splendido has the 5 star amenities to complement the warm homey ambiance of Potter's Ridge. I was excited to play bowling until... (enter music >>> "Raindrops keep falling on my head...")
kaya ang ending...
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| tambay mode sa kwarto ^-^ |
And so we just decided to lazily lounge inside our room for a while - watch tv and read magazines. When the drizzle stopped, we went up to the restaurant to check what's for dinner. We find the food too pricey so we left the hotel and walked our way to a nearby restaurant - Verdiview Restaurant. It started raining again when we started ordering and it's starting to get really cold. I was thinking of ordering a local favorite - bulalo, but they don't have servings only good for 2. It's okay, I wasn't that much hooked anyway after getting into bulalo craze during my recent Bicol trip.
We made sure to return to the hotel before it gets totally dark and after lounging some time in their 3rd floor balcony, admiring Taal's view at night, we finally decided to just watch some movies. The hotel has boxes of dvds available to your choosing (some have scratches though). Their cable at that time wasn't working so movie marathon it is! We asked the front desk for some hot water and mugs because I brought my fave coffee with me and the staff went to our room with this cute pastries as their simple birthday gift. Aww, sweet!
We made sure to return to the hotel before it gets totally dark and after lounging some time in their 3rd floor balcony, admiring Taal's view at night, we finally decided to just watch some movies. The hotel has boxes of dvds available to your choosing (some have scratches though). Their cable at that time wasn't working so movie marathon it is! We asked the front desk for some hot water and mugs because I brought my fave coffee with me and the staff went to our room with this cute pastries as their simple birthday gift. Aww, sweet!
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| pastry gift with my fave coffee! ^-^ |
The clear skies the next day brought a chance to explore Splendido. Waking up at 5 in the morning, I was completely mesmerized with this foggy sunrise view...
watch the timelapse video below
We went up to the restaurant for our complimentary breakfast and chose their bestseller - tapsilog.
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We went back to our room to get ready for our Splendido tour. The lobby area of the hotel was busy with wedding prep and pictorials, now we know why we heard loud noises that night - it was because of this group! Di ata nagbabasa, maraming "Observe Silence" reminder na nga ang nakapaskil sa mga lobbies. But we understand, di naman kami masyadong mareklamo, a wedding after all is a celebration - a happy event. And the homey vibe of Potter's Ridge with a grand view of Taal is just the perfect setup. No wonder many wedding celebrations has been catered here before.
I'll blog a separate post for that Splendido tour, meanwhile let me share some pro's and con's of the hotel.
What I like about Potter's Ridge Hotel:
1. Friendly and hospitable owner and staff
2. Stunning view of Taal which I think is their best selling point
3. Proximity to other nearby tourist attractions yet far enough from the main city
4. Charming hotel interiors - big picture windows, nature-inspired oil paintings, interesting woodwork
5. Restaurant's floor to ceiling windows makes one feel you're dining al fresco with a very good view to boot.
Needs to improve
1. Parking space (if all their 19 rooms are occupied, I wonder how the limited parking space can hold to guests parking needs)
2. Additional pillows per room
3. Better sound proofing perhaps. We could hear people's footsteps of running teens from the staircase.
- Trail Hiking next door to Woodlands (2 min walk)
- Splendido Golf and Country Club (5 min.)
- Beaches: Punta Fuego Beach Resort (60 min), Golden Sunset (60 min), Canyon Cove (60 min), Calatagan (an hour)
- Zoo and Animal Farm - Residence Inn (3 min) and Paradizoo (20 min)
- Zipline – Residence Inn (3 min)
- Churches – Montemaria Alfonso (10 mins), Alfonso (25 min), Lourdes Church (20 min), Calaruega (20 min), Chapel on the Hill (15 min), Pink Sisters (25 min)
- Waterfalls – Alfonso, Cavite (10 min), Indang (20 min) and Laure, Batangas (40 min)
- Casino and Restaurants – Casino Filipino (15 min), Antonio’s (5 mins), One Destination (various restaurants 15 min)
While busy attending to her plants, Ms. Marissa shares with us her plan to expand and how she loves just staying there managing the daily operations. Fur me, I'm just glad to have stumbled upon this charming hotel, hoping to be back again soon.
