Baguio Series – Bloomfield Hotel (Review)

It was not easy for me to find a hotel reservation, our first choice of travel schedule is really on December 26-29, but as I called all the hotels/inns of my choice they were already fully booked for the month of  December.   I told this dilemma to my hubby so then we reached a decision to re-schedule our travel date to January 1-4.  True enough, most of the hotels already have open slots starting  January 1.  

In the end  I was torned between three choices, Hotel Veniz in Abanao,  Bloomfield Hotel along Leonard Wood road and PNKY Bed and Breakfast.  I was looking for a hotel who could provide clean new rooms, with continuous Hot/Cold shower, a parking space and somewhere near the vicinity of tourist spots but not too noisy.   Hotel Veniz is kinda noisy according to other travel bloggers because it is specifically located in the busy street of Abanao fronting the Burnham Park.  PNKY Bed and Breakfast would have also been a good choice but unfortunately when I called, they could not give me a definite booking on Jan 1.  So finally, Rodel and I chose Bloomfield Hotel.  It has great reviews from previous Baguio travelers who have actually stayed there.

Bloomfield Hotel blends casual elegance with the simplicity of a home, it is strategically located in Leonard wood Road which is in the heart of Baguio City, it is just across SM City Baguio and walking-distance to Session Road and the Cathedral.  It offers 30 fully air-conditioned rooms from Regular Deluxe rooms to Executive Suite rooms of your choice.  As for us, I have chosen to reserve one of their Superior Deluxe Twin Rooms.  It is furnished with two double-sized beds, a private bath with continuous supply of hot/cold water, wall-mounted hair dryer, a table for two, a personal ref, telephone and spacious cabinets to put your valuables. 

Luckily, our room was situated in the basement area of the hotel so it was free from the noise coming from the street outside.  Although the hotel was not a five-star class hotel, it has met my expectations and I was fully satisfied with the service.  They have very accommodating and courteous staff always willing to help you with your needs.  The only drawback that I find though is that although it has parking space in front of the hotel and a basement parking, you have to circle all the way to the back of the hotel to be able to park in the basement because most of the major roads in Baguio were re-routed and were assigned to be one-way streets.  But this is not a major problem at all since they have a free valet services for their guests.

  

 front desk Bloomfield 

waiting area at the main lobby of the hotel

fiona and kurt at the main lobby

Bloomfield also has its own cozy small Cafe called the Broadmeadows Cafe which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.  

Both Rodel and I agree that we have made the right choice in choosing Bloomfield Hotel to be our home in Baguio, we felt very comfortable and relaxed and at the same time it was strategically located to be near to almost all the places where the action happens. 

For reservations call

Bloomfield Hotel

No. 3 Leonard Wood Road
Baguio City 2600 Philippine

Tel  Nos.  (074) 446-9112 to 15

Website is http://www.bloomfieldhotel.com

 

BAGUIO SERIES – TAM- AWAN VILLAGE

Rodel and I wanted our trip to  Baguio to be not only enjoyable but also educational for our children.  We want them to learn and see for themselves the things they have only read from their books and heard from their history subject.  I first read about Tam-Awan Village in a travel blog and  I was excited to see it personally and show it to my kids.

Tam-Awan means “vantage point” in Beguet.  According to its website…
“During the years when the entire City of Baguio was still grazing land for large herds of cattle, Pinsao, location of the Tam-awan Village was one vast pastureland. A spring beside Tam-awan is the source of a body of water that once served as a watering hole for cattle. Thus, the place became associated with chanum, which in Ibaloi, means water. Adopting the name to symbolize its vision, Chanum Foundation, Inc. views its role to be as nurturing and life-giving as the spring in Tam-awan Village.

 More than a showcase of indigenous craftsmanship, the foundation envisions the Tam-awan Village as an ideal venue for art and cultural activities aimed to enhance the appreciation of Cordillera life, its culture and its history.”

Tam-awan showcases the culture of the Igorots, the founders of this village were able to reconstruct Ifugao houses in Baguio with the view of making a model village accessible to people who have not had the chance to travel to the Cordillera .  As of now, Tam-awan has transported seven original huts from Ifugao and two huts from Kalinga.  They used the original materials in reconstructing the huts, only replacing new cogon roofs.

 

The huts can also be rented out for an overnight stay for a certain fee if you are the adventurous type who would like to know how it feels like to live inside an Ifugao Hut.  There is also an entrance fee of Adults- P50.00, Students/Senior Citizens-P30.00 and Children-P20.00.  Access to the huts would require you to do some trekking since the village was situated on the side of the hills, making you really feel like you’re in the Cordillera mountains.

 

There are also a lot of activities which you can do inside Tam-awan like Eco-tours, Sunset-viewing, Art Workshops, Camping and they even have workshops on Printmaking, Wood Carving, Bamboo craft, Rice wine making, Solar Drawing and Drawing and painting.  You can also have your portrait hand-sketched by some of the Ifugao artists.  I heard that for only P100.00 you get to have already 3 versions of your portrait by 3 different artists.

 

It was truly nice to see Tam-awan, it reconnects us to our roots and cultural heritage.