Everything's cool at Summit Ridge

MANILA, Philippines - Many travelers are familiar with the usual vacation spots around the country. That’s why whenever we think about the various national holidays that spring up we automatically have a place in mind. Personally, I’ve come to a point where my opinion about certain destinations would involve distance, or the travel time going to the place in relation to the actual length of my stay there.

Being from Manila, I am thankful that numerous nearby destinations have opened up. For one, there’s Tagaytay. Even better, options on where to stay in that beautifully positioned alternative to a well-known summer capital have increased. Anyone who wants to try out the city, whether for a weekend vacation for the family or a well-deserved company getaway, will give themselves a big favor by checking in at the Summit Ridge Hotel and Promenade.

Located at Kilometer 58 on the General Aguinaldo Highway, the brand new Summit Ridge Hotel is just about one hour to one-and-a-half hours away from Manila. It is located at the highest point of Tagaytay City, and as such, offers a one-of-a-kind view of the famous Taal Volcano and the surrounding provinces. The fantastic thing about Summit Ridge is, its narrow design and single row of rooms enable you to have a bird’s eye view of both the outlying provinces outside your door and Taal Lake with its most prominent feature right outside your balcony window.

It also helps that the weather here is as cool as a winter breeze in summer — all year-round. As part of a mixed-use property development by Robinsons Land Corp. and guided by none other than urban planner Jun Palafox, Summit Ridge was designed to take advantage of the area’s natural environment and climate. The non-air-conditioned lobby of this tropical Asian-inspired hotel is spacious and has a high ceiling, with cool air from the outside flowing freely from the entrance to the hallways then back out again. The entire building follows the contours of the surroundings it resides at, including the Promenade area, which features numerous dining and service establishments.

Summit Ridge is doing wonders for the local tourist industry, as general manager Cora Ang Ley attests, “Tagaytay is already an alternative destination to Baguio. The weather is practically the same. Even in summer months it’s still very cool.” As we were talking, a familiar blanket of fog rolled in and blocked the view outside of Annie’s restaurant momentarily. Part of the famous Cravings group, Annie’s serves a myriad of dishes.

Guests can choose between standard rooms and two-bedroom suites that boast all the amenities expected of a world-class hotel. The standard rooms have cable and flat-screen TVs with split-type air-conditioning, personal refrigerators, in-room safes, and balconies overlooking Taal Lake. The two-bedroom suites have all that plus more: full-sized refrigerators, two balconies, a built-in kitchen with counter, dinnerware and implements, and a microwave oven. The bathrooms are spacious and women will love the long countertops. Ang Ley says, “When I stay here I don’t open the aircon anymore. Why did you come to Tagaytay for?”

A chilly and refreshing stay for vacationers isn’t the only thing that Summit Ridge offers. “We are also an alternative convention site,” Ang Ley says. The hotel has numerous facilities for the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) market, including the Raintree Ballroom which can seat 150 people at its smallest configuration to over 500 at its largest; a selection of function rooms with a nature theme that can accommodate from 40 to 100 people; the Sky Lounge for a party of up to 120 people; and the Event Lawn, an outdoor garden for taking advantage of the natural climate.

More impressive is the auditorium-type Summit Learning Center, which can seat over 140 people. This facility looks like a really advanced lecture hall, complete with multimedia facilities such as an LCD projector and a very large screen. Ang Ley enthuses, “The Summit Learning Center is the first and only one in Tagaytay. We offer world-class facilities. We have two of the biggest screens (in the city). Up to now, no one here can offer that yet.”

Whether you’re a guest or convention delegate or both, you’ll be glad to know that the entire hotel is blanketed in free Wi-Fi Internet access — really convenient when you need time to conduct business away from the office.

But who wants to be cooped up all day in a seminar or hotel room? Aside from the sights that the city offers, Summit Ridge provides many conveniences for people who don’t necessarily want to go out as far. There’s the in-house restaurant Annie’s, a full-sized badminton and basketball court, gym facilities which guests can use for free, and an outdoor pool. The nearby Promenade offers many options for a nightout or relaxing afternoon as well.

Hotel manager Mario Mendoza explains, “Even when you’re at a seminar, you don’t want to be confined. Afterwards, you can go out; it’s safe, everything is just nearby. Right now, with the tie-up with Cravings, I’m sure we’ll have more guests.”

Ang Ley says many guests still crave for that “at home” convenience despite being on vacation and this is a need that Summit Ridge adequately addresses. “You get all the convenience of city life in a relaxed atmosphere. If you need anything, the supermarket is there. Restaurant choices? The Promenade offers a lot if you don’t want to eat at the hotel. It doesn’t feel like you’re leaving home because it has the conveniences of home,” she says.

Summit Ridge endeavors to provide an experience that will keep guests coming back for more. The relative energy from such a newly opened place is palpable and the design is one of the smartest I’ve come across. “(Palafox) knows Tagaytay very well,” Ang Ley says. “You want to take advantage of the climate, so do not enclose your hotel.”

In any business such as Summit Ridge, she says you always want to be the first choice. “We want to be the hotel of choice whenever you are in Tagaytay. Aside from that, we also want our clients to have the best experience they can have while staying with us. At the end of the day, it’s the repeat business that we really want, not the one-time deal.”    Photos by FERNAN NEBRES

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Summit Ridge Hotel and Promenade is located at Km. 58, General Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay City. For inquiries or reservations, call at (02) 240-6888 or 0922-852-6800, e-mail reservations@summitridgehotel.com or visit www.summitridgehotel.com.