Great escape
February 9, 2007 | 12:00am
Trekking out of town is no easy feat. With so many things to take into consideration, by the time you reach your destination you really need time off after all that planning. Between finding eateries that serve food you’d actually be keen on eating, to nabbing a suitable place to lay your head and ensuring a fun time with desirable company, a weekend away needs to be well thought out to maximize enjoyment potential. I’m game for travel but as a pleasure seeker and somewhat picky personality, these factors need to be highly evaluated before embarking on anything requiring me to trade my comfort zone in for another place to hang my hat.
When asked to swing on down to Tagaytay to check out a new hotel, I was reluctant at first but then quickly changed my fickle mind when I heard it was for the Boutique Bed and Breakfast. Having been in Tagaytay for a friend’s birthday a month before, out of curiosity, we stopped by there for after-dinner drinks on the verandah and immediately felt transported to a place reminiscent more of South Beach, Miami than south of Manila. A sucker for anything that resembles a page out of a cool hotel coffee-table book, I took up the offer for an overnight expedition to the Boutique.
Owned by the great gal tandem of Alana Montelibano and Happy Ongpauco, this bed and breakfast is really in a league of its own. Patterned after the boutique hotel genre worldwide, without a particular hotel in mind, The Boutique has really captured the essence of what a boutique hotel should be  intimate, cool and hip. Named "The Boutique"  for a boutique of positive, if sometimes covetous, emotions  the seven rooms are entitled "I Lust," "I Desire," "I Dare, " "I Dream," "I Surrender," "I Escape" and "I Love." Each room is done in contemporary modern fashion by stylish designer Chat Fores, injecting trendiness to the ridge; it’s a wonderful break from all the usual places of Tagaytay. Though the concept stays true to its foundation of being modern with all white lines, it’s still plush and inviting, negating the usual cold and stark effects a basic modern hotel exudes. An eclectic Euro touch infiltrates the reception area, mixing up bold, oversize statement pieces against clean contours. Rooms achieve a fresh yet cozy atmosphere by incorporating enough throw pillows to pad a small army without looking messy and overdone. The bathrooms are sparkling clean and transparent but are provided with hook-me-ups (curtains for the self-conscious ones). Equipped with Samsung flat-screen TVs, Wi-Fi, Harmon Kardon speakers and iPod docks, these rooms make for gratifying lairs for lazing about.
Upon arrival and check-in, I was asked to choose my toiletries for the stay and was presented with a wide range of fabulous smelling goodies to select from. Instead of using some mass-made ghetto shampoo, I had the option of using handmade products that smelled like milk and honey, lavender and lilac, juicy green apple or kiwi and lime squeeze. In addition to that, soap was offered sliced off a big brick and room scents were available to cater to your olfactory wishes. Happy and Alana worked closely with a chemist to develop their line of products aptly named "Pamper Me" and have an extensive range of items to choose from for sale. Body scrubs, oils, lotions and a few makeup products are available and eau de toilettes named after each of the rooms gladly resuscitate memories of your stay with a whiff. Complete with a bevy of options, you are even asked to choose the type of pillow you wish to sleep on. Talk about a personalized touch  you can’t get any more specific than that. For someone as finicky as me, I was duly impressed.
Once that was squared away and I was comfortably ensconced in my room watching a DVD chosen from the library, a knock on the door with an offer for an evening hot chocolate was beckoning. That, coupled with the fruit basket in the room, was a perfect match for a midnight movie. Snacks are delivered up to the room eliminating the need for mini bars and providing a homier atmosphere. Under Happy’s tutelage, the food options at The Boutique are plentiful and first rate. Breakfast in bed is available all day, comes with every room and is complete with a jumbo-sized tray to accommodate the delicious dishes to start off a great day. All meals are served at the resto downstairs but the not-to-miss hit is the Hawaiian barbecue menu that has people going gaga. A spin-off of their Boracay branch, the best baby-back ribs in town can be found here. Succulent and tasty, tender and tangy, these ribs are truly to die for. The Hawaiian menu is fruit-infused without being overtly sweet and has quite a few Spam dishes, the staple food of Hawaii (ever seen 50 First Dates?). The Boutique’s entrance is lined with pots of fresh herbs and spices collected from all over and are used in food preparation on the premises. Fresh and frill-free, I could have eaten at The Boutique all day long.
Scrutinizing every detail, Alana and Happy have this project of theirs down pat. With a bar about to open in the back with a fantastic view, The Boutique is guaranteed to become the hottest joint for drinks in the area for singles and married ones. Honeymoon packages include dinner for two, sexy pillowcases with quotes on them and a box complete with fun, kinky items. Small items are for sale in the rooms  panties, boxers and little books to ignite the fire. Lovers can spend a Valentine’s Day tryst here but need to book pronto. With seven rooms they already hit full capacity most of the time. I hope Alana and Happy spread the love and expand their Boutique concept all over the country.
The Boutique is located at 45 Aguinaldo Highway, Silang Crossing East, Tagaytay City. Call (46) 413-1885 for more information.
When asked to swing on down to Tagaytay to check out a new hotel, I was reluctant at first but then quickly changed my fickle mind when I heard it was for the Boutique Bed and Breakfast. Having been in Tagaytay for a friend’s birthday a month before, out of curiosity, we stopped by there for after-dinner drinks on the verandah and immediately felt transported to a place reminiscent more of South Beach, Miami than south of Manila. A sucker for anything that resembles a page out of a cool hotel coffee-table book, I took up the offer for an overnight expedition to the Boutique.
Owned by the great gal tandem of Alana Montelibano and Happy Ongpauco, this bed and breakfast is really in a league of its own. Patterned after the boutique hotel genre worldwide, without a particular hotel in mind, The Boutique has really captured the essence of what a boutique hotel should be  intimate, cool and hip. Named "The Boutique"  for a boutique of positive, if sometimes covetous, emotions  the seven rooms are entitled "I Lust," "I Desire," "I Dare, " "I Dream," "I Surrender," "I Escape" and "I Love." Each room is done in contemporary modern fashion by stylish designer Chat Fores, injecting trendiness to the ridge; it’s a wonderful break from all the usual places of Tagaytay. Though the concept stays true to its foundation of being modern with all white lines, it’s still plush and inviting, negating the usual cold and stark effects a basic modern hotel exudes. An eclectic Euro touch infiltrates the reception area, mixing up bold, oversize statement pieces against clean contours. Rooms achieve a fresh yet cozy atmosphere by incorporating enough throw pillows to pad a small army without looking messy and overdone. The bathrooms are sparkling clean and transparent but are provided with hook-me-ups (curtains for the self-conscious ones). Equipped with Samsung flat-screen TVs, Wi-Fi, Harmon Kardon speakers and iPod docks, these rooms make for gratifying lairs for lazing about.
Upon arrival and check-in, I was asked to choose my toiletries for the stay and was presented with a wide range of fabulous smelling goodies to select from. Instead of using some mass-made ghetto shampoo, I had the option of using handmade products that smelled like milk and honey, lavender and lilac, juicy green apple or kiwi and lime squeeze. In addition to that, soap was offered sliced off a big brick and room scents were available to cater to your olfactory wishes. Happy and Alana worked closely with a chemist to develop their line of products aptly named "Pamper Me" and have an extensive range of items to choose from for sale. Body scrubs, oils, lotions and a few makeup products are available and eau de toilettes named after each of the rooms gladly resuscitate memories of your stay with a whiff. Complete with a bevy of options, you are even asked to choose the type of pillow you wish to sleep on. Talk about a personalized touch  you can’t get any more specific than that. For someone as finicky as me, I was duly impressed.
Once that was squared away and I was comfortably ensconced in my room watching a DVD chosen from the library, a knock on the door with an offer for an evening hot chocolate was beckoning. That, coupled with the fruit basket in the room, was a perfect match for a midnight movie. Snacks are delivered up to the room eliminating the need for mini bars and providing a homier atmosphere. Under Happy’s tutelage, the food options at The Boutique are plentiful and first rate. Breakfast in bed is available all day, comes with every room and is complete with a jumbo-sized tray to accommodate the delicious dishes to start off a great day. All meals are served at the resto downstairs but the not-to-miss hit is the Hawaiian barbecue menu that has people going gaga. A spin-off of their Boracay branch, the best baby-back ribs in town can be found here. Succulent and tasty, tender and tangy, these ribs are truly to die for. The Hawaiian menu is fruit-infused without being overtly sweet and has quite a few Spam dishes, the staple food of Hawaii (ever seen 50 First Dates?). The Boutique’s entrance is lined with pots of fresh herbs and spices collected from all over and are used in food preparation on the premises. Fresh and frill-free, I could have eaten at The Boutique all day long.
Scrutinizing every detail, Alana and Happy have this project of theirs down pat. With a bar about to open in the back with a fantastic view, The Boutique is guaranteed to become the hottest joint for drinks in the area for singles and married ones. Honeymoon packages include dinner for two, sexy pillowcases with quotes on them and a box complete with fun, kinky items. Small items are for sale in the rooms  panties, boxers and little books to ignite the fire. Lovers can spend a Valentine’s Day tryst here but need to book pronto. With seven rooms they already hit full capacity most of the time. I hope Alana and Happy spread the love and expand their Boutique concept all over the country.
BrandSpace Articles
<
>