Up in the Clouds Part 1: The Manor at Camp John Hay

For the last weekend of the sem break, our family decided to go on a road trip to Baguio City, known as the "City of Pines", and dubbed as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", due to its cooler climate. We were booked for three days and two nights at The Manor at Camp John Hay, a 177-room hotel located right within Camp John Hay, a major recreation attraction which was previously a hill station used by the United States Armed Forces until it was formally turned over to the Philippine government on July 1, 1991.

On our last trip to Baguio in 2007, we stayed at a different hotel, which was conveniently located right smack in the center of Baguio; in fact, Baguio City's kilometer zero marker is located just right across the street from that hotel, and major attractions such as Burnham Park and Session Road were just a short walk away. As part of our itinerary for that trip five years ago, we dropped by The Manor at Camp John Hay to buy raisin bread at the hotel's  restaurant and bakery called Le Chef, which a lot of people say is a must-try.

When we first set foot at The Manor on that day five years ago, we knew that we just had to return to Baguio and book a room at this hotel. It was certainly a far cry from that hotel we were staying in at that time--it was certainly much more luxurious and definitely cozier; the surroundings were much more peaceful and relaxing since the hotel was located at the "quiet side" of Baguio. There weren't any honking jeepneys and cars to bother us as we try to get some sleep at night (unlike that other hotel).

And now, five years later, we decided to return to Baguio, and this time, we did stay at The Manor, and it was certainly an experience we would like to have again in the future. This blog post covers our stay at the hotel--read on and enjoy!

The hotel facade

The hotel as viewed from the garden

 We stayed at a Deluxe Room, with a forest view. Guests could also choose to stay in a room that had a view of the garden. 

The room we stayed in was actually really nice, though it would take a while to get over the fact that the rooms here do not have air-conditioning. But then again, this hotel is located in Baguio after all, and an air-conditioner isn't really needed. All you have to do is just open the balcony doors (but close and lock the screen door for security) or windows (if your room doesn't have a balcony) and you're good to go. 

Our Deluxe Room

View of the driveway and the forest from our balcony

The garden adorned with Christmas lights at night

The Le Chef at the Manor (bakery)

One of the cakes on display--they all look so delicious!

People queuing up to get their fill of the bakery's breads and pastries

Aside from cakes and pastries, there were also wines and coffee (harvested from the Cordillera region) at the bakery.

Wines for sale

Complimentary malunggay-and-calamansi tea available anytime at the lobby

The lobby

Nice pathway at the garden

Just a peek of The Le Chef at the Manor restaurant

The restaurant has a dress code. My apologies for the poor quality of the photo.

Another view of the restaurant

(The Manor is located at Camp John Hay at Loakan Road, Baguio City. For more information, visit the Camp John Hay website at www.campjohnhay.ph)