Friday, August 8, 2014

The Villa Caceres Hotel: Mediterranean Opulence in Naga City


The Villa Caceres Hotel   
Mediterranean Opulence in Naga City 


This was the second time that we checked- in 
at the Villa Caceres Hotel, in Naga City.
The first time was, about three years ago
during a school Halloween of my  son when
we booked a standard room where we could
rest while the school program was going on.




We also used the hotel room where
my son’s classmates could  drop by
for their trick or treat activity.




This time, we returned to Villa Caceres Hotel,
to spend the night during the Typhoon Glenda.
to keep my family safe, to relax and rest as there
would be a lot of house cleaning to do after the storm

Stay

Villa Caceres Hotel, has an opulent grand lobby,




…with huge chandeliers of the old world charm.


There were grand pillars reaching up the cathedral
 high ceilings decorated with lovely intricate cornices.




The lobby lounge, despite not being
fully lighted as I took the photos at  the
height of the storm was  breathtaking.


The lobby entrance at the check- in area
was already sealed off  with plywood
in preparation of the incoming storm.




It took a while for us to check- in
 as there were a lot of guests in
anticipation of the coming typhoon,





…so we decided to eat our lunch first at   
the restaurant while they  prepare our  room.



Soon after, we were bound on the scenic elevator
and we were on our way to our suite room.



Stay 
One Bedroom Suite

Our One Bedroom Suite room was located on
the second floor facing Magsaysay Avenue.



It was beautifull European- Mediterranean inspired 
room,  which I observed was imperfectly designed, 
and I will discuss why, as I go on with his blog.




It had foyer as an entrance and just had a
framed painting on it, and being table- less
made it look like an empty and lonely space.


The room, just like the lobby was decorated by beautiful,
 intricately designed cornices on the walls and ceilings.


But the living room was so beautiful that
it  took our breaths away as it had this
really huge and elegant European sofa,



…making it perfect for lounging and
could even serve as an extra bed.


Beside to sofa is a side table with a
table lamp and I noticed that there
was no telephone on the living room.


The suite room also had a massive and handsome
study table with a comfortable classic chair.





It had an elegant table lamp similar with
that of the living room but I expected a
phone on it but, alas- there was none.



It also had an elegant round dining
table with a Lazy Daisy table top.



Right behind the dining table is a  huge flat screen LCD TV.
 I don’t know why they decided to hide the TV in the dining area, 
making it impossible to watch in the comfort of the living room.



It also had an empty refrigerator,



…with a mini- bar on top.



It also had its own beautiful toilet
where I also  expected to have a
telephone on it, but there was none.



The living room had a balcony that
offers a view of Magsaysay Avenue



The bedroom was very spacious,.



…and had a rather small queen size bed.
 It had luxurious pillow top mattress
lots of soft, fluffy pillows and duvet. 


It also had a classy lounge
chair  in front of the bed.


The bedroom had a
flat screen LCD TV,



…and this is one of the very few hotels
that we have been to, with full vanity area.



 

It also had a spacious and lovely closet,





…and a very huge and gorgeous bathroom,



...with rather limited supplies of toiletries.


The bathroom was beautiful with
classic Victorian style showers,









…a classy vanity and lavatory,

 

…and a gorgeous Jacuzzi.





The end tables by the bedside also
have these elegant lampshades,



…and had the suite’s sole telephone.
I was disappointed that a room this
big only had one telephone line,



…and while we were told at the front desk
that there is a wi- fi signal in the room, they
did not say that it was very, very weak, and
there was no a signal at all most of the time.


The good thing is that, we have an internet
plan from Globe and its signal never faltered
nor stopped even at the height of  the typhoon.


The room also has a balcony that offers a view of 
Magsaysay Avenue and of the Penafrancia Basilica belfry.




Stray

The hotel is located right at the lively Magsaysay Strip, in Naga City, so there
 is really a lot of places to visit and very close to so many dining destinations.



We also chose this hotel to stay during the typhoon
as it is in a safe distance away from the Naga River,
and the chance of the hotel getting flooded is nil.

Play 


The Villa Caceres Hotelhas a lovely resort  like leisure amenities
 with swimming pool with a outdoor Jacuzzi, and a gorgeous Sauna.




It is also where a Manila based 
salon and day spa is located.



They also had a well equipped gym whic
I was not able to use due to our very
limited time that we stayed in the hotel. 



Feast 

In Room Dining 

Since the suite room had a fabulous dining room,
we decided to take our dinner  inside our room. 


The Villa Caceres Hotel in room dining had
a wide variety of local and international dishes.


The food is delicious
as it is affordable.





Café Roberto 

It took a us a while to check- in as there were a lot
of people trying to check in  for the typhoon,  so we
decided to eat our lunch while waiting  for our room. 






Café Roberto is wonderful restaurant,



...that serves a wide range of delectable local, international 
and mostly Oriental and a number of Chinese dishes.



The Rose Garden

The Rose Garden is a restaurant in a lanai
where the breakfast buffet is served but it
was closed during our stay was it was being
cleaned up after being soaked by the typhoon. 

 

Villa Caceres Hotel has one of the most extensive
breakfast buffet in the region, as they are having the
“Breakfast just got better with Chef Oddy”.



The free breakfast buffet was served  at the Café Roberto, and
the good chef was there all the time apologizing to guests  as he
prepared a rather limited  menu that day as the venue was smaller.



Despite the limitations brought about by Typhoon Glenda
he still served a decent spread breakfast buffet  that day.



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The Villa Caceres Hotel offers  one of the
most spacious suites and definitely on of the
most beautiful hotel rooms that we have ever
stayed in the country or even in the  world.


I would refer this as a One Bedroom Suite in this
blog, although they officially call that  room a
Presidential Suite but I believe calling  it that way
is an overstatement and I am stating the reasons why.


The room may be breathtakingly beautiful, but it was poorly
designed-  and had it not been for the gorgeous furnishings, 
 and the intricate finish, the suite room would have looked plain.


An entryway table with flower arrangement
below the painting could have been turned it
into a warm welcoming foyer and an impressive
entrance preview the what to expect in the room.



The biggest blunder of the interior designer of
this  room is hiding the TV behind the dining table,
making it impossible for the guests to watch while
lounging in comfort on the living room sofa.


It was kind of weird to put the tiny refrigerator beside 
the TV and it was totally empty, despite the fact that
this is the hotel’s  best and considered as a premier room.


The massive study and the working table was beautiful
and fit for a presidential room, but there was nothing in
there except for the beautiful table lamp. I expected a
phone here, in fact the huge room deserves at least three
or four telephones but they only have one by the bedside.


The bed had rather small bed and this is one the main
reasons why I refuse to call the room a Presidential Suite.
A real presidential suite deserves a huge king sized bed-
not a lovely looking, pretty and petite queen sized bed.


There was also no Wi- Fi internet access, although we were told
that it was available when we checked in. No, the absence of signal 
wasn't because of the typhoon but the front desk admitted that our
 room really had a weak signal as it located way off from the wi- fi source.
They suggested to use our laptops for  the free broadband connection.
We had to use our own post paid internet subscription from a network.


It would be more appropriate to call this room a One Bedroom Suite 
rather than a Presidential Suite to avoid over expectations from the guests. 
I would have just reacted with awe and admiration for this beautiful suite room 
had they called it that way. The suite room costs a little over 12,000 pesos 
per day  tax inclusive. I would  say a little overpriced for a non-5 star hotel.


With an opulent lobby, the only scenic elevator in the region,
resort like facility, beautiful suite rooms and good service,
what keeps the Villa Caceres from becoming a five star hotel?


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