Hotel and Inn Review: The Blanket Hotel Restaurant Coffee (City of Ilagan, Isabela)

Date of Stay: May 4 to 11, 2023

 

RATING (Scale of 1 to 10)

Location: ********

Rooms: *******

Condition and Cleanliness: ********

Staff Performance: *********

Room Comfort: ********

Food and Beverage: ********

Other Amenities: ********

Value for Money: ********

 

The Blanket Hotel Restaurant Coffee

This cozy, 13-room, 3-star bed and breakfast, opened last 2017, was our home for 7 nights while covering the 2024 Mammangi Festival of the City of Ilagan. It has an onsite coffee shop (ground floor), a 50-pax function hall at the second floor (where our group had our daily breakfasts and occasional late lunches and early dinners), a garden outdoor dining area and a 24-hour Front Desk.  

Hotel entrance

Breakfast is included in some room types. All accommodations include bed, linens and towels while select rooms have a mini fridge and a terrace.

Media group in front of hotel (photo: George Buid)

The De Luxe Room (Php1,800) that I stayed in (Room 4), one of four rooms which sleeps 2,  was comfortable and clean.  It had window type airconditioning, a 32-inch flat screen TV (with 50 cable channels), coffee making facility and tiled floors.  The private ensuite bathroom had a rainshower head, bidet, water heater and soap and shampoo dispenser. 

 

De Luxe Room

Other room types are one Twin De Luxe Room (which also sleeps 2, Php2,300), three Premium De Luxe Rooms (which sleeps 3, Php2,800), one Family Room (which sleeps 4, Php3,400), two Garden Hostel Rooms (which sleeps 8, Php6,800) and one Garden Family Hostel Room (which sleeps 7, Php6,300).

The tastefully decorated and furnished lounge area

 

The 24-hour Front Desk

There are, however, no service phones inside the room, for making outside calls or connections to the Front Desk. There is also no dedicated parking space.  You have to park along the street.  

Coffee Shop

Dining area

However, though my room had no working desk, you can work on your computer at the tastefully decorated common lounge which is also ideal for  get-togethers.  Free wi-fi is available throughout the property.

 

The 50-pax Function Hall

The al fresco dining area 

Plus, the room rates were affordable and their service was outstanding.  Ms. Camille Bianca Tan (a 2009 BS Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management graduate of DLSU-College of St. Benilde), the Operations Manager, and the staff were courteous and friendly and always wearing a smile. Even the hotel mascot, a pug named Buck (think Frank of  Men in Bkack 1 and Men in Black 2) was very friendly, welcoming us during our every meal at the hotel, asking for a belly rub.

 

Operations Manager Camille Bianca Tan with Buck (photo: Azrael Coladilla)

The food was light and tasty, with lots of variety in the menu (Filipino dishes, burgers, pasta, cakes, cookies, etc.), and the coffee was very good.  Some of us even ordered boxes of their delectable ensaymadas and cinnamon buns for pasalubong.

 

Media group at the function hall

The hotel is conveniently located at the very heart of the city, being just 110 m. from Rizal Park, 180 m. from the City of Ilagan Community Center (where the Barangay Night was held), 200 m. from St. Ferdinand Parish Church, 260 m. from Xentro Mall and 550 m. from Ilagan City Hall (where we had a press conference with City Mayor Josemarie L. Diaz). 

 

Ramp fromthe lounge to the function hall

It is also located 860 m. from the Ilagan Japanese Tunnel and 1 km. from the City of Ilagan Sports Complex (where the Search for Binibining Ilagan 2024, Street Dancing Parade Competition and Grand Concert was held). 

Check out “Japanese Tunnel” and “St.Ferdinand Parish Church”

 

An Instagrammable spot

It is also located 3.6 kms. from the Isabela State University, 3.9 kms. from Bonifacio Park (where a Dancing Fountain and the World’s Largest Butaka can be found), 7.4 kms. from Queen Isabela Park, 7.6 kms. from the Isabela Provincial Capitol, 8.4 kms. from NorthStar Mall Ilagan, 12.4 kms. (a 30-min. drive) to Fuyot Spring Natural Park, and 34.1 kms. (a 45-min. drive) to SM Cauayan.  The Cagayan River is a 2-min. drive or a 15-min. walk from the hotel.

 

Garden area

The hotel also offers daily housekeeping, room service and transportation (surcharge) to Cauayan Airport located 36.5 kms. (a 1-hour drive) away. 

The Blanket Hotel Restaurant Coffee: Rizal cor. Taft St., Brgy. Sta. Barbara, City of Ilagan 3300, Isabela.  Tel: (078) 323-2913.  Mobile number: (0977) 707-0597.

 

City Tourism Office: 2/F, City Hall Bldg., 3300 City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 624-1511. E-mail: tourism@cityofilagan.gov.ph. 

City of Ilagan Tourist Information and Assistance Center: Bonifacio Park, 3300 City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 324-7769.  E-mail: ilaganinfocenter@gmail.com. 

Isabela Provincial Tourism Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-3146.  Mobile number: (0917) 317-3820.  E-mail: isabelatourismoffice@gmail.com.  

Isabela Provincial Information Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-0248.  Mobile number: (0927) 395-7555.  E-mail: letters_info@yahoo.com. 

How to Get There: The City of Ilagan is located 429.3 kms. (an 8-hour drive) from Manila and 35.5 kms. (a 1-hour drive) from Cauayan City.