Hotel and Inn Review: Simon Viewpoint Inn and Restaurant (Banaue, Ifugao)

Date of Stay: January 27 - 29, 2009

RATING (Scale of 1 to 10)

Location: ******

Rooms: ******

Condition and Cleanliness: ******

Staff Performance: ******

Room Comfort: ******

Food and Beverage: ******

Other Amenities: ****

Value for Money: *******

Simon Viewpoint Inn and Restaurant

Food at Simon's Inn

Simon Viewpoint Inn and Restaurant, one of the biggest in Batad, is basically a backpacker accommodation, with large rooms with multiple beds and shared bathrooms., From its concrete, railing-less view deck, one can get a breathtaking amphitheater vista of the Batad Rice Terraces.  The inn can accommodate around 50 guest at a time.

The inn also has a pair of seemingly authentic rectangular and nailless one-room bale huts at the back. Used for cooking and sleeping, the huts are built on four sturdy amugawan tree trunk posts, 2-3 m. from the ground, to keep the vermin out.  

Access to the hut is through a steep, removable bamboo or wooden ladder.  The hut also has outward slanting waist or chest-high walls, two doors, a wooden plank floor and no windows.  The steep, pyramidal, reed and grass-thatched roof conceals the walls. 

The inn's restaurant also serves good food (pizza, pita bread, highland rice, veggies, fries, etc.) and wine (native rice wine called tappuy).

A pair of Ifugao huts at the back of the inn

Simon Viewpoint Inn and Restaurant: Brgy. Batad, Banaue, Ifugao.  Mobile number: (0919) 261-9566 (Simon Ilag).