Date of Stay: April 19-21, 2022
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| Anya Resort Tagaytay |
Finally, after two years of lockdown and pandemic worries, I finally was able to bring my family (minus my daughter Cheska, son-in-law Bryan and grandson Kyle who were abroad) out on a staycation at the luxurious, 7.2-hectare, eco-friendly and quaint Anya Resort Tagaytay which has been on my radar for quite some time now. Opened last September 2016, this tranquil and intimate getaway is managed by the Anya Hospitality Group (AHG) which also manages Club Punta Fuego, Amara Residences and four franchised branches of Go Hotels (North Edsa, Timog, Ermita and Manila Airport Road). Mr. Santiago “Santi” Elizalde, president and CEO of Roxaco Land Corporation (parent company of Anya), is the visionary behind the resort.
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| Nighttime view of the resort |
Anya (from the Sanskrit word
for “no limits” or “no boundaries”) was just the right place for us to
“destress” as it is surrounded by nature, has a good ambiance and beautiful,
lush landscaping; its amenities are world class and it has quiet surroundings, being
far from the hustle and bustle of the main roads of busy Tagaytay City.
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| The author, Grace and Jandy |
Anya Resort Tagaytay is a
member and the third establishment in the Philippines to receive a seal of
approval from the Small Luxury Hotels (SLH) of the World, an exclusive group of
just over 500 luxury boutique hotels and resorts around the globe. To be called
an SLH establishment, the place is visited by anonymous inspectors who check if
a hotel meets the SLH’s world-class standards.
In its first year alone, Anya got a score of 93.5 percent. Today, Anya is one of only two Philippine
resorts that are members of SLH.
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| One of the resort's villas |
This sprawling development,
designed by Manny Samson and Associates, showcases the world-renowned Filipino
aesthetic integrating comfort, functionality and sophistication and combining
modern design and traditional Filipino materials (bamboo, abaca, Philippine
hardwood, etc.). These are reflected in
their 78 very clean, beautiful, well maintained, tastefully decorated and spacious
rooms, all non-smoking.
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| A blend of indigenous and modern design..... |
Managing the resort, since August 2018, is the young, hardworking, good-looking, always smiling but soft-spoken Mikel Arriet who first arrived in Manila in 2004 by way of the lovely town of Andoain, Gipuzkoa in the Basque Region of Spain. A familiar face, in the past I covered his stint as Executive Chef of Fuego Hotels when he was the star of the “Flavors of Spain.” Mikel oozes with talent and is passionate when it comes to his job. He ably steered Anya through two challenges that hit the resort and Tagaytay City – the 2020 Taal Volcano eruption and the still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Check out “The
Flavors of Spain in Batangas," “The
Flavors of Spain Goes to Clark” and “Flavors
of Spain in Davao”
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| L-R: Mikel Arriet (Anya Resort General Manager), the author, Grace, Jandy and Chris A. Leaning (Anya Resort Executive Chef) |
The world-renowned Filipino hospitality is at its best in the resort due to the exceptional level of Anya management and staff’s customer service. Upon our arrival at the resort gate, a smiling security guard greeted us, with such warmth and energy, with “Welcome Home,” making us feel special.
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| The bamboo-lined road to rest, relaxation and rejuvenation.... |
After a short drive along the impressive bamboo tree-lined path, we reached the driveway where a friendly lady, an Anya Experience Assistant, one of the resort’s very important assets, was on hand to attend to our needs, helping us in the check-in process and the details of our stay and even driving the golf buggy that brought us to our Anya Garden Suite (Suite 801). In our room, we were also welcomed with a bottle of wine, apples and a platter of various delicious cheeses.
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| The lobby and reception area |
Our well-maintained and spacious,100 sq. m. (1,076 sq. ft.), airconditioned suite was furnished with the usual luxury hotel amenities - a telephone, cable TV, a mini-bar, coffee or tea maker, in-room safe, flat iron, safety deposit box and iPod docking station. The beds, sheets and pillows of our king bed were all comfortable and wi-fi is free in all rooms as well as in public areas. Our suite had a separate living room (with another cable TV) and a balcony or terrace.
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| Villa 801: Bedroom |
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| Villa 801: Living Room |
Our ensuite bathroom had his and hers lavatories (plus another lavatory in the compartmentalized water closet which is also accessible from the living room), a separate walk-in shower (with rainshower head) and a whirlpool bathtub and was provided with bathrobes, hair dryer and free toiletries (organic shampoo, conditioner, bath gels, and lotion).
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| Bathroom: bathtub and his and hers lavatory |
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| Bathroom: shower enclosure and water closet |
As this eco-friendly resort is also big on sustainability, instead of the usual water bottled in plastic, drinking water was provided in our room via sterilized eco-friendly refillable bottles (the resort is now 95 percent free of single-use plastic. Eco-friendly chemicals and natural toiletries, with biodegradable packaging, are also used and there’s a composting section at the back of the garden.
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| Junior Suite (photo: www.anyaresorts.com) |
Other room types in the
resort are Junior Suite King (1 king bed) and the Junior Suite (1 king bed or 2
twin), both 47 sq. m. (506 sq. ft.); the 69 sq. m. (743 sq. ft.) Junior Suite
Twin (2 semi-double beds); the 100 sq. m. Anya Veranda Suite (1 king bed); the
102 sq. m. (1,098 sq. ft.) Anya Suite with Garden View (1 king bed); the Quad
Room Sea View; the 2-Room Apartment; the 1-Room Apartment and the Triple Room.
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| Veranda Suite (photo: www.anyaresorts.com) |
As soon as we were settled in our suite, we donned our swimming attire to take a dip at the nearby outdoor central swimming pool, the heart of the resort, which was divided into 4 sections - 2 sections for small children (where the depth was probably 2 ft.) and 2 sections (including the infinity pool) for everyone else with a depth of 4 ft..
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| Three of the resort's swimming pools |
All were heated, allowing us, and other guests, to swim despite the cool weather in Tagaytay. Surrounding the pools are beach chairs/loungers.
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| The fourth swimming pool |
After our delightful swim, we returned to our suite to prepare for dinner at Samira by Chele Gonzalez, the resort’s fine dining restaurant. Here, we dined al fresco at the balcony, a great place to watch the setting sun.
Check out “Restaurant Review: Samira by Chele Gonzalez”
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| Samira by Chele Gonzalez |
Anya is also about rejuvenation and, as such, any stay at the resort is not complete without some pampering. After dinner, Grace and I proceeded to the Niyama Wellness Center for our 8 PM Couples Massage. Inside their treatment room, we placed ourselves in the hands of skilled therapists who employed the best techniques and used the finest high quality, natural and organic materials (oils, scents, etc.).
Check out “Spa Review: Niyama Wellness Center”
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| Niyama Wellness Center |
Come morning, we had our complimentary breakfast at the Anila Poolside, beside the outdoor pool. Their highly-rated continental breakfast had a good variety of drinks, a cheese, cereals, bread and pastries buffet with plated main course meal.
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| Anila Poolside |
For the latter, you can choose from their Filipino menu of either homemade beef tapa, pork tocino and daing na bangus, all served with two eggs of your preference, and garlic rice. The American breakfast consists of homemade pancakes with sausage or crispy bacon, with honey and butter.
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| American Breakfast |
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| Homemade Beef Tapa |
Other main courses meal choices include Sweet and Sour Fish (served with rice, pepper, onion and pineapple), the three-egg Smoked Salmon Omelet (served with toast bread), Eggs Royale (poached eggs over smoked salmon topped with hollandaise sauce), Eggs Benedict (poached eggs over crispy bacon topped with hollandaise sauce) and Anya Granola (homemade granola with mixed fruits, plain yogurt and honey syrup). They also serve crostini - Tapa Crostini (sauteed julienne of beef tapa with white scrambled egg), Crostini A La Royale (served with scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and hollandaise) and Vegetable Crostini (sauteed mixed vegetables with eggs).
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| Pork Tocino |
For quiet time, we also
visited the charming airconditioned library which has comfortable couches, a
chess board and a nice collection of books which you can borrow and bring to
the borderless library,” a bamboo-shaded sunken garden with a flowing stream
near the swimming pool.
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| The Library |
If you want to sweat what stresses you out, there is also a fully equipped gym and fitness studio with complete sets of weights, cardio machines and workout equipment. They also offer soft archery and badminton.
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| Library interior |
For weddings, birthdays, seminars, conventions and other occasions, Anya has three function rooms – the 150-pax Nilaya Room, the 70-pax AECL Room and the 20-pax Raya Room. They could even arranged “movie nights” for adults and kids alike.
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| Fitness gym |
One thing going for this resort is its convenient location, being just 2.6 kms. from Tagaytay City proper. On our second day, we explored Museo Orlina which was just a 1.7-km. drive from Anya Resort. Though there is no Taal Volcano view in the resort itself, it was also just a 7.5-km. (15-min.) drive to Taal Vista Hotel for a merienda of halo-halo and the Taal Volcano view.
Check out “Museo Orlina”
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| For dinner, Mikel surprised us with this special table setting at Tala Garden just for us on our second night at the resort .... |
The resort is also located 1.9 kms. from Summit Ridge Promenade, 3.6 kms. from Tagaytay Picnic Grove, 4.2 kms. from Our Lady of Manaoag at Tierra de Maria, 5 kms. from Sky Ranch Tagaytay, 5.3 kms. from Ayala Malls Serin, 5.8 kms. from Taal Lake, 6.2 kms. from People’s Park in the Sky, 6.5 kms. from San Antonio de Padua Church, 7.6 kms. from the Puzzle Mansion Bead and Breakfast, 9.4 kms. from Fernwood Gardens Tagaytay, 9.6 kms. from Taal Lake and 16.5 kms. from Calaruega Retreat Center (Nasugbu, Batangas).
Check out "Caleruega Retreat Center"
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| The golf buggy that brought us to our suite |
We had a relaxing and peaceful “Anya Experience” throughout our three-day staycation at the resort. The well trained and incredibly professional resort staff were nice and friendly and everyone greeted us everywhere we went – from the Resort Manager Ms. Melody Amacio down to the charming security team and waiters. I can’t think of anything I didn’t like. The facilities and accommodations were top-notch, the food delicious and the ambiance was great. Truly, a delightful and memorable stay that exceeded my expectations. I hope to come back soon.
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| A chilled bottle of wine, apples and a platter of various delicious cheeses welcomed us in our villa |
Anya Resort Tagaytay: Buenavista Hills Rd., Brgy. Mag-asawang Ilat, Tagaytay City, 4120 Cavite. Tel: (02) 8657 1640. Mobile numbers: (0917) 893-8946. E-mail:a sales@anyaresorts.com. Website: www.anyaresorts.com.
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