Restaurant Review: Cafe Leona (Vigan City, Ilocos Sur)

Leona Florentino House

Frank, Cherry, Mandy and Tellie

The very popular Café Leona, housed at the Leona Florentino House, was opened in 1997. 

It serves a mixture of different cuisines - Filipino (daing na bangus, paksiw na tilapia, chicken sisig, etc.), Japanese (sushi), Thai, Continental (smoked salmon pate, steaks, etc.) and Italian (longanisa pizza, pepperoni pizza, seafood pizza, pinakbet pizza, puttanesca, etc.). 

However, we decided to indulge on true Ilocano fare; feasting on the delicious but cholesterol-rich bagnet (local version of the crispy pata) and the healthier pinakbet (vegetable stew), all in big servings.  Other Ilocano dishes served include Vigan longanisa, sinanglao, fish tamales (made from ipon) and Vigan-style morcon.  

The ambiance is quite dull and dark and the service quite slow though.  Come nighttime, the restaurant sets up floor space outside for al fresco dining. 

Cafe Leona: Mena Crisologo St., Vigan City, Ilocos Sur. Tel: (077) 722-2212.  Fax: (077) 722-3089. Mobile number: (0920) 906-8144.  E-mail: cafeleona@yahoo.com.

Hotel and inn Feature: Cordillera Inn (Vigan City, Ilocos Sur)

Date of Stay: April 3 - 4, 2004

RATING (Scale of 1 to 10)

Location: ********

Rooms: *******

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

Staff Performance: *******

Room Comfort: ******

Food and Beverage: ******

Other Amenities: ******

Value for Money: *******

Cordillera Inn

The cozy interior

The Cordillera Inn, formerly the Casa de Don Gaspar de Bartolome, was built between 1871-1900 and is one of many ancestral homes in the city turned into cozy hotels and pension houses. 

Located at the heart of cobblestoned Mena Crisologo St. (parking is not allowed here, park at the rear of the hotel) and the city's Heritage Village, near Plaza Burgos, it is surrounded by lots of quaint antique shops and coffee shops serving Ilocano fare.

The large, pleasant reception area, with its stone floor, huge, round center table and antique lamps on the walls, adjoins the small congenial in-house restaurant which serves authentic Ilocano cuisine. 

The inn has 23 airconditioned family rooms with four-poster beds, private bath and cable TV (PhP1,500).  The inn's original rooms have been divided to create these smaller rooms, especially with the standard rooms.  Some rooms have no windows. Their decor is simple and sober. A large staircase leads to the rooms on the upper floors. 

Grace and the kids at the stairway of Cordillera Inn

This economy-class hotel also has a bar, lounge, multi-purpose hall, function/ meeting room, roof deck garden and curio/souvenir shop and offers laundry, currency exchange, safety deposit box, wi-fi service, tours, fax and 24-hour room service. 

Cordillera Inn: 29 Mena Crisologo cor. Gen. Luna Sts., Vigan City, Ilocos Sur. Tel: (077) 722-2526. Fax: (077) 722-2739 & 722-2727.  Mobile number: (0927) 313-5616.

Hotel and Inn Review: Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino (Cebu City, Cebu)

Date of Stay: May 23 - 24, 2003

RATING (Scale of 1 to 10)

Location: ********

Rooms: ********

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

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

Room Comfort: *******

Food and Beverage: *******

Other Amenities: ********

Value for Money: *******

Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino

The Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino has 562 (the biggest hotel in the country with regards to number of rooms) airconditioned rooms with bath, cable TV, safety deposit boxes and minibar (193 standard, 159 de luxe, 146 superior, 23 de luxe suites, 14 executive suites, 13 ambassador rooms, 10 ambassador suites, one penthouse suite, one chairman’s suite and one presidential suite).  

This hotel also has specialty restaurants (Tin Gow Chinese Restaurant, Port Seafood Restaurant, Va Bene Restorante Italiano, Kanchiku Japanese Restaurant), coffee shop (Café Uno), bars (Sally’s Piano Bar, The Abbey, 7 Stars Sports Bar, Lucky Ace KTV Bar, Pool Aquarius Bar), disco (H2O), lobby lounge, swimming pool, convention center, business center, nine function rooms, gym, health and fitness club and shopping arcade.  It offers laundry, tours and travel, safety deposit boxes and limousine service. 

Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino: 1 Salinas Drive, Lahug District, Cebu City, Cebu. Tel: (032) 232-6888. Fax: (032) 232-6880.  E-mail: wcch@waterfronthotels.com.  Website: www.waterfronthotels.net.  

Manila booking office: 27/F, Wynsum Corporate Plaza, 22 Emerald Ave., Ortigas Center in Pasig City.   Tel: 687-0888.    Fax: 687-5970 & 687-5973-74.  E-mail: msro@waterfronthotel.com and wpi@the.net.ph.  Website: www.waterfronthotel.com.ph. 

Resort Feature: Arthur's Place Dive Resort (Mabini, Batangas)

Arthur's Place

Arthur’s Place, opened in 1984 (with two rooms) by the late Arthur Abrigonda was, together with Aqua Tropical Sports (opened in 1967) and Aquaventure Reef Club, the first to open resorts in the area.  

It now has 12 rooms with bath (two of them airconditioned), a restaurant, dive shop, picnic tables, shower rooms and offers two boats for diving trips.   

Offshore is a dive site aptly named Arthur’s Place, gradually sloping from five to 21 meters with plenty of reef fish, small coral heads, soft corals, feather stars, hydroids, anemones and sponges. Diving is good all year round but the best season is from November to May. 

Arthur's Place Dive Resort: Anilao, Mabini, Batangas. Mobile numbers (Ms. Estelita M. Abrigonda): (0919) 716-7973 and (0919) 312-3938.  E-mail: arthursplace_ph@yahoo.com.  Website: www.arthurs-place.com.

Resort Review: Matabungkay Beach Resort & Hotel (Lian, Batangas)

Date of Stay: March 23-24, 2002

RATING (Scale of 1 to 10)

Location: *******

Rooms: *******

Condition and Cleanliness: *******

Staff Performance: ******

Room Comfort: ******

Food and Beverage: *******

Other Amenities: ******

Value for Money: *******

Matabungkay Beach Resort & Hotel

This upscale DOT-accredited “Class AA” resort had its beginnings in the 1980s.  A brainchild of the Levistes of Batangas, it is the largest beach resort and hotel in the Lian/Matabungakay vicinity.  The resort was recently named as the “Most Outstanding Beach Resort of 2002” during the 17th Annual Parangal ng Bayan Awards and the 2002 National Consumer Excellence Awards.  Proofs of excellence are seen in its 57 combinations of fully-airconditioned superior and executive guest rooms with private bath and spacious veranda plus 12 suites (junior, senior) and villas (Parkview and Seaview).  Some rooms have 24-hour satellite TV and in-house movies and minibars.

A fleet of balsas

For gourmands, there are four food and beverage outlets.  The Café Caballero, open from 6 AM till midnight, offers sumptuous, a la carte, local and international cuisine with live weekend entertainment.  The beachside Ihaw-Ihaw Bar & Grill, open 7 PM till midnight, offers char-grilled dishes (including seafood).  The Cogon Bar, open, 10 AM till midnight, offers a wide variety of beverages and concocted cocktails.  The 50-pax Poolside Bar offers light refreshments and cool drinks.   

For private dining, parties, social gatherings and company outings, the resort offers the 500-pax Fiesta Area, the 170-pax Pavilion I & II, the 30-pax Wishing Well and the 35-pax Inakaya Private Room.  For conferences, seminars, meetings and team building,  there are 4 fully-equipped, airconditioned function rooms; the 100-pax Batangas Room, the 50-pax  Matabungkay Room, the 40-pax Balayan Room and the 40-pax Lian Room. 

For the active sports buffs and sun worshippers, the resort has a private 15-m. wide beige sand beachfront, a “Nestea” swimming pool, basketball court, badminton court, 14-hole minigolf, mini-soccer, two floodlit tennis courts, a volleyball area and a giant chessboard area.   The resort also offers scuba diving (there is a well-equipped dive shop) and fishing. Tired of the sun, stay indoors and visit the Gift Shop (handicrafts, beach wear, etc.) and the Gotcha Club which offers darts, billiards, table soccer, card games, table tennis plus a videoke which offers 7,000 songs, computerized in five languages (Filipino, English, Japanese, Chinese and Korean). 

The resort is also kid-friendly.  Aside from its outdoor playground area and kiddie pool, the hotel was also the first to introduce the “Children’s Paradise” indoor play area (open 8 AM-6 PM) where Playstation, V-tech games, playhouse activities, Barbie dolls, Mattel and Matchbox toys are offered to children guests under the supervision of a nanny (at no cost to in-house guests).  The resort also hosts a Hash House Harrier Run (special trekking, running and walking while enjoying nature’s scenic views) every last Saturday of the month and other fun-filled activities during peak seasons.  

Matabungkay Beach Resort and Hotel: Brgy. Matabungkay, Lian, Batangas.  Manila office: Unit H, Garden Floor, LPL Towers, 112 Legaspi St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.  Tel: (632) 819-3080, (632) 752-5252 and (632) 751-6685.  Fax: (632) 817-1176.  E-mail: mrb@matabungkay.net or inquiry@matabungkay.net.  Website: www.matabungkay.net. 

Resort Review: Sabin Resort Hotel (Ormoc City, Leyte)

Date of Stay: April 14-15, 2000

RATING (Scale of 1 to 10)

Location: *******

Rooms: ********

Condition and Cleanliness: *******

Staff Performance: *******

Room Comfort: *******

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

Other Amenities: *******

Value for Money: *******

Sabin Resort Hotel

Our de luxe room

Sabin Resort Hotel has 60 spacious airconditioned rooms with cable TV and private bath, some with verandas facing the pool and the sea (superior, de luxe, premiere,   executive suite and presidential suite).  

The resort has a unique, huge and ectomorphic swimming pool with its sunken poolside bar at the center accessed by a bridge. The pool is well lit at night.

The resort's private beach, along Ormoc Bay, has waters were so clear you could see your toes underneath.  An added spectacle was the magnificent sunset also best seen from a view deck beside the resort.  From here you could also see the city's port (a 5-min. drive from the resort) with Hotel Don Felipe prominent in the background.

The resort's unique pool

Its Mario's Restaurant serves Spanish and Filipino cuisine and also has a nightly live band.  The third floor Club Andone, on the other hand, serves fine wines.  For conferences, conventions or small group gatherings, the resort has the 400-500-pax grand ballroom (Rose), the 100-150-pax Garvie Hall and two 30-50-pax conference rooms.  

Arch. Roy Perez help conceptualize the design of the hotel while Cebuano Doro Barandino did the interiors.   

Sabin Resort Hotel: Brgy. Bantigue, Ormoc City, Leyte.  Tel: (053) 255-3801 to 03.  E-mail: info@sabinresorthotel.com. Website: www.sabinresort.com. 

Hotel and Inn Review: Casa Punzalan (Taal, Batangas)

Date of Stay: October 28-29, 1999

RATING (Scale of 1 to 10)

Location: ********

Rooms: ******

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

Staff Performance: ******

Room Comfort: ******

Food and Beverage:

Other Amenities:

Value for Money: *****

Casa Punzalan (photo: Mr. Marcos Caratao)

Jandy at Casa Punzalan

Casa Punzalan, Taal's first pensionnne, is the ancestral home of the prominent Punzalan family. It was leased by Mr. Jesus Samala Punzalan, Jr. and Capt. Nieto Punzalan, at no cost, to the Taal Heritage Foundation. 

The inn has 7 rooms, all named after owners (Graciano and Juliana) and their children; 5 of them fan-cooled (PhP600) and 2 airconditioned (PhP1,00-1,200), all accessed by a grand staircase.  It also has common baths (mens and ladies), a living room (sala), a coffee shop and a gift shop.  We opted to stay at the corner and well ventilated Graciano Room with its excellent view of the basilica and park from its capiz windows.   

Graciano Room

Casa Punzalan: cor. C. Ilagan and P. Gomez St., Brgy. Poblacion 7, Taal, Batangas.  Tel: (043) 408-0084.

Hotel and Inn Feature: People's Lodge & Restaurant (Banaue, Ifugao)

Date of Stay: November 4-6, 1998

RATING (Scale of 1 to 10)

Location: *******

Rooms: *****

Condition and Cleanliness: *****

Staff Performance: ******

Room Comfort: *****

Food and Beverage: *****

Other Amenities: ****
Value for Money: ******

People's Lodge and Restaurant

View of the Ibulao River from our inn.

People's Lodge & Restaurant, a pension house, has 15 spartan double rooms with common bath for PhP100 per head.  

The inn also had 6 equally spartan double rooms  with bath, a bakery, restaurant (food was basic) and an all-important telephone.  

From its restaurant, one has a beautiful view of the town, the banks of the scenic Ibulao River (traversed by a hanging steel footbridge) and a backdrop of  rice terraces.  

People's Lodge & Restaurant: Banaue-Mayoyao-Potia-Isabela Rd., Banaue, Ifugao.  Tel: (074) 386-4014 to 15.

Resort Review: Coral Cay Resort (Carles, Iloilo)

Date of Stay: December 26 - 30, 1997

RATING (Scale of 1 to 10)

Location: *******

Rooms: ******

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

Staff Performance: *******

Room Comfort: *******

Food and Beverage: *******

Other Amenities: ******

Value for Money: *******

Coral Cay Resort in Balbagon Island

Coral Cay Resort, on the 42-hectare, 1.5-km. long Balbagon Island, is located near Gigante Sur Island and is a 20-min. boat ride from the island’s Brgy. Lantangan. 

Its 10 airconditioned cottages, with its bamboo-cladded interior walls and exterior walls cladded with split coconut logs, has its own tiled bathroom and verandah.  

This  Class “A” resort also has 25 fan-cooled cottages with bath and a coffee shop/restaurant.

A Balbagon sunset

The resort offers torch-lit dinners, served al fresco under the stars, along its dazzling white sand beach lined with prickly aroma trees. The island's 3 km. long shoreline can be circumnavigated in about 30 mins., passing by a rocky shore where sea birds roost as well as the nearby barangay.

NOTE:This resort is currently nonoperational due to a fire that burned down all the cottages. 

Coral Cay Resort: Balbagon Island, Brgy. Lantangan, Carles, Iloilo.  

Hotel and Inn Review: BP International Hotel (Hong Kong)

Date of Stay: April 26 - 29, 1997

RATING (Scale of 1 to 10)

Location: *******

Rooms: *******

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

Staff Performance: *******

Room Comfort: *******

Food and Beverage: *******

Other Amenities: *******

Value for Money: *******

B P International Hotel

The BP International Hotel has 529 guest rooms.  Its twin City Vista room has, aside from an ensuite bathroom, the usual modern amenities such as satellite TV, fridge and IDD phone. Its well-lit rooms also has great views, aside from the city’s spectacular skyline, of the lush greenery of Kowloon Park. Other rooms have views of Hong Kong’s iconic and beautiful Victoria Harbor.

Twin Room

Twin Room

Cafe By The Park, the hotel coffee shop offers, aside from an international buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner, an all-day a la carte menu of Asian and Western specialties.  The hotel’s Flamingo Lounge serves drinks, snacks, business lunches and nightly live entertainment while the Gordon Wu Hall, a Chinese restaurant at the basement,serves authentic Cantonese cuisine and regional specialties.

View of Kowloon Park from our room

The hotel, a 3-min. walk from the Jordan MTR Station, is also near the Jade Market and Temple Street.  It also offers tours, baby sitting, currency exchange, car rental, airport transfers, safety deposit boxes, laundry, dry cleaning and 24-hr. room service.

B P International Hotel: No. 8 Austin Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong.  Tel: (852) 2376 1111. Fax: (852) 2376 1333. E-mail: enquiry@bpih.com.hk. Website: www@bpih.com.hk.