C Boutique Hotel: Baguio’s newest crown jewel
The trip back to Baguio was nostalgic but not as nostalgic as expected. Familiar places and faces actually made it even more special than before. Baguio is like fine wine that tastes better as it ages, even with the touches of modernity. The City of Pines is like an emerald or a fine stone that never tarnishes.
Our recent weekend home away from home in barangay Gibraltar of Baguio City was the quiant C Boutique Hotel that possesses the luxury and service of a hotel with the feeling of a home. Owned by my dear family friend Charley Leviste-Antonio, the hotel is strategically located between Mines View Park and Good Shepherd. Here, familiar places we grew up in can only bring heritage and sentimental insights into our hearts.
Charley describes C as the only one in Baguio that can be categorized as a “boutique hotel” in the truest sense of the term, because of its size (only 17 rooms), modern décor and amenities, homey and cozy atmosphere, and more importanly, personalized service.
C’s breakfast menu is also never second best. Try the bangus, longanisa, eggs Benedict with longanisa filling and bacon bits and the refreshing dalandan juice with pulp bits. For the main dishes, the succulent and tender Batangas bulalo, lechon
kawali with vinegar and chili, and the delicious chicken tikka masala, ratatouille are dishes that will surely leave you satisfied.
The standard of C’s dishes are at par with fine-dining restaurants as their chefs, locals from Baguio including head chef Joey Soriano, were trained by ace chef Philip Goulding. Chef Philip was also the one who trained the restaurant staff and helped Charley come up with the menu.
Always expect flavorful and fresh dishes from C’s “regional fusion” themed menu. Charley said that they’ll be introducing new dishes to their menu soon.
The accomodations are well appointed as well as the service is definitely done with sincere smiles from the heart. C has a family suite, de luxe and studio suite. The interior of the rooms are elegant, clean and fresh. Each room has its own veranda and its walls are adorned with paintings done by Baguio artists from Tamawan Artist’s village. In fact, the whole hotel showcases the works of the many local artists.
The comfortable and warm feeling coming from C Boutique’s ambience probably comes from the fact that it used to be the summer vacation house of Charley’s family. She recalls her childhood and how she used to spend almost every summer in the house.
When Charley’s grandmother died, the house was passed down to her mom. Charley’s mom then decided to reconstruct the house into a small hotel as the original structure was already depreciating. Charley then took on the responsibility of building and managing the hotel. The family decided then to call it C Boutique Hotel to honor their grandmother whose name is Cecilia. The letter C may also stand for Charlie’s mom whose name is Celia. Of course, C also stands for Charley.
On the weekend I went to Baguio with my best friend Bum Tenorio and our dear friend Yvette Lee, we decided to rediscover old and new places with the awe and wonder of a first-timer to the country’s summer capital.
We decided to visit the lair of the artists who made all of the paintings that hang in the walls of C. We found ourselves at Tamawan, known as the artists’ village. And for just a donation, some Tamawan artists can make on-the-spot sketches of you.
On the other hand, a spic-and-span modern museum, called BenCab, on Asin Road in Tuba, Benguet was built by National Artist Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera. The museum is a four- story edifice featuring the works of BenCab and other artists’ collection of art. BenCab’s collection of bulul is expansive. His generosity to appreciating and developing local artists is seen at his gesture of devoting a spot for them in the museum. The weekend that we were there,
Ang Gerilya, a group of Baguio artists, was exhibiting “Dayo.” Riveting, too, is the Erotica collection.
We went loco over the many renditions of “Sabel,” BenCab’s muse in his art. From the “32 variations of Sabel” in tiles to the metal assemblage called “Sabel in Hiding,” BenCab’s take on humanity and the joys and challenges of being human is simply amazing. Sabel, BenCab’s muse, is based on the character of a lady taong-grasa who roamed the streets once upon a time and perpetually roams in BenCab’s heart and mind.
As we further explored the BenCab museum, our tummies needed some snacks. So we tried the museum’s Cafe Sabel that served very delicious and delighful meals such as kamote fries, pork sisig, pasta negra salad, Hungarian pasta with lemon grass sauce. The sweet wind wafted and kissed our cheeks as we savoured the sucullent dishes, overlooking the beautiful gardens of BenCab.
Because Baguio is synonimous with the arts, it is simply an order-of-the-day to have vegetarian lunch at Oh My Gulay, a restaurant on top of a building on Session Road owned by Kidlat Tahimik of the “Perfumed Nightmare” movie fame. The restaurant, whose location is a challenge to the stamina of your knees, is literally a feast for the senses.
Since we set our minds to have the eyes of renewed Baguio wanderers, we made it a point to stop the car in front of the Laperal mansion. We were set to discover its interiors but it was closed for some renovations. Just by merely looking at it from a comfortable distance, the ashen-white Laperal mansion evokes that eerie feeling. Or, maybe, our sensibilities have been spooked already by some ghostly tales that we heard in the past. According to our insightful tour guide slash C Boutique’s bar tender Ryan Ambloza, the Laperal mansion is mantled in paranormal mysteries as there are reported sightings of a White Lady inhabiting the place. Nonetheless, despite the haunted stories, the mansion remains a historical structure that adds to Baguio’s charm and enchantment.
The comfortable and warm feeling coming from C Boutique’s ambience probably comes from the fact that it used to be a summer vacation house. The standard of C’s dishes are at par with finedining restaurants.
Another hidden jewel of Baguio that we were very pleased to visit is the Chinese Temple and Bell Church. If you want to take a breather from the main city’s busy crowd, then this is the place to go. The temple also serves as a sanctuary of relaxation and meditation for many locals and tourists.
Our hearts were in europhia as we recalled the very happy moments of our childhood at the Strawberry Farm, which is now populated with tourists who want to experience strawberry picking. The joy written on the faces of many families or groups of friends who navigate their ways along the paddies is priceless. They frolic as they sip from a plastic cup the yummiest strawberry- or ube- flavored taho. In the area, too, the freshest vegetables are for sale at a very low price. Brocolli and cauliflower are each pegged at three kilos for P100. What a steal!
At the strip in front of the Manor Hotel, we sampled Little John’s very delicately flavored Angus beef tapa and the juicy baby back ribs. What made the trip to this part of Baguio truly worth it was the hot native chocolate drink and bibingka at the Chocola-te de Batirol.
At the Cemetary of Negativism in Camp John Hay, one can burry one’s loneliness, depression, negative thoughts and all the worries in the world. Visiting this place was cathartic. The tomb stones bear witty epitaphs like “Wats Init For Mi — born short, lived long, died in debt” and “Oh If Only—never born, cuz never happened.”
That Sunday, we found ourselves genuflecting inside the rose-colored Baguio City Cathedral, also known as Our Lady of the Atonement. The cathedral, one of the locale’s most visited landmarks, is located on top of a hill at the heart of Baguio. There’s so much history that covers the cathedral as it has witnessed World War II for it served as an evacuation center and has withstood the Japanese carpet bombing in 1945, saving the lives of many Filipinos.
At pine- scented Loakan, we went inside the Philippine Military Academy to rediscover the bastion from where the guardians of our national security are honed. It’s astonishing how this centuryold structure has served as the training ground for thousands of brave Filipino military personnel.
Back at the C Boutique, we hastened to an eventful and sumptuous bonfire dinner. We reminisced the Baguio of our childhood and compared it to our recent weekend experience. Yes, many things have been added to Baguio. Some structures of our childhood, like the Crystal Cave, are no longer existent or functional, but the feel and vibe of Baguio have never been altered.
At the end of the trip, we realized that each time we visit familiar places, we see a different light that gives a new dimension to them. There is that new charm we discovered in Baguio City that we wish we would encounter each day.
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