Concorde Hotel Baguio has a, well, rustic charm.....

I checked in for the first time at the Concorde Hotel Baguio without a reservation.

The hotel, with its quiet country lodge appeal, is nested near the main roads of Legarda and Marcos Highway

It’ a pretty good location, as it is near a number of tourist sights; Burnham Park with its peachy lagoon is also a mere five-minute cab ride away.

This “City of Flowers” has always been a beautiful place, so different to the other parts of the Philippines it’s cool climate rare to the Philippines’ mostly hot, humid weather.

It has long been a settling place of choice for expatriates and a perfect summerhouse spot if one can afford it.

Entering the Europa compound where its beautiful façade is hidden, at first glance the Concorde Hotel Baguio looks a bit run down or maybe rustic, it highlights the modern hotels sprouting up elsewhere in Baguio.

It was a bit strange though that the guard manning the entrance was heavily armed. No problem with that I guess, something you get use to in the Philippines.

The lady at the front desk was friendly and readily assisted in helping me choose from its Standard, Classic, Superior, Deluxe and Suite Royale rooms, the latter two being the choice of most businessmen, foreign expatriates, and honeymooners.

Themed room interiors, with mostly wood furniture, reminded me of my grandfather’s ancestral home, as we browsed through its advertisement fliers.

There were fine dining choices in the hotel itself, and if you’ve got the keenness to try out some Pinoy authenticities, never leave without trying out their adobo (a local favorite Filipino chicken fare) and pancit guisado.

Chinese and Japanese restaurants also operate inside, as well as a 24-hour coffee shop, tea/coffee making area and mini-bar.

Their Symphony Piano Bar serving as a cocktail lounge was a suitable place too for some chill-out chit-chatting time.

In-house laundry, limousine service, fitness center, and on-call doctor/dentist are some of their facilities. Amenities include the usual hot and cold shower, colored TV with cable, and IDD/NDD ready telephones.

A mini refrigerator can also be found in its Deluxe and Suite Royale rooms, and voila, a bible at your bedside table (why, it could be handy enough as the hotel ambience, though with holiday deco everywhere, tend to feel creepy, especially at night).

Is the Concorde Hotel Baguio worth the money?

Even for those non-anal types, the towels smelt quite stale, the sheets on the bed were moth-eaten; some rat sightings too if you are very lucky.

The bathroom walls were a tad stained and smelled moldy and dank, actually the entire hotel room smelled the dank.

Truth be told, Concorde Hotel Baguio is a far cry from how it once was, I’m sure with better upkeep and perhaps an injection if funds for a refurbishment, it could return to it’s once glory days.

How much will it cost?

Room rates will vary depending on time of year, pretty typical for most hotels, obviously peak periods are more expensive than off-peak.You can get an idea of how much accommodation will cost you here.

There are more Baguio hotel reviews here.

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