Baguio City has become such a crucial center for business and education in nothern Luzon that much of the city's charm, and incidentally, its characteristic rolling hills, mountains and lush vegetation has given way to the incessant demand for residential space. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle in the middle of the Baguio central business district, Casa Vallejo offers a pleasant surprise to the weary traveler sick of mass-market restaurants and an assortment of greasy fastfood chains. While many of the old buildings have been torn down to make way for more modern residences or more profitable high-rise commercial centers, Casa Vallejo offers a glimpse, a snapshot, of that elusive quiet that the city was designed to offer.
To complement this picturesque inn that stands out in the middle of urban Upper Session Road, the Hill Station Tapas Bar and Restaurant offers an assortment of dishes which, although a bit pricey, are well worth the cost. We had the callos, Cambodian chicken, Portuguese salpicao, hot tea, and Death by Chocolate for dessert, and everything was good. Once you sit in the middle of the large chamber at the bottom of the staircase, with its restored hardwood floors and grand windows that seem to frame the rest of trees with a border of greenery, you will forget that you're a few feet away from busy Session Road, and SM City Baguio. The place is perfect not only for tea and sympathy, but for tapas and good company as well. The staff is very attentive and friendly, without being overly imposing. They will willingly treat you the history of Casa Vallejo the way only a local can.
One wing of Casa Vallejo has not yet been completely refurbished, and the gardens have not yet been fully restored, but I am utterly delighted with what I have seen and experienced so far. On a more mundane note, the restrooms are very clean, and smell like lemongrass, because of the scented oil they use for the burners there. There is ample parking at the back of the hotel, but you will have to keep a careful eye out for the entrance, particularly at night, as it will require you to make a sharp turn upwards. Many patrons simply choose to park along the road in front of the hotel though. Wherever you choose to park, before you enter, take a moment to savor the unpolished charm of the structure. There are much more practical methods of building now, but having grown up around these cabins, it is oddly nostalgic to see at least one of them resurrected and saved from bulldozers.
I look forward to another visit to this charming little oasis, one of the last vestiges of the charming little resort city that Daniel Burnham envisioned.
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