Whenever the -ber months roll around, my friends and family would always end up talking about Baguio–how they’re planning to go there for the holidays and how we must all go there, stat. In fact, I’m planning a post-Christmas trip to Baguio friends! With all the lovely beaches in the Philippines, a lot of us would still always want to take that six-hour drive or bus ride up Kennon Road or Marcos Highway to this popular destination that’s cool all year round.

More than giving me the perfect excuse to wear leather jackets, trench coats, and knee-high boots, I love going to Baguio for its cool air, fresh smell of pines, welcome fog, and vibrant color, what with all the flowers and all sorts of things you can buy—from vegetables (not that I eat veggies, but they’re nice to look at) and fruits, especially strawberries, to walis tambo, bags, scarves, hats, sweets, and so much more–in its many market stalls, shopping areas, and ukay-ukay.

Baguio has become even busier over the years, and with its rising modernization comes the noise that go with development. While I enjoy that it’s a bustling city, I also want that quiet hideaway to come home to at the end of a full day spent sight-seeing and shopping. I found such a place in Azalea Residences in Baguio (it’s five minutes away from Session Road).

We visited Azalea on a long weekend, so it was naturally packed (if you do decide to visit, be sure to reserve well in advance). This season is one of the best times to go because it is exceptionally cool there. My companions and I instantly noticed that a lot of their guests are families and foreigners. We arrived early, so we took the time to go around the hotel as we waited for our room to be prepared.

Azalea (which incidentally is a flower and whose name means “longing for home”) has 99 well-appointed suite rooms. Yes, every single room–be it a studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, or three-bedroom–is a suite fully furnished and equipped with all the conveniences. Think living area with sofa bed, bath with hot and cold water, flat-screen TV, DVD players (you can borrow DVDs from the front desk), iPod docks, blower, mini bar, coffee and tea-making facilities, electric kettle, and a kitchen area with a digital—touchscreen, no less—stove. You can even request kitchen appliances (rice cooker, etc.) and utensils so you can easily cook your own meals there. It’s really more of a condotel.

While you’re in Baguio, you should explore the many unique restaurants the cool city has to offer. But, in case you really insist on staying in at Azalea (like we did, at one point), you might want to check out Azalea’s two major hangouts: The flagship restaurant is Tradisyon, which is where hotel guests take their complimentary buffet breakfast. It also serves traditional Filipino comfort food for a la carte lunch and dinner, as well as buffet dinner (at P300/pax). They also have the 8 degrees bar/lounge, which serves wine and cocktails.

At the end of the day, what would make me want to go back to Azalea are its bright and breezy, comfy and cozy rooms that lure me right in and make me just want to spend the entire day and night in them with friends and loved ones. I would definitely consider staying here again when I visit the City of Pines real soon.

Azalea Residences Baguio is located at Leonard Wood Loop, Barangay M. Roxas, Baguio City. For hotel reservations and inquiries, e-mail reservations@azalea.com.ph or call 02-5795894/02-5794890/074-4428888.

Read my full article about Azalea Residences Baguio on Kristn.com and see more photos here.