April 1, 2013

Hotel Kimberly Tagaytay – That Boutique Hotel Connection

Categories: Voyager;
Author: rftreyes

The cool winds of Tagaytay is just too good a proposal not to ignore no matter what time of the year. What more of that time of the year is the blistering Philippine summer season. Which is a good thing for those who want to spend at least a night to enjoy that comfortable climate after a night’s session of sipping bulalo or a good dinner at Marcia Adams’ Tuscany.

No question, too, that a comfortable experience for that night is of utmost importance. And just a few minutes off tangent from the Tagaytay ridge, you may find Hotel Kimberly meeting that need.

Hotel Kimberly is a more boutique style hotel, something close to a high star hotel, but not quite it. It’s relatively small, but comfortable and airy enough to feel you can still move about.

Hotel Kimberly’s minimalist interior mixed with Filipino inspirations does good for guests who are looking for that impression of serene mixed with the modern. The tiles bounces sounds, though, but it is something not too noticeable.

The rooms do spell what it means to be high star yet not quite it:

Neutrally colored and sufficient lighting, but not carpeted. Furnished well, but not too luxurious. Bathroom is spacious, but not lavish. So it is not quite high end, but it works for what you are looking for. It’s like a well thought compromise of comfort, convenience, and value.

Just something that didn’t work at this visit, though: one of the remote controls. Not much of a problem with a little switching of batteries with the TV and DVD player to be able to catch Adam Richman of Man vs. Food Fame chow down on a humongous sandwich.

The front desk would have gladly replaced it, but with the lazy weather and a soft bed that robs you of any effort to even stand up, can you blame anyone for just improvising a little?

Come morning, enjoy a bit of the buffet breakfast, and take a dip into the pool. By this time of your stay, you would just want to take it easy. After all, this is the reason why you wanted a more comfortable hotel than the usual budget fares.

The ironic value of Hotel Kimberly is that while it is in Tagaytay, it is not “that” into Tagaytay that it becomes lost in all the other hustling and bustling places that you were supposed to escape from for at least one night.

So slow down a little to catch the rare mix of the sun’s bright rays with a brisk chilly wind in Hotel Kimberly’s open grounds. It’s something of a luxury to be savoured while that moment lasts.