Backpacking to Tagaytay: Hotel Dominique Review

Hi there! I'm back, hooray! So today I'll be reviewing the hotel we stayed at while we were in Tagaytay for 2 days and 1 night. :)

Because of the loooong weekend, J (my boyfriend) and I decided to have a quick getaway to Tagaytay last Tuesday (October 15). It's a spur of the moment trip and both of us don't know how to get around Tagaytay because it's actually our first time to go there without a guide. Luckily, we have a voucher I bought from CashCashPinoy for a 2 days and 1 night stay in a Superior Room in Hotel Dominique so we didn't have to worry where to stay for the night :)

I already forgot how much the voucher was because I bought it 2 months ago, but I think it's around 1,500 to 1,800 pesos, that includes 2 days and 1 night stay in their superior room with your choice of twin bed or queen sized bed, free breakfast for two and use of hotel facilities.

Hotel Dominique is not hard to find, it's just along Aguinaldo Highway, in front of Collette's Buko Pie & Pasalubong, and before Olivarez Terminal. It's actually on the wrong side of Tagaytay, the side which has no scenic views of the Taal Volcano.

 Here's what Hotel Dominique looks like:

Front facade of Hotel Dominique

It may not look much when you judge it from it's outer facade, but you'll be surprised how nice it is inside the hotel. There's a homey country feel to it that I really like.

How we got here: We boarded a DLTB bus at Buendia (near the LRT Gil Puyat Station) and asked the conductor to drop us off at Olivarez Terminal in Tagaytay (fare from Buendia to Tagaytay: Php 83.00). You'll pass by Hotel Dominique before getting to Olivarez Terminal, but since we didn't know it's exact location that time, we just asked the conductor to drop us off at Olivarez terminal and from there we walked back to Hotel Dominique.

Travel Time: We left Manila exactly 10AM because that's the trip schedule of the bus and we arrived at Tagaytay by 12PM, we encountered no heavy traffics therefore we can assume that travel time may be around 2 to 3 hours depending on the traffic.

I planned to drop off my heavy bags at the hotel before touring around the place but we arrived here earlier than we expected and we weren't allowed to book earlier than 2 o'clock :( so anyway, to while away the time, we went to People's Park first. You can take a jeep from Olivares Terminal going there, fare is Php 17.00.

I took this picture while we were at People's Park or Palace in the Sky:

I don't know what this place is, I just took a photo because the buildings really look cute hehe :P

I realized one thing: it's hard to go on a trip without a tripod or without someone who likes to take pictures! haha we were not able to take decent pictures of us together because we were too shy to ask strangers to take pics of us lol

What we think of People's Park:
 Well, we think it lacks the upkeep that it needs. :( It's sad to see a tourist destination which looks like it has been neglected ever since it was built and this place really looks like that. You can't help but think that it only has a few years left before it turns to a haunted mansion, or in this case, haunted palace. :\

Anyway after feeling sorry for the neglected structure called Palace in the Sky, we went to Picnic Grove (just a jeep away), here you can ride horses or go on a picnic (hence the name) with your family or your friends. You can also try the zip line or just simply enjoy the scenery of the Taal Lake. But meh, we didn't do any of that! we just sat there and stared at the Lake because I was tired from all the walking. Haha killjoy much :|

View from Picnic Grove

The time passed by quickly and before we knew it, it was already 6 o'clock and all I wanted to do was to rest! My gosh, Picnic Grove has so many stairs that I felt like half the fats in my body burned the 2 hours that I was there. :\

We ate dinner first before going back to Hotel Dominique, I wanted to try the famous Bulalo of Tagaytay but it is expensive! haha I guess I'll just try that next time when I have P1,000 budget for dinner.

Moving on, the check in process was easy, we were asked to present our voucher and an ID, the receptionist also made me sign something I didn't mind to read and asked for a security deposit fee of Php 500 which is of course refundable upon check out. Then one of the hotel's staff led us to our room which is located in a small building (of about 4 storeys, I guess? I'm not sure) inside Hotel Dominique.

The Room: the room was enough for two persons but I find it spacious enough. The furnishings are nice and simple, the room is not that big but it's clean and it also smells fresh and and it doesn't look cheap which is a plus factor for me! It also has a veranda which I really liked! If you like to see pictures of it, you can message Hotel Dominique on Facebook and they'll send it to you.

The toilet and shower room is okay too, it's not spacious but again it's clean and that's all that matters to me. haha! They'll provide you the basic toiletries: shampoo, body wash, toothpaste and toothbrush for two persons, soap and two towels. They have a heater too, and for a place as cold as Tagaytay, a water heater is a must!

We requested for a room that has a queen-sized bed, it also has a A/C, small TV and coffee making facilities, I wish I knew this sooner so I could've brought 3-in-1 coffee mix with me :( I love coffee any time of the day. The bed was comfy and the sheets and pillows were fluffy and clean. These are some of the important things I look for in a room, I couldn't care less if there's no TV in a room, as long as the sheets and pillows are clean and fluffy, I'm good. :D

I guess the walls are not completely sound proof, I can here doors slamming somewhere near our room but it's not such a big deal for me. I slept comfortably cuddled with J :3

Here's the view from our veranda:

6:00 in the morning! oooohhhh love the fog! :)

around 9 AM

The houses you see in the picture are one of the many Casitas of Hotel Dominique. They also have cabanas and suites which are located in the same building where the superior rooms are. The place looks like a mini village and has an abundance of greens! I totally love it. It feels welcoming :)

Hotel Dominique also has a small pool perfect for a mid-noon swim:

To start our day, J and I ordered American Breakfast. Actually we have 3 choices, but J told me to pick the most expensive one haha so we both chose the American breakfast over the other two.

BACON = LOVE

You can also choose between hot coffee, hot choco or tea for your drink

<3

We broke our fast 9:30 in the morning even though we woke up as early as 5:30 (we were a bit busy... *ehem* hihi). After eating, we just relaxed and got ready for the travel back to Manila.

Overall, our first Tagaytay trip was fun and worth it. We didn't do much of the sight seeing but that's ok because we'll be back here at Tagaytay on October 23 (we'll be at Las Ventanas naman *excited*).

For a spur-of-the-moment trip, this is surely one of our happiest travels ever.

If you're interested in Hotel Dominique, see their website here.

Thanks for reading!
xoxo