A few days ago my friend and former districtmate Chie posted a shoutout in Facebook about the movie ‘Love and Other Drugs”. This movie brings a smile to my face not only because the movie follows a good storyline and has believable characters, but mostly because some scenes remind me of my former life working for a pharmaceutical company. Nostalgia is creeping up on me now hehe 
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I miss lots of things about my former corporate life; top most are the people I’ve worked with. But one of the perks I terribly miss now that I am working from home are the free stays in the best hotels all over the Philippines courtesy of my ex-company.
Wide Smile For Staying at The Manor
There is no doubt in my mind that of all the hotels I’ve stayed in, the most memorable stay and my favorite remains to be The Manor of Camp John Hay. Staying at this hotel was an occasion of many firsts for me. It was my first time to travel the North Luzon road and climb to Baguio! It was my first time to stay in a big, luxurious hotel. It was also a first time for me to attend a conference with a theme, and the theme then was ‘Harry Potter’, which is just perfect for the European inspired look of this hotel.
Before I forget, it was also my first time to see a fireplace and most interestingly, my first time to see a large wooden electric fan that occupied almost half of the ceiling on our room! Haha I was really amazed with that. Who wouldn’t the fan look so chic but very functional hehe. 
Camp John Hay The Manor
Everything hums with a promise of highland adventures that only Camp John Hay in Baguio can offer from its cool climate, lots of open spaces, fresh air, pine trees at every turn and of course the centerpiece of Camp John Hay, The Manor hotel complex that seem to leap out straight from foreign postcards.
The Manor is impressive, no doubt. Its façade and its European inspired architecture are simply amazing especially at night when the light cast a special glow on the buildings. It really feels like you are no longer in the Philippines the moment you arrive at this hotel and take a good look at your immediate surroundings. When you enter the lobby, elegance welcome you from its beautiful chandeliers to its wonderful interior design and furnishings. The Manor’s furniture from their hard wood chairs and tables, the vintage looking stools, the unobtrusive decorative lamps, even the garden furniture looks so sophisticated and interesting. I’ve been wondering what type of wood used on their furniture if it is local hardwood, pine, oak or another type. But one thing stands out; the furnishings that surround you look so stylish with some furniture looking similar to the ones in thefurnituremarket.co.uk. Even the furnishings in our room look and feel extra special like the soft duvet, the comfy bed and the wonderful chest of drawers. This is a hotel that lives up to its name as the premier place to stay in Baguio City.
I’ve been looking at my pics from Baguio and from The Manor hotel again and no matter how many times I look at them, I am still impressed by how everything in this hotel only serves to add drama and romantic ambiance to the place. I wonder if The Manor will make any changes to its interior to follow modern design inspiration. Will travelers and vacationers welcome any change considering the place look awesome now?
Exploring The Manor hotel and the whole compound of Camp John Hay will take you hours but you wouldn’t mind because there are always interesting things awaiting discovery. My favorite place at this hotel was its Piano Bar and the huge fireplace, just look at that beautiful scene!
The Piano Bar at The Manor
The cool Baguio weather, the lush greens surrounding the hotel, the overall experience staying at The Manor makes for wonderful vacation memories. Will I be back again? I sincerely hope so but probably not anytime soon. For the meantime I’ll content myself remembering the great time I had with friends and colleagues in Camp John Hay’s The Manor.
The Original District 25 – I so miss you guys!
The 2 beautiful shots of The Manor above belongs to Zar aka bitzrpnpls. You can check out more of Zar’s cool photos at his Flickr photostream.
About Cille Anne
Cille is the blogger behind Penfires, a lifestyle and travel blog based in the Philippines. She bid adieu to the corporate world a couple of years ago and so far she’s lovin’ her new world working from home. A wanna-be explorer and food trip adventurer who can’t possibly win a food-eating challenge. She plans to visit the whole Philippines, Asia, and the World! Heyyy, it's within reach she insists; it's just blog hops away! Lol ^_^
