A Design Hotel Not To Miss in Baguio

Accommodation is one of the most determining factors of a leisure trip. It can make or break the entirety of it especially when it causes you to change your plans or bear with the facilities that are below your expectations.

For the May 2023 long weekend, I planned a trip to Baguio City and came across G1 Lodge Design Hotel which already made a good impression just by how it looks on the thumbnail of a booking website. Its lobby was adorned with wooden walls curving up to the ceiling. Its design was interesting. Though quite pricey, I must admit, I still made sure I can grab a room there for my two-night stay.

G1 Lodge is not your typical hotel in Baguio. It is an entire ecosystem where you can recharge. The cold weather plus their earthy feel makes the experience unforgettable.

Upon arriving, it already felt like an entirely different hotel experience in the Philippines. It felt so Baguio for me because of the sophisticated wooden interior from the lobby up to the stairway. The dark interior and soft warm lighting is calming. It sparks a “black and wood is beautiful” ambiance.

Location

If you are riding a bus from Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), you will be alighting at Governor Pack Road near its junction with Session Road. From there, it will be just a modest 150-meter walk to the G1 Lodge. Along the way, there is a 7-Eleven Store where you can buy stuff which you might need.

From the hotel, you can easily walk to Session Road as well as the Our Lady of Atonement Church. Right across is SM City Baguio. And if you also want to have a luxurious and memorable meal, whether breakfast, lunch, or dinner at Casa Vallejo, it is also very nearby.

In terms of public transport moving around Baguio, taxis are very frequent in the area so you can surely get on one to go straight to your desired destination. Modern and traditional jeepneys are also passing by in front of the hotel which you can also ride to explore the city or nearby places including La Trinidad, the location of strawberry farms.

Room and Amenities

Navigating in the hotel is quite unique in the sense that the entrance and the lobby is actually on the fifth floor. Considering the mountainous terrain of Baguio, it is probably a norm for some buildings to have floors below the street level. The restaurant where breakfast is typically served is at the sixth floor. The rooftop also offers more space for bar and grill and a good place to see the sunset as well as the rest of the city center.

G1 Lodge has an elevator and a beautiful flight of stairs. When I say beautiful, I mean it. Just like how the rest of the interior design goes, wood is always present and the dark color and ambient lighting offers a vibe of the cool and adventurous forest vibe of Baguio. The elevator, meanwhile, is see through and offers a nice view of the lobby and the open space at the restaurant level.

For the room, I got a decent one with a queen-size bed. There is plenty of space to move around and also an under-bed storage for your things. They have a telephone, a hairdryer, and a mini-fridge which can be set to either maintain the temperature of warm food or to serve as a cooler for your cold food and water. They also have an electric kettle to boil some water in case you want to have a sip of coffee or tea. The entire wall of my room facing the street is all curtain glass window with a small sliding door. This is covered by a blackout curtain which can be put on the side to have a nice view of the city. Be mindful though that the glass is neither tinted nor privacy-ready.

The TV is not connected with a cable network. Instead, they provide access to Netflix and YouTube. Each night, you can definitely just binge watch to call it a day.

The toilet is like every other hotel but what made it stand out for me is that the shape of the toilet bowl is rounded rectangular, which for me is something new to see and experience. For the bidet-loving toilet users, yes they have it.

Food and Beverage

Apparently, I missed quite a lot in terms of food as I only experienced their breakfast buffet. It cost PHP398 per person and offers a good variety already. They have a waffle station and an egg station. The waffles make a good offering given that Baguio is known for their strawberries. Be sure to grab some waffles and easily pair it up with butter and a generous amount of strawberry preserve. G1 Lodge typically serves breakfast as early as 6:30 in the morning just in time before you go out and explore the city or even after an early morning walk at Session Road and Burnham Park. The buffet ends at 10:00.

From what I heard, the hotel offers a wide array of Filipino food as well as snacks like pasta and sandwiches. Cocktails are also served by the bar which can be delivered straight to your room for you to enjoy.

They also have an interesting coffee being served in the bar at the lobby level. Have you ever heard of a strawberry coffee latte? It offers the strength of the native coffee and the tanginess of the strawberry that gives out an exquisite and unique flavor.

Staff

With the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX), travel from PITX was cut short to only 4.5 hours, instead of six. This made arrival quite too early and it was pretty obvious that I could not check-in as early as 6:30 in the morning. When I ventured to the hotel, the front desk staff was already helpful by offering to store my luggage and things. Yes, all hotels do that but the staff took the extra mile of service by offering to call me in case a room is already available. Luckily, I got a room and was checked in at 10:00, just in time when I was finished with my breakfast and early morning stroll.

In the restaurant, their team was also attentive to the needs of every guest. With smiles on their faces, it was energizing to start your day.

Final Word

G1 Lodge is not your typical hotel in Baguio. It is an entire ecosystem where you can recharge. The cold weather plus their earthy feel makes the experience unforgettable. You can just stay there all day, to be honest. The food is nice and the staff is very accommodating. If I get a chance to visit Baguio soon, it will be on the priority list for choices of hotels.