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The Manor Hotel in the Cordillera, Philippines
A little piece of Aspen in the Philippines, The Manor Hotel couldn’t look less like a tropical island hotel if it tried. With sturdy stone walls, shingle roofs, and stacks of pine-wood balconies, you could think yourself in the Alps or in the Rockies, a mountain lodge design stolen from the front of a chocolate box.
It’s surprising in some ways once you understand that The Manor Hotel sits among the Cordillera in the north of Luzon. The air is cool by Philippine standards and the surrounding slopes are often enveloped in thick swirling mists, like mountain lodges everywhere.
The interior, too, leans heavily on traditional mountain design – though the decorative elements are taken directly from the art of the native Igorot people. Wood paneling lends a warm feel, further accentuated by a huge open fire (only lit in the most inclement weather) that seems incongruous if one checks in under the hotel’s efficient air-conditioning system. Studio rooms and one and two-bedroom suites cater to couples and to families.
The hotel restaurant is an excellent place for a leisurely dinner, in the pretty air-conditioned dining room or large covered terrace. The European chef takes influence from classical cuisine but doesn’t ignore Filipino staples, which are slow-cooked to perfection. A cozy bar has live music nightly.
Around the 695-hectare (1717-acre) wooded compound of what used to be Camp John Hay are a range of activities open to guests (and to the public), the most important of which is the Par 69 18-hole golf course, which has recently been refurbished by Jack Nicklaus. There are stables offering riding lessons or bridle paths for a canter through the woods, mountain-biking, a roller-blading rink and a magnificient butterfly sanctuary.
The hotel has recently created an eco-trail with information about the flora and fauna, and it has also developed outdoor galleries and performance venues.
(L. Bennett, Island Guide: Philippines, 2008)