Serene: Hannah’s Garden Event Place

Before my father underwent a hospital procedure, he asked me to look for a place where we can have a short vacation after his hospitalization. November 1 is a regular holiday in the Philippines and hotels are expected to be full. However, since restrictions are still in place, I was still able to find a cozy resort near the borders of Calamba and Tagaytay, I made reservations directly through the hotel’s Facebook page. I was happy that even if our decision was last minute, we were still able to proceed with our plan.

Hannah’s Garden Event Place is situated amidst the lush greeneries of Brgy. Bunggo, Calamba City, Laguna. Judging from Google Maps, the area is much nearer to Tagaytay than to Calamba City proper. We planned to go here by Grab but the location is secluded that the app is not able to locate it. We eventually hired a private car to fetch us to and from the resort.

Upon arrival, I noticed that there were only two SUVs at the parking lot. When the staff went out to the reception, we were told that there were only us and the other group. We basically had the 1.8 sqm resort all to ourselves. The reception was situated in the area also doubling as the dining hall. I loved the wood architecture and furniture too.

After checking-in and ordering dinner, we were led to our room. I booked the most basic room which is a Standard Room with a one double bed and a single bed. Our room also comes with plated breakfast for three. We paid a good deal after applying the senior discount of my parents!.

Our room was a bit small at 12 sqm and was designed minimally. However, the room was clean and homey and accents were quite nice. The TV, however, uses GMA Affordabox and there was no cable. The signal was off at times too. I guess there were no cable providers reaching the area or perhaps the management decided that having no cable TV will benefit their visitors as they will be forced to do stuff that would really help them relax.

The resort’s internet connection was strong on the resort grounds. However, the WiFi was bad inside our room premises. Sometimes the connection was just good for browsing. Many times it would get disconnected too – not good for those working remotely.

The following day, the other guests checked-our already and there were no new guests. We were the only visitors and we were all so happy since we can swim in the pool without hesitations. The weather here is cool – I guess because the location is already quite elevated. Me and my dad swam in the mornings while I also swam in the afternoon during our second day. It has been more than a year since I last felt pool water on my skin. How I missed it!

True to it’s name, the resort is truly a large garden! Plantitos and plantitas will surely enjoy identifying the different trees and plants in here. It was really nice to stay in a resort full of greens. Nothing beats Mother Nature in rejuvenating one’s tired body and soul.