Road Trips and Food Trips: A Weekend Laguna Getaway - Part 2

Finally! Here is the second part of the Laguna Road Trip that I had with my food trip buddies a few weeks ago to celebrate a friend’s birthday. In the first post of this two-part series, I shared with you guys how we had impromptu stopovers on our way to Sol Y Viento Hotels and Resort in Laguna. It was a fun road trip, and a good excuse to test-run our friend’s new car (which, by the way, is interestedly named Martha).

After all the eating along the way, we finally checked-in at Sol Y Viento at some time past 2PM. They were still on their soft opening, so it’s understandable why the place wasn’t in its best shape yet.

A Sol Y Viento Review

Sol Y Viento is a mountain hot-springs resort at Calamba, Laguna run by the University of Perpetual Help System. “Sol Y Viento” is a Spanish phrase which literally translates to “Sun and Wind” in English (if my Spanish classes served me right) and as the name suggests, you’ll get to enjoy the “sun and the winds of the Southern highlands”. And it was true, the sun shone gloriously during our stay, there was a steady breeze, and its location gave us a good view of the mountains of Laguna.

Not considering the “under construction” status of the place, Sol Y Viento was pretty okay, especially that the staffs were very accommodating. The waiters and managers of the restaurants were more than happy to accommodate our requests for a small surprise for the birthday boy (more about that later in the post). I also loved the Jacuzzi and the warm water of the pools.

The waters in the pools are constantly flowing from the hot springs.

We can get used to this.

The room was also decent enough (we got one of the most affordable options), but problem is that not everything you would need (and expect) from a room booked for an overnight stay was there. There weren’t any towels, and we had to call for the complimentary shampoo, soap, and other bathroom essentials that we thought would be ready. There weren’t even rags that we can wipe our wet feet with. I know they were just on their soft opening but you don’t need a rocket scientist to realize that things as basic as these shouldn’t be missing.

Can you just see how disappointed I am?

What made things worse, was that the water coming out of the pipes are scorching hot. I don’t know if it’s because all the water in the resort comes from the hot springs, or if the heating system of the whole place is just broken but you can just imagine our discomfort when the water we use to shower and even to brush our teeth is hot enough to make ourselves a soft-boiled egg. This kind of heat is good for the pools and the Jacuzzi but it becomes uncomfortable when your tap water is just as hot.

If there’s anything that saved our experience, it was the hospitality and friendliness of the restaurant staff who enthusiastically accommodated our requests so we can surprise the birthday boy. They even assigned a gentleman (who, if I’m not mistaken, is named Jasper…or was it Jordan?) who eagerly assisted us in setting up the small surprise. They gave us an outdoor table with a nice view, and prepared a good dinner with a small birthday cake to surprise the birthday boy when he obliviously asks for a table for four. The surprise was simple, but it made his birthday special. To this, we owe our thanks to the restaurant crew.

Supplies!...I mean, Surprise!

There's beer of course.

I know, I know, I've gained weight. Shaddup!

I dunno  why the cake is heart-shaped. Don't look at me, it's the girls' fault!

After the good (and a bit sentimental) conversations over dinner, we spent the rest of the night outdoors, telling each other stories while we take in the fresh air under a starry sky. I was able to spot a shooting star too! Of course, we also took this chance to talk about some people we know..teehee

"Remeber how *bleeep* when she *bleeep* LOL"

The next day, we had hearty breakfast in the same restaurant. We were contemplating between getting the plated dishes, or having a buffet (around Php 400.00), but since getting several orders of the plated dishes plus drinks would cost about as much, we went for the buffet in the end. The food was so-so, just the usual that you would expect form a hotel buffet. But I had to credit the restaurant with extra points again for serving us tocino when we asked for one – even if it is no longer served in the buffet. The restaurant really knows how to make their customers feel special! Their exceptional service coupled with the nice view and fresh morning air made me wish that our breakfast lasted longer.

That was a good breakfast...MORE!

Just before going home, we explored the rest of the place and discovered an obstacle course which is probably put there for company team-buildings. I tried conquering them all but being the weakling that I am plus the fact that I am scared of heights, made this effort futile. I’ll just stick to the relays, thank you.

In life, you need work-life balance.

Just hanging around with my bud.

Believe me, this is more terrifying than it looked!

After taking another quick dip on the hot springs and a hurried shower (the heating system is still horrible), we packed up and left. After everything that we’ve been through at Sol Y Viento, it was still a weekend well spent. Overall we had so much fun, as we considered every mishap a part of the adventure. I guess wherever you are, if you’re with good company, everything would be memorable.

The mandatory jump shots...which they did not succeed in taking.

Geoffrey Ledesma