Quick Getaway at Kasa Luntian

Tagaytay is a popular destination for people living in Manila because of the cool crisp weather, great views and because it’s just a 2 hour drive away from the city. Since it’s a popular tourist destination, a lot of development has changed the landscape of the city with restaurants, café’s, hotels and residential communities.

One such residential development is Kasa Luntian. The Serviced Residences at Kasa Luntian is managed by Hotel Innovators Inc., who also manages a favorite of mine, Azumi Boutique Hotel.

Original plan was La Union however due to scheduling and lack of planning, we decided to just have a quick and accessible getaway. Again, I’m with my BFF staycation and travel buddy RJ who is always game for a getaway.

Kasa Luntian is gorgeous. As the name implies, you’re surrounded by a lot of greenery and at the middle is their tiered swimming pools (5 to be exact).

Accessibility and Location: 5/5

Excellent location, situated between Aguinaldo highway and Sta. Rosa – Tagaytay road so you can take either routes to reach it. It’s also right beside the road so you can easily see it (landmarks include Estancia hotel and Starbucks). You can reach it easily by private vehicle or by public transportation (see notes below on how to use public transportation).

You’re also near restaurants and Starbucks downhill (the steep one), so you have options on where to eat or hang-out.

Amenities and Facilities: 4/5

Kasa Luntian has 5 swimming pools that cascade to one another so you have that waterfall effect from one pool to the other all located at the middle of the complex. 

2 of the pools are heated so you can still enjoy a dip in the cool crisp Tagaytay weather or brave the cold and take the plunge at the regular pools.

There are lounge chairs, as well as tables and chairs surrounding the pools so you have place to soak in the sun or just have a place to chit chat.

There’s a play area near the pools where the kids can play.

There is room service, and will be provided by Taza Mia, one of the restaurants at The Lanai (a little strip mall outside Kasa Luntian), and I’ll go to the food reviews later.

Spa and gym facilities are not available.

Room: 4/5

I booked a one bedroom suite via Deal Grocer (which I love since I get to buy a wide array of deals at a discount). The room was spacious and I liked the interiors. You have huge windows that makes the place bright and airy. 

The buildings itself were designed to let natural light come in and take advantage of Tagaytay’s cool weather with the open air hallways (talk about saving on electricity bills).

What I also liked about it is that it’s a service apartment so you’ll have a kitchen, dining area and a living area. You also have a veranda so you can look out to the pools or garden (depending on your room). Unfortunately ours had scaffolding outside (not sure why, maybe they were paining the outside?) so we weren’t able to use it (plus it was messy with debris and not cleaned up when we checked-in).

You’ll be provided with typical amenities like toiletries, slippers, and separate bath and pool towels.

Since you have a kitchen, you can shop for some groceries and cook food. The fridge is big so you can store food as well (if you’ll be staying for a 2 or more nights).

Since it’s a sprawling property, there’s a chance that your room will be at the far end, which happened to us. Our room is situated a the building called Tala and it’s located at the back so it was quite a walk from the reception area and pools.

I would have rated this a 5 if not for the messy veranda. I know it’s hard to maintain with construction going on but atleast clean-up a little.

Room Features:

• ·         Living Room
• ·         Fully-Equipped Kitchen with Nespresso machine
• ·         Dining Area
• ·         Individually-controlled Air Conditioner
• ·         Well-stocked Mini Bar*
• ·         Cable Television
• ·         Hair Dryer
• ·         Safety Deposit Box
• ·         Garden Balcony

Rate Inclusions:

• ·         High-speed Internet Connection
• ·         Use of Swimming Pools
• ·         Two Bottles of Mineral Water
• ·         Complimentary Coffee and Tea
• ·         Bath Amenities

          *charges apply

Additional Information:

Where to eat:

Kasa Luntian has a little strip mall called Lanai, with a collection of shops and restaurants. I’ve tried 3 of the available resturants: Taza Mia, Old Manila Coffee House and Bon Appetea.

Taza Mia: 1/5

Now this may be a harsh rating but that’s how I really feel. As what was mentioned above, Room Service was provided by Taza Mia so you can order food and have this delivered at your room. We had their Carbonara (185 pesos) and Blue Cheess Pasta (220 pesos). Both pastas were so so borderline not really delicious and doesn’t justify the price. Both came with a salad which confused me because of the very small serving size. Like seriously, just don’t put a salad at all because it looked sad with 2 carrot sticks, 2 slices of cucumber and pieces of lettuce, I wished they just put bread instead.

We also had their Pepper Mojos (115 pesos) which was actually OK, but my issue was that for 115 pesos, it was just 1 potato, as in 1 potato cut in slices.

My issue with the food didn’t stop with the taste or serving size since it wasn’t value for money. Another issue I had was the delivery charge, it was 25 pesos per food item. You read it right, per food item. If other restaurants have a fixed delivery charge or a minimum food order for delivery, they had a charge of 25 pesos per food item. So since we had 3 food items, it was 75 pesos delivery (and it was a walking distance only).

Old Manila Coffee House: 2.5/5

The Old Manila Coffee House has a good location at the Lanai. There’s some seating outside so you can dine al fresco or have the option to dine inside. Like Taza Mia, the food was not value for money for me. We had their All Day breakfasts, Beef Tapa (230 pesos) and Spanish Sardine (200).  Both came with a side of egg which can be cooked to your preference. Beef tapa was OK, but I feel too pricey for the serving size. The Spanish sardine looks store bought and only half was served. I tried their Old Manila Brew coffee (70 pesos), nothing really special though. Staff was very polite and helpful though. Good lighting for photos too. 

Bon Appetea: 2.5/5

Located at the back of Lanai, Bon Appetea serves more than just milk tea, they also serve quick meals like pastas and sandwiches. Milk Tea was good (because it’s their primary offering) and the food was OK, and matched the price. I think the carbonara was better than that of Taza Mia’s.

Others:

There’s a 711 also at Kasa Luntian so you also have another option to purchase food and other supplies you need for your stay.

Again, you’re near a Starbucks so if you want that quick caffeine fix, you can walk on over.

How to get there:

If you have a car, again, you can either take Aguinaldo Highway if your coming from Cavite Paranaque or Pasay. If you’re coming from Alabang, then you can go via Sta. Rosa – Tagayaty route.

If you’re commuting you also have that same option. Since I’m coming from Alabang, I had 2 options: 1. A van directly going to Tagaytay from Festival Mall. This however I’m uncertain with regard to the timing because it seems like it’s only available in the afternoon and you’ll need to wait for the van to be full or 2. Another option is going to Pala Pala (Robinsons Place  Dasmarinas) via van (from Festival Mall or South Station),  and from there, ride a bus going to Tagaytay. I took option 2 since I still met with RJ who came from Bacoor.  We went down at the rotunda and rode a tricycle going to Kasa Luntian.

References:

·         https://kasaluntianservicedresidences.com

·         https://dealgrocer.com

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