Philippines, Wander

A Weekend Well-Spent at Canyon Woods

One of the many perks of living outside the metro is that we can visit places that are “far” in metro standards in just a minute of planning.   One afternoon of January, we decided to spend a weekend at Batangas, specifically Canyon Woods.

Canyon Woods is a residential resort located at Laurel, Batangas.  It recently opened its doors to guests by building The Peak, a hotel inside the vast residential area.   Going to The Peak during this time is quite challenging as the easiest route to Canyon Woods, Diokno Highway, is currently impassable to 4-wheel vehicles.  We have to use alternative routes that are either dangerously steep or longer in distance.  We chose the former haha 😀

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Upon arrival at The Peak, we were mesmerized.  We really are inside a different place.   Canyon Woods is vast with several vacation houses and a lot of “for-club members-only” facilities.  Checking in was a breeze.  We were required to leave Php2000 as safety deposit.

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Vast and serene place.

Canyon Woods’ The Peak hotel is still undergoing construction.  Let me tell you though that the construction didn’t hinder us from having a good time in our stay at The Peak.

The Peak offers a lot of recreational activities.  You can swim in either the outdoor or indoor pool, play games inside the gaming area, watch a movie in the mini theater, have a good time with your kids in play land, relax while enjoying sauna and massages, or eat and bond at the coffee shop.  But the best recreational thing that we did was stroll around the huge property of Canyon Woods while savoring the cool breeze of Tagaytay weather.  Canyon Woods is located in Laurel, Batangas – but is very close in Tagaytay and is situated in a high area, thus you will experience a very cool weather here.

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The outdoor pool.

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We had a very peaceful sleep overnight.  The next day we were awaken by little Neo shouting: umuulan! (it’s raining) when he checked the windows outside.  We were worried that we won’t enjoy the day.  Gladly, it was just fog since we were in a high place.  We enjoyed the day, especially the little one who went swimming in the indoor pool.

Now let me rate the place for you.

Rooms – 4 out of 5.  We booked the studio room of The Peak.  It has two double beds, an led television, air-conditioning unit, a toilet and bath with complete toiletries and towels, cabinets with iron and bathrobes, a mini refrigerator, and electric kettle.  The Studio Room is priced at Php5,500 overnight.  I love the room except for the following: (1) the toilet and bath has no bathtub (and I love hotel rooms with bathtubs), (2) the toilet has no bidet 🙁 ,  (3) the mini ref’s content is only two bottled waters (we requested for water and they gladly provided), (4) there were no coffee provided initially (we asked and they gave us Nescafe 3-in-1), (5) only construction view can be seen in the small balcony (we asked to be transferred, but they cannot accommodate and gave us an alternative of late check-out), and (6) noises in the hallway can be heard inside the room.

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Amenities – 5 out of 5.  Canyon Woods is a club-membership residential resort.  And thus, their amenities are splendid.  There are swimming pools (indoor and outdoor), gaming areas, kid’s play areas, sports facilities, spa and massages, mini theater, fishing area, a golf range, and a chapel.  Note that these amenities are not close to each other – but there are shuttle services you can request to bring you to each of these facilities.  For hotel guests, only indoor and outdoor swimming pools are free of charge.  You have to pay all the other facilities.

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The heated indoor pool where Neo spent most of his morning.

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Staff – 5 out of 5.  Canyon Woods’ staffs (not just those inside The Peak) are courteous, friendly, and hospitable.  All the issues we had in the studio room were addressed to the best that the staffs can.  They will make sure every request gets done or if not, give you the best alternative.  They regard guests with a respectful smile all the time.

Food – 4 out of 5.  Canyon Woods has one restaurant they call the Main Coffee Shop.  I will be honest in saying that the foods they serve are okay-tasting.  Not too delicious for my liking, just okay-tasting.  If you know me too well, you would know that I’m not pihikan when it comes to food.  These foods are affordable though.  The dinner buffet costs Php600 per person.  The breakfast buffet costs Php350.

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Crispy tawilis as part of the breakfast buffet.

Location – 4 out of 5.  Canyon Woods is located not far from Tagaytay and is a great place for retreat.  The place spells serenity and relaxation.  In just an hour away from Tagaytay, you get to be in a very peaceful place.  I’d give this a 5 out of 5 had Diokno Highway is passable and we didn’t use the dangerous steep road going there.

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Very foggy morning.

Value for Money – 4.4 out of 5.  Canyon Woods offers a lot of relaxation.  The cool breeze of Tagaytay is very evident here.  The experience you will get is worth every penny you will pay.  But for you to save more, I think some group buying sites offer a discounted rate of The Peak.

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Even just for this view – visiting Canyon Woods was so worth it.

We really enjoyed our weekend at The Peak at Canyon Woods.  We went back to our work week feeling refreshed.  If you want a place you can stay over for a quick getaway or a staycation, I would highly suggest this place.

 

Disclaimer: We paid for our accommodation at Canyon Woods and all opinions are mine.

 

 

9 thoughts on “A Weekend Well-Spent at Canyon Woods

  1. Like you, I also feel disappointed if there is no bathtub in a hotel or resort. So +1 agad sa akin pag meron bathtub or even bidet. The place looks nice, parang Tagaytay nga yung place because of the pine trees.

  2. The place reminds me of Pico De Loro because of the club membership basis, but I prefer this one kasi mas malapit hehe. My kid will surely enjoy the pool and indoor playground amenities when we visit the place. Mejo off lang ung isang restaurant lang yung pwedeng puntahan, I hope they add more para may mapagpilian.

  3. Canyon Woods is really a relaxing place.Really spacious and really fun to stay. Will consider this next staycation. Thanks for sharing ate.

  4. I have read a lot of good reviews on canyon woods. I personally haven’t experienced it yet but is looking forward to a staycation, perhaps this vacation.

  5. I relate — here in Davao, we can easily go out of town, too, on a whim! It seems like Canyon Woods is a great choice for a staycation. IMO, it’s always great service that’s more important!

  6. Oh this Canyon woods looks so cool for a family staycation. Malapit lang pala to sis, I would love to recommend this to my husband’s family if gusto nila sa pag uwi nila dito.

  7. I’m starting to think na mas magandang tumira either somewhere in Cavite na malapit sa Batangas (beaches) or Bulacan (na malapit sa Subic). Here in San Mateo, Rizal, it’s just too far on both ends kasi nasa gitna kami. It’s sooo hard to go to the beach (for Nate’s asthma), especially for us, commuters. Canyon Woods looks really nice. I agree with you, it seems like a lovely place for a staycation.

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