Early February this year, my friends and I went to Baguio. Since we’re traveling with a tight budget, transient houses and pension houses are our options. However, we opt for the tried and tested recommendation from a friend of a friend–the La Brea Inn.
Getting there
From the Victory Liner Bus Terminal, taxis are available. If you get lucky, there are van for hires waiting outside. We got a ride from a kind man who drives a van and asked for ₱100 going to Lower Session Road. La Brea Inn is just a 10-minute ride from the terminal.
The inn is situated in the downtown area in Lower Session Road, a tidier version of Colon Street. Food is not a problem, as it is surrounded by different food establishments and it’s just a walking distance to the night market in Burnham Park. In case you missed it, the stairs leading to the inn is located beside Yellow Cab. La Brea Inn is located on the 4th floor, guests have to climb to the 2nd floor to ride an elevator to the 4th floor. Be sure you’re not bringing huge luggage with wheels unless you don’t mind lugging it around a few steps.
Accommodations
La Brea Inn requires down payment. They offered a group price of ₱1,960 per night for six people. That gives us ₱326.60 per night. They charge ₱200 for the extra person with bed. Prices may vary as we went there during the Panagbenga Festival (Flower Festival) month.
Our room has no air-conditioning (the weather is cool enough), has an electric fan (if you think the weather is not enough), TV, bathroom with hot and cold shower. If you want hot water or drinking water, make sure you bring a spare empty bottle or tumbler to fill it with. Water refill is available at the reception area which saves me moolah. The friendly attendants were kind enough to give us a flyer and tips on getting around the city on foot.
Where to eat
Going hungry is not an option. We were surrounded by fast-food chains such as McDonald’s (right across the street), Chowking (just a few steps from the building) and of course Yellow Cab (below the inn), to name a few. They also have Mang Andok’s where we had our super late lunch on our first day.
Convenience stores like 7 Eleven is also a stone’s throw away from the inn–their Hershey’s Hot Chocolate is addictive! For chilly weather with sweater-wearing citizens, they have a knack for cold delights. Ice cream houses, bars, and discotheques are everywhere.
During our second day, we stumbled upon an Asian-fusion restaurant disguised as a carenderia that serves delicious food. At reasonable prices, we were treated to some Thai flavors at Happy Tummy.
La Brea Inn
Address: 4/5/6 Floors, AYK Bldg. 24 Lower Session Rd.,
Baguio City, Benguet
Phone: (+6374) 446-6061
Fax: (+6374) 446-6062
Mobile: (+63917) 508-7800, (+63923) 280-0395
