The past six months have been grueling.
As I mentioned in my previous post>>, yes, we are pregnant! But along with the joy of having another of God’s blessings, I was also on a rollercoaster of emotions. I was put on bed rest the first two months of carrying our baby. Worse than that, I was still suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum>> up until the fifth month. The toilet was my best friend; I could not eat without barfing them all out. It was terrible.
In the latter part of the second trimester, I was feeling a little better. Traveling (and eating) became more manageable so when we finalized that we were going to our friend’s wedding in Tagaytay last week, I also planned a weekend vacation for us.
At last, a little breather!!!
We had brunch first (bulalo, of course!) before we headed to our destination – Club Balai Isabel. I chose this property because of Santi. We were celebrating his 18th month so it was a nice treat for the little boy to be back in the water. Swimming gives him so much joy even if he only stays at the pool for 5 to 10 minutes, haha!
I have been to Club Balai Isabel many times.
When I was still with Canon, we held some of our business planning sessions here. It was nice to see that they have kept good maintenance of the place.
The Room
I got the room from Agoda but when I received the reservation policy, it was from booking.com (I don’t know how Agoda does that unless they belong to the same company). I got the Deluxe Room with a View with a maximum of three (3) occupancy. It already included breakfast for three people and I did not have to pay any surcharge.
Balai’s Deluxe Room is more expensive than the Superior Room at rack rate but I was surprisingly pleased when I got a cheaper deal getting the Deluxe Room with a 3-person occupancy than getting the Superior Room with a standard 2-person occupancy, then having to add a surcharge of PhP1,500 for the extra adult.
The room is located on the fourth floor of the Banga building (there is an elevator) and is spacious with a loft that has two queen beds. On the first level, there is a day bed (where two people can stay), a kitchen, spacious room cabinets, television, the bathroom, and the terrace. The window is also fronting the beautiful Taal Lake.
Check-in time was at 2:00 PM and check-out time was at 12:00 NN.
The Amenities
This is a fairly new recreational facility in Balai – the Aqua Park. Too bad I can’t do anything because of my big, bulging belly, LOL.
There are three pools in the resort although we only got to enjoy the one nearest our room – Kumintang Pool – since it was already hard for me to really roam around the place.
Photo courtesy of Balai Isabel
Photo courtesy of Balai Isabel
Photo courtesy of Balai Isabel
If you are looking for adventure aside from the Aqua Park, there were many other things to do like water sports and booking a trek to Taal Volcano.
For more laidback feels, you can just roam around the compound, play tag at their expansive lawn, visit the church or play some billiards!
The Food
Ok, so carrying a toddler everywhere makes it impossible for me to take photos so I am soooryyy! However, Balai’s menu is not bad at all.
We had afternoon merienda, dinner, and breakfast there. For merienda, we had their pizza and it was light on the pocket (less than P300 for two people) and so yummy on the tummy. For dinner, we had their sisig and sinigang. The breakfast that came with the package was served buffet-style.
The Staff
Their employees, from the front desk representatives to the servers, were very attentive and well-trained.
All in all, we had a great short vacation at Club Balai Isabel. If you are looking for a place near the metro, this one is just right for you <3
Map direction to Club Balai Isabel
