For people who have attended conventions in Baguio City, they’re most likely to have stayed at Hotel Supreme at one time or another. After all, this hotel has hosted many meetings & conferences since the 80s.

I’ve been to Baguio many times & have hopped in many of its hotels—from kitschy to luxury & from business to boutique-type expressions. I got my chance to stay at Hotel Supreme in one my recent trips & the experience was quite pleasant.

Hotel Supreme: Business & Leisure

I seldom stay in a business hotel since I left my corporate work a few years ago. I prefer funky boutique accommodations this time over the serious ambience of business hotels. But once in a while I like the feel of cold palettes, high ceilings & very formal service.

There are two distinct buildings under the same brand. One has lived through time & the other, a story of how far they’ve become since their modest beginnings.

The old building is reminiscent of its heydays. Wood-heavy, grained earth tones & carpeted floors. The rooms are small & the lobby filled with pretty Victorian overcrowding. It houses the familial Chinese restaurant that many Baguio locals have grown up with, a lobby café & function rooms.

I stayed here for a couple of nights, in a room that looks out to a view of Baguio’s iconic image of house-decked mountain. I also like it that the swimming pool is just a sneak away. Yes, Baguio is already feeling the heat too & nothing beats it than a quick dip.

And because it’s quite old, the rooms on this side sell lower than those in the new building. If you’re on a budget & you love the rustic country feel, this one’s just perfectly fine.

Just right across the old building is Hotel Supreme Convention Plaza. This new wing is the sparkling side of it—-stark palettes of steel, glass & tiles. It favors the modern aesthetics of high ceilings, flowing open spaces & less accoutrements.

I stayed in one of their suites for a night & surely it was a price match. It has a generously spaced room with good ambient lighting. It is fitted with a slumber-worth mattress & fluffy pillows.

As more new business hotels refurbish its workspaces with stylish contemporary desks, this one still have the old charm of wood & stuffy furniture. I like the little wood expression because it reminds me of a Cordillera sense of place. And yes, there are power outlets everywhere. Thank you for not missing out on this often-ignored design must-have.

The new Hotel Supreme isn’t just a venue for meetings, conferences & exhibits. It is also a dining destination. With in-house Gloria Jeans Cafe & its own restobar brand called Future Diner, many come to stuff up or while away time over old-time favorites.

While it may be tucked quite away from the city center, it is however close to popular sights like the Strawberry Farm, Bell Tower, Stobosa houses & flower farms of La Trinidad. It’s also along a major highway where PUVs regularly ply on this route.

As Baguio City holds on to its spot at the top—as a premier tourist destination & convention venue in the country, its crop of characterful hotels also keep up. And Hotel Supreme is one that has paced well with the changing time without drifting away from the charm of Cordilleran service.

-oOo-

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