The Theodore Hotel: A bit pricey, but nice

There's definitely no shortage of hotels and B&Bs in Tagaytay, so it's always nice to try a new one each time. A few weeks ago we gave The Theodore Hotel a try.

Oh no, the metal horse is sucking out my brains! Beware of this creature at the lobby!

Never mind the "hotel" attached to the name because it is not. The Theodore is a 10-room bed and breakfast right along the main Tagaytay-Calamba Road. If you're coming from Sta. Rosa, Laguna, it's after the Tagaytay Rotunda. One characteristic of this B&B, though, is that I find their rooms pretty expensive. Now if it's worth it, read on.

Architecture and ambiance

Aesthetically, The Theodore has character. While its facade may not be much, the interiors are something else. With a high-ceiling lobby, a semi-winding staircase, gray-colored walls with wooden accents, mood lighting, and quirky furniture, this B&B is never boring.

Grouped together on one side are some mismatched furniture that offer guests a place for lounging. On the far end corner of the first floor is a nice little nook where guests can enjoy snacks. We were offered some complimentary lady fingers but we were off to dinner. Also, one can never miss this huge metallic horse sculpture by the staircase, a statement piece no doubt.  

The B&B's facade.

Doorbell -- the old-fashioned way.

A section of the lobby. Love that purple velvet on the front desk!

The stairs leading up to the rooms.

Mismatched furniture make up a good set, right?

Nice little corner for some coffee and snacks, don't you think?

At night, the place retains its character with some subdued lighting.

The corridor lit up at night.

Reservation and check-in

The Theodore has an online booking facility on its website, so booking a room was a breeze. There's just no guarantee, though, that your preferred room is available. Checking in was likewise efficient, and the front desk staff were very nice. I must add that they were also very patient with us when we couldn't decide between the two rooms that were available.

Our room

Similar to our most recent experience at The Henry in Cebu, no two rooms are the same here at The Theodore although they are clustered into two types: six Superior and four Vista Deluxe, the latter being the roomier option and which are all facing the Taal Lake.

We got a Superior room and were given "The Modern Filipino." They gave us the option to move to "The Whimsical Garden" but after much dillydallying we decided to stay put.

A peek into "The Modern Filipino" room.

The room was small and dimly lit. There was a glass window but there was basically nothing to see outside. It also didn't help that there was a huge column by the bed that obstructed free movement. Apart from the queen-size bed, there was also a day bed tucked into a corner. Amenities include a flat screen TV, an iPod dock, in-room WiFi (but quite spotty), a minibar, but no coffee-making facility.

I was disappointed with the furniture, however, which were painted white in a semi-shabby chic style, because the wood used was obviously cheap. They were very light, unlike the elegant dark wood furniture of The Peacock Garden in Bohol. There were lots and lots of drawers that I don't imagine anyone using at all.

The bed. The frame's a bit higher than usual.

Waste of space because of that column.

With the room's rather limited space, one shouldn't expect much from the bathroom. To be fair, though, everything inside -- shower, toilet, drain, etc. -- was fully functional. I just don't understand why they've decided to place the closet inside the bathroom. Just some weird interior design choices here.

Hard to get a proper view of the bathroom here, but this will do.

Dining
To prove that this isn't a hotel but a B&B, The Theodore only serves breakfast items -- although you can have them at any time of day. The restaurant opens up to a garden that overlooks the Tagaytay Lake down below. Guests may also opt to dine in one of the two cabanas in the garden.

The restaurant. Breakfast items only, though.

Guests may choose to dine alfresco. It's Tagaytay after all.

The food's not bad but the huge servings are surely enough to satisfy a hungry tummy. But when you can't stand having breakfast food all day, the front desk staff can always refer you to the Hawaiian Bar-B-Que right next door or to Pamana a few steps away.

Tapa with scrambled eggs, tomato salsa, and slices of mango.

Some sausage dish. Forget this one; it's not good at all.

Apple cinnamon pancakes. Not bad but there were very few apple slices on this dish.

Facilities and amenities
Aside from the restaurant, The Theodore has a few other facilities like this small garden overlooking lush greenery and the Taal Lake beyond that. It's simply a nice spot to enjoy the cool Tagaytay breeze.

One of two cabanas in the garden area.

This B&B also has a rooftop area that, I presume, can be used for small events. They even have a small meeting room up there. Things are not that well-maintained, however, if the broken glass panel through which we went is any indication. But I guess they can fix it if the need be.

The rooftop area. I don't think it's used very often.

The small meeting room at the rooftop.

However small this place may be, I was happy to learn they have a spa. Despite its small size, it has a jacuzzi and a two-bed massage area. A 60-minute Swedish massage here costs Php 700, and since our booking already included a complimentary 30-minute facial or massage, we simply upgraded and paid for the price difference. The masseuses were good, by the way.

As for parking, it shouldn't be a problem here. There are enough slots for guests.

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In hindsight
With rooms that cost between a low of Php 6,100++ to a high of Php 12,200++ a night, The Theodore Hotel is not a cheap place to stay. The place is nice but the constricted space and underwhelming look of the rooms, and maybe even the quality of the furniture inside, may not fully justify the price this B&B commands. However, if you're willing to look past that, you'll see that the service is great and that it's really not all bad. It's just a bit expensive, that's all.

My Bibe and I both agreed that for what we saw, this B&B is a bit pricey.

For more info, go to thetheodorehotel.com.