Hortz Hotel & Resort

 Of gardens and greenery

By Earl D C. Bracamonte

With the coming summer months, vacationers and weekenders will surely seek the cooler climate of Tagaytay. Even this early, aficionados of the wind and outdoors already flock to the city overlooking the Taal Volcano.

And so, on an overcast weekday, we found ourselves whisked to the ridges of Tagaytay to be part of the third anniversary celebration of Hortz Hotel & Resort. This newly acquired and refurbished property of the Hortaleza Corp. is known for conferences and intimate gatherings.

"Hortz was fully operational during the pandemic despite its lack of revenue. We acquired the property in 2019 and fully reopened in 2022. Our family frequented Tagaytay a lot, especially when we were younger. From a business standpoint, we believe in Tagaytay. And Hortz will give us the opportunity to innovate and offer new things here," intimated Luxnest director Alfonso Iñigo Hortaleza, during a media huddle on the occasion of the no-frills celebration. Luxnest Corp. is the owner/operator of Hortz Hotels & Resorts under the umbrella of the Hortaleza Corporation.

Formerly known as the Bali Village, Hortz Hotel is one sprawling property amidst pocket gardens and expansive verdure.

"Hortz is a nature-type of experience. We offer bungalows and villas in a garden setting. There are 41 rooms scattered all over the close to a hectare property. Sleek, clean, minimalist themes that are inspired from Scandinavia in northwestern Europe and Japan in Asia are employed in our architecture and interiors. A hundred more rooms are now being developed in our other property that's right at the back. It will also offer more open spaces and will still be pet friendly. The 101 dalmatians are all welcome here," he continued.

Hortaleza owner and CEO Rolando Hortaleza is a visionary with great marketing skills. So that when Bali Village was offered to him in 2019, he simply applied his business acumen to the resort property the same way he raised Splash Corp. from the ground.

The hotel's homey room categories include the standard (for two), superior (for four), de luxe (for six), family (for 10 or 12), villa (for 14), and nila hut (for 19). F&B concepts include a bakery, pasalubong shop, and a nano-brewery.

The entire property is pet-friendly. You can bring your fur babies not only to the rooms but also in the food outlets. "We cater to large groups like seminars and weddings. And we have no problem with parking. The property's ballroom can easily seat 200 covers, with room to spare."

Tipanan offers Filipino comfort food. Their must-try signature dish is the Bulares, that's the traditional Tagaytay bulalo cooked "pares" style. Then there's their creamy buco pie that goes with the Sagada-bean brews at Facio, an open-air outlet in a garden setting where breakfast is also served.

"We started a proudly 100 per cent, Filipino-owned company in the personal care business - Splash Corporation - that was among the Top 6 choices of Filipino consumers, which offered such products as Colors hair dye, Maxi-peel facial toner, and Sansan cosmetics. In this case, we want to offer a laid-back hospitality concept that has a progressive and modern Filipino approach. We want to offer an enjoyable perspective that highlights the Tagaytay experience," enthused the amiable Luxnest director who also celebrated his wedding anniversary on the same day as the hotel's anniversary.

Hortz Hotels & Resorts is conveniently located along the Emilio Aguinaldo highway on Tagaytay City's Kaybagal South district. For more information, simply send an email tocustomerservice@hortzhotel.com.