HOTEL ELIZABETH and BLISS CAFE in Baguio

It’s nice to know there still are places in Baguio that have not succumbed to the temptation of over-commercialization and the greed of cutting down all the trees to give way to “development and progress”.

There are three places that you should absolutely avoid in Baguio:
1). the overcommercialized Session Road;
2). the allegedly corrupt Camp John Hay operation; and
3). SM Baguio (to stop them from cutting trees to build parking lots).

We decided to stay in Hotel Elizabeth, which is located in a quiet side of Baguio where there are still plenty of trees and cool fresh air. That became our jump-off point in exploring the authentic old Baguio experience. 🙂

Awesome Baguio Experience Series:

• BAGUIO’s PANAGBENGA Flower Festival
• MAMA’S TABLE: Chef Vicky Tinio Clemente’s Private Dining
• STRAWBERRY FIELDS Forever…
• BENCAB MUSEUM Experience
• CAFE SABEL @ BenCab Museum
• HILL STATION & Mt. Cloud Bookshop
• HAPPY TUMMY & Wright Park
• Hotel Elizabeth and Bliss Cafe in Baguio
• CAFE BY THE RUINS Breakfast!
• EVE’S GARDEN Organic Lunch

BAGUIO: Your Awesome Journey to Baguio Food Trip (Infographic)

Authentic Baguio Experience Landmarks:

Click here for the Awesome Baguio Map bigger version. You can download hi-res file map here.

Here is a map to give you an idea of the locations of the different destinations featured in the Awesome Baguio Experience Blog series. There are shortcuts to avoid passing through Session Road.

1. Chef Vicky Tinio Clemente’s Mama’s Table Private Dining
2. Strawberry Fields Forever…
3. BenCab Museum Experience & Cafe Sabel @ BenCab Museum
4. Hill Station & Mt. Cloud Bookshop
5. Happy Tummy & Wright Park
6. Cafe by the Ruins Breakfast!
7. Eve’s Garden Lunch
8. Hotel Elizabeth and Bliss Cafe

One thing I love about Hotel Elizabeth is that you can still smell the pine trees all around you.

The Rooms @ Hotel Elizabeth

If you decide to stay here, here’s a view of the different rooms:

Deluxe Room (Single Bed) – P4,256 net (as of February 2012)

Deluxe Room (Twin Bed) – P4,256 net (as of February 2012)

Executive Suite (1 Bedroom) – P6,720 net (as of February 2012)

We stayed in the Executive Suite with a master bedroom…

…and a living room with a sofa bed and a dining area — perfect for families with kids.

There are two restrooms, and the master’s restroom has a bathtub that the boys truly enjoyed 🙂

It is located on the third floor with a view that directly faces the sunset (see photo above).

Last Panagbenga, they brought the flavors of Sinulog Cebu to Hotel Elizabeth Baguio. 🙂

Bliss Cafe @ Hotel Elizabeth

One of the signature restaurants inside Hotel Elizabeth is the Fine Dining Vegetarian Cafe — Bliss Cafe. It is probably the only restaurant that serves Indian food in Baguio.

Jim and Shanti’s Bliss story is inspiring. It actually started in 2002 and only transferred to Hotel Elizabeth in July 2004.

Bliss Cafe has an eclectic ambiance, a museum of different collections, and memorabilia of the couple.

Jim’s wife Shanti is always in the kitchen, preparing delicious vegetarian fare.

Bliss Menu: Your Menu | The Drinks | The Salads | All Day Brunch | Lonely Planet Set Meals | Seasons of India Set Meal | Filipino Classics Lasang Pinoy | Pastas & Sandwiches | Kids Stuff | A Slice of Bliss | Desserts

The menu has a lot of character; it’s like a scrapbook telling the story of Bliss through food.
 
★ Strawberry Fields Forever (P200). Lettuce, Strawberries, Mint Leaves, Cucumber.

We loved the fresh Baguio greens served with strawberries and Bliss Cafe’s healthy yogurt sauce.

Soup of the Day (Choice of Salad +P80).

We usually order soup because of Raphael. The soup wasn’t bad at all.

Leaning Tower (P180). Bliss’ ‘take’ on the classic carbonara with ‘fakin bacon’.

The vegetarian versions of popular dishes are interesting. This one had a lot of flavor. I liked the bacon-like ingredient they used here.

Grilled Cheese with Veggie Sausage (P180). Warm & Toasty.

We found the sandwich a bit simple and safe. We could have ordered the Indian dishes or other more interesting vegetarian fare.

 
★ ‘No Quack’ Duck (P180 + P25 for Blissmix Rice).  Can be prepared adobo or curry style.

This mock-meat adobo version is as good as its meat counterpart. There’s a lot of flavor and it’s fun to eat because you know it’s healthy. 🙂

I must admit we ordered safe vegetarian dishes because of the boys. We are glad to share that they loved the food.

Thanks to Jim and Shanti for allowing the boys to play around Bliss Cafe! 🙂

Bliss Cafe Baguio
Lobby, Hotel Elizabeth Gibraltar Rd., Baguio City
Operating Hours:
Monday- 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Tuesday – Sunday- 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Telephone: 074 619-0367
Mobile: +63917 528-1166 or +63917 846-4729
Email:blissnbaguio@yahoo.com
Website: Bliss n Baguio
Facebook: Bliss Cafe Baguio

If you plan to stay in Hotel Elizabeth, reserve the Executive Suite Rooms if you are traveling with a family (there are only 8 rooms on the third floor). Make sure to eat in Bliss Cafe for a healthy vegetarian lunch or dinner.

Check out the annotated Awesome Baguio Map to go to the different recommended Baguio destinations.

Hotel Elizabeth
# 1 J. Felipe Street corner Gibraltar Road, Baguio City
Telephone: +63 74 619-0367 
Central Reservation: +632 912-2691 & 912-8000 
Email Address: reservations@hotelelizabeth.com.ph
Web Mail: www.hotelelizabeth.com.ph

Head Office
Executive Suite, Fourth Floor FERSAL Bldg.
#245 P. Tuazon Blvd., Cubao, Quezon City

Telephone: +632 912-8000 loc. 325 
Email Address: sales@fersal.com.ph 

Related Blog Posts on Baguio:

BAGUIO: Your Awesome Journey to Baguio Food Trip (Infographic)

Flavors of Baguio: Discover Baguio, One Bite at a Time!

• C BOUTIQUE HOTEL ‘s Flavors of Baguio Food and Heritage Tour
• SOLIBAO: Baguio’s BEST Filipino Restaurant since 1972
• ROSE BOWL: Baguio’s Home-Grown BEST Chinese Food since 1945
• TAM-AWAN: Baguio’s Artist Village by Chanum Foundation
• HILL STATION: The BEST Restaurant in Baguio (Revisited)

Awesome Baguio Experience Series:

• BAGUIO’s PANAGBENGA Flower Festival
• MAMA’S TABLE: Chef Vicky Tinio Clemente’s Private Dining
• STRAWBERRY FIELDS Forever…
• BENCAB MUSEUM Experience
• CAFE SABEL @ BenCab Museum
• HILL STATION & Mt. Cloud Bookshop
• HAPPY TUMMY & Wright Park
• Hotel Elizabeth and Bliss Cafe in Baguio
• CAFE BY THE RUINS Breakfast!
• EVE’S GARDEN Organic Lunch

Awesome Baguio Experience Series II:

• THE CHEF’S HOME in Baguio – A Must Eat!
• OH MY GULAY @ Vocas Artspace, Session Road, Baguio
• FOREST HOUSE Bistro Cafe (Our First Time)
• O’ MAI KHAN Mongolian Barbecue & Hot Pot
• LE CHEF AT THE MANOR @ Camp John Hay, Baguio
• BAGUIO is not Complete Without CHOCO-LATE de BATIROL?
• LE MONET Breakfast Buffet – The Best in Baguio?

 

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Full Disclosure: Our Baguio Hotel stay was courtesy of our friend Jean Fernando of Trips or Treats, whose family owns the Fersal Hotel Group, which include Hotel Elizabeth in Baguio and Cebu. We paid for our meals @ Bliss Cafe. We are not connected with the establishments and any organization promoting them.

P.S. One thing I love about the location of Hotel Elizabeth is that it is near St. Joseph Church, which is where Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzales got married. This is just located along the Pacdal Circle. I posted the mass schedule so that you can plan your Baguio itinerary well. 🙂