Flowing in the realm of the limitless
Come home to a luxurious oasis of wellness in the heart of Tagaytay City’s robust, rolling hills
Come home to a luxurious oasis of wellness in the heart of Tagaytay City’s robust, rolling hills
Words by Angie Duarte Photos by Andie D. Syyap
came the booming voice of the bright-eyed security officer as he motioned our vehicle into the verdant 7.2-hectare property that is Anya Resort Tagaytay, less than an hour’s drive south of Manila. The concrete, tree-lined driveway undulated to reveal a quaint cobbled courtyard and gardens teeming with life, bussed by brisk breezes. In front of the open-planned Neo-Asian main building, a cheery cacophony of the same greeting resounded in our ears. It was fervent and full of heart; the kind of welcome you’d expect from beloved family after a protracted absence.
With the selfsame earnestness as the smiling, uniformed man at the gate, eager-faced Anya Guest Experience associates ushered us into the receiving area; a restful, airy expanse of space dotted with lush ferns and aroids, elegant décor, scenic panoramas framed by large glass windows, and pockets of comfortable seating. Never mind your typical lobby; this was Anya’s living room. Never mind your usual boutique hotel; this felt like home.
The charming and cozy second-floor library proved the perfect venue for afternoon High Tea (an appetizing affair of freshly-baked breads, delightful pastries, and dainty finger sandwiches) with Anya’s dynamic GM, Mikel Arriet. He regaled us with stories of how, as a young chef, he had first come to the Philippines from his Spanish hometown of San Sebastian for a culinary event in Manila. He was supposed to stay three months—that was 17 years ago. After a series of posts and a Masters in Hospitality Management from Cornell, Arriet found himself with the Anya Hospitality Group; and, when Anya Resort opened its doors in 2017, Arriet heeded the call to be its General Manager in 2019. Despite the challenges wrought in 2020 by the Taal Volcano eruption and the COVID-19 pandemic, Anya is on top and rising, fulfilling its mission to always reach for “international standards with a Filipino touch.”
“That is our mission and brand of hospitality; and the key to achieving this is our staff. Our team members are the soul of this hotel; there is no machine, no treatment, and no promotion that can do what they do,” Arriet shares. “The ‘Anya Experience’ is the most important part of our vision. We have a team for guest experiences, to custom-fit your stay with us and make it memorable and unique. At the end of the day, those are the things that fulfil me, as GM.” And, as it turned out, those were the things that fulfilled us as guests, too. The genuine warmth, the readiness to help, the bespoke service, and the sincere smiles showered upon us so liberally made our short but sweet stay all the sweeter.
The charming and cozy second-floor library proved the perfect venue for afternoon High Tea (an appetizing affair of freshly-baked breads, delightful pastries, and dainty finger sandwiches) with Anya’s dynamic GM, Mikel Arriet. He regaled us with stories of how, as a young chef, he had first come to the Philippines from his Spanish hometown of San Sebastian for a culinary event in Manila. He was supposed to stay three months—that was 17 years ago. After a series of posts and a Masters in Hospitality Management from Cornell, Arriet found himself with the Anya Hospitality Group; and, when Anya Resort opened its doors in 2017, Arriet heeded the call to be its General Manager in 2019. Despite the challenges wrought in 2020 by the Taal Volcano eruption and the COVID-19 pandemic, Anya is on top and rising, fulfilling its mission to always reach for “international standards with a Filipino touch.”
“That is our mission and brand of hospitality; and the key to achieving this is our staff. Our team members are the soul of this hotel; there is no machine, no treatment, and no promotion that can do what they do,” Arriet shares. “The ‘Anya Experience’ is the most important part of our vision. We have a team for guest experiences, to custom-fit your stay with us and make it memorable and unique. At the end of the day, those are the things that fulfil me, as GM.” And, as it turned out, those were the things that fulfilled us as guests, too. The genuine warmth, the readiness to help, the bespoke service, and the sincere smiles showered upon us so liberally made our short but sweet stay all the sweeter.
Since its opening, Anya Resort has been evolving and coming into its own beautiful identity as a luxurious wellness retreat in the hilly heart of Tagaytay. Anya boasts 70 capacious, well-appointed suites with super comfortable beds (the plush mattresses of which are made exclusively for the resort), en-suite balconies overlooking thriving tropical greenery, and large rain shower baths with separate tubs. Resort amenities and facilities include an amply-sized, bi-level, heated swimming pool; two excellent restaurants; the quaintly-furnished library with its impressive collection of books; and Niyama Wellness Center, home to Anya’s own signature spa and its partnership with state-of-the-art European Wellness Retreat. To keep guests engaged, there are a number of recreational activities, like Yoga and Tai Chi lessons on the weekends, soft archery and lawn games, occasional tree planting, and movie nights, among others. Moreover, the resort has implemented innovative ways to bolster safety amidst the pandemic; among these, the introduction of its online concierge, “Ask Anya”; enhanced cleaning and disinfecting measures; and in-suite check-in and check-out.
As Anya evolves, it stays focused on the Three R’s—Relax, Rejuvenate, and Reward—that guide its guest promise. “That is all part of our motto, what we want our guests to feel. We are promoting a healthy lifestyle: you relax and rejuvenate, but you must also reward yourself,” Arriet notes.
Just as a gourmand makes every effort to inform his or her discerning palate, Anya continues to refine and define its gastronomic identity. With the much-anticipated recent opening of Samira by Chele González and the revamp of poolside resto-bar Anila, Anya Resort is poised to take the Tagaytay food landscape by scrumptious storm. Highly-experienced British Executive Chef Chris Leaning and talented Filipino Sous Chef Nomer Granados are at the helm of the day-to-day operations of both restaurants, and they do run a tight and tasty (oh, so tasty!) ship.
“The new menu I’m working on for Anila will be inspired by a lot of Filipino food; classics, with a twist. I like to innovate. We’ll also be doing a lot of Mediterranean dishes and a few English dishes, as well as adding to our brick-oven pizzas. Soon, we’ll also be opening our own bakery,” shares Chef Chris.
While there are already more than a few healthy dishes on the menu, Chefs Chris and Nomer are likewise working on expanding the roster, for guests who wish to complement their wellness retreat with healthful yet flavor-packed meals.
Samira’s menu, meanwhile, is carefully curated by lauded Manila-based Spanish Chef Chele González; it is a mouthwatering showcase of Spanish-Mediterranean favorites with a playful twist in flavor profiles, as well as in the artful presentation of every dish. But, at its core, Samira offers an authentic culinary goodness that shines through; something Arriet describes as “honest food—quality food, and in good portions.”
Chef Chele’s 4-Course Cocido Experience and his 6-Course Set Menu (with the option to add the perfect wine pairings, expertly chosen by sommelier Gazelle Ingua) are the highlights of a meal at Samira. The former is the chef’s take on the well-loved comfort food typically found in various regions of Spain. Cocido is a way of slow-cooking a stew of different meats, known as compango, until their flavors burst forth and their meat practically falls off the bone. Chef Chele’s compango—a bold medley of chorizos, chicken, beef, and pork—forms the base for the first three courses of the epicurean experience: flavorful bites of Ropa Viejo Pintxos and Compango Croquetas; a rich bit not cloying Garbanzos Soup; and the compango itself, served with an exquisite Cocido Paella (the rice of which is simmered with compango broth) and an indulgent side of Chele’s Mama Fries. The fourth course is Chef Chele’s famous Burnt Basque Cheesecake which just melts in your mouth in creamy goodness. The latter menu offering is an epicurean indulgence of six sumptuous dishes: a delectable Amuse-Bouche selection; a perfectly-seasoned Fresh Coconut Ceviche; the bestselling Grilled Octopus with Aioli; juicy Pan-Seared Salmon; tender Duck with Porcini and full-flavored Truffle Risotto; decadent Grilled US Angus Beef Tenderloin slathered in truffles and mushroom jus; and the raved-about Buko Pie in Textures, Chef Chele’s deconstructed take on the Tagaytay favorite.
Indeed, whether lounging in your super-luxe room, basking in the sun while relaxing by the pool, savoring the flavors of an excellent meal, on the receiving end of the finest in pampering and wellness treatments, or simply strolling through the stunning and serene setting, it is easy to see why Anya Resort has landed a spot on the sought-after list of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. It is even easier to see how the resort lives up to the Sanskrit meaning of its name: limitless. At Anya, you get a feel for that flow; you come into an awareness of how large and limitless life can be. And it doesn’t hurt that this realization comes in the blissful lap of luxury. Even if only for a day, or three.
Mobirise.com
