The Farm At San Benito — Hotel in Lipa

My stay at the farm was a mix of many things, GOOD, BAD and VERY BAD. Will I go back or recommend it to my friends, NO. As my friend puts it, it's a 3-star hotel experience priced at a 5-star standard.

•we were required to undergo antigen testing and we paid for it @1,500/pax. What I can't process is that they require their incoming guests to undergo this procedure but do they require their staff everyday to also undergo the same? Do they require all delivery staff entering the premises to also undergo antigen test? Nope I don't think so as it will cost them a fortune. So the question is if we pass the antigen test and we were admitted, what protection do we have from everyone else whom they allow entry to the farm without undergoing the antigen test everyday? Point #2, the specimen collection was not done properly as they simply stabbed the tip of our nostrils which is not the correct way. So my point is if they can't do it correctly and they cannot implement this to all people going inside the farm, just stop it as it gives me the wrong impression that they're simply making good money out of this unnecessary procedure. This first experience as we were about to enter the farm was - BAD. • The security guards were attentive and helpful - GOOD • Reception staff were - OK • Valet parking staff - GOOD. • We were offered a drink and the staff explained that it's made of coconut water and 6 churva-churva terms, fine, so I simply took a sip and it simply taste like coconut water with overdiluted ice LOL! Sorry they over packaged the drink and it tasted ordinary and - BAD

• The room was OK, everything we needed was there. The only turn off moment at the room was the bed as they used 2 family size bed to make a queen size bed, so you can imagine the space between the two beds given the separate wooden bed frames.

• it was a rainy night, the pebbled walkway were very slippery so we simply opted to order room service. Money is not an issue (I have dined in far more expensive restaurants and never complained as my value for money on the food I paid for was darn worth it). So we had: ▪︎grilled grouper - OK ▪︎shrimp fried rice - BAD, too oily ▪︎a bottle of red wine - VERY BAD as they delivered it like a champagne, chilled in an ice bucket, LOL ▪︎Creme Brulee darn... VERY BAD as it looks and taste like a pudding and I dont know why they put a dragon a fruit siding... LOL!! ▪︎we ordered cappuccino and it was hot and GOOD. We weren't charged of any delivery fee for this room service.

The night was quiet and peaceful, it was GOOD. This was the only reason why my friend wanted to stay in the Farm.

Morning... we ordered 2 cappuccinos, we were informed that there will be a delivery fee. I don't want to argue over an X amount early I the morning so I just said, sure just get me the coffee please. The cappuccino was delivered and it was dead cold!! LOL. I called the resto and told them that the cappuccino was dead cold and they said that the travelling time made it that way. It was early in the morning and I politely told them then please get me the guy who was able to bring us the hot and good cappuccino that we had last night and who didn't ask us for any delivery fee. To make amends for the poor excuse, the resto offered to replace the dead cold cappuccinos and offered to bring us an ala carte breakfast in the room. I took the offer and the coffee was replaced with hot ones (see!) and breakfast was likewise brought in.

As we were checking out, we learned that we are being charged 950 pesos delivery fee for the ala carte breakfast they offered to make amends to their shortcoming about the coffee LOL. My friend stepped in and pointed out the many things we never wanted to discuss nor make an issue. In the end they took out the delivery fee BUT the thing is, damage has already been done and it won't matter anymore.

Overall the food here is priced too much considering the quality. I don't mind paying for more only if the food...

• Peanuts and Tree Nuts Allergy Alert * Visited for inquiry on 1/1/2019. They were really nice and welcoming. Booking: My wife called them on the 2nd for reservation on the 3rd and we got the anahaw villa.

Arrival: On 1/3, we arrived @1:30 there was a guy who helped us on our luggage 🧳. My wife was waiting for someone to help us checked in and we arrived with another family, unfortunately the receptionist tried to help them out first even though we arrived first. The foreign family’s dad that they were second and my wife was waiting first. It was unfortunate that the staff treat Filipinos as 2nd class citizens on our own country. We waited until 2:30 to get our room ready. During the hour of waiting I was observing the staff how they handle the other guests. There was a couple that just arrived and they got a welcome drink and a face towel right away. The other family that arrived at the same time with us also did not get the same treatment as the couple that just arrived. Upon waiting, one of the staff offered a drink and apologized for the long wait and explained that they were 100% capacity from the day before.

Facilities/Room: The room is very nice, it looks clean and very well prepared. The bathroom though was a bit dated, no bathtub, there were some stains on the ceiling indicative of how much it aged. There were some nice set of bath soaps. We went to south pool for a swim, the water is not warmed but not too cold. They have one shower head next to the pool so expect some waiting if you are going to use it when there was a lot of folks.

Dinner: I know the brochure mentioned it’s all vegan food but the menu does not show all the ingredients. My son had peanut and tree nut allergies so we have to ask every food they serve if those have nuts. My son did not enjoy the food but that is fine by us until we ordered dessert which mentioned chocolate ice cream. So we did, I tasted it first and it was delicious. Little did we know it has nuts and my son had an immediate reaction on his tongue and had a hives around his eyes. They offered right away to go to their medical facility and looked at my son who was crying in pain. I think the medical staff did all they can and I was grateful for how they treated my son. I was very disappointed at the restaurant! The menu needs updating about how much nuts they have on their entree. The staff needs training too about notifying about the presence of nuts since during check in, the receptionist asked about nut allergies and they noted that upon registering all the guests.

That is why I give it 1⭐️, all other things are good but they need to be consistent on how they treat arriving guests ( I read other reviews and they had the same experience). They need to make sure all the details on the menu and even their soaps since nut allergies are really dangerous and can be fatal to someone.

Update 1/4/19: Breakfast; we still went with my other son to have breakfast at Alive restaurant. Food were mostly pandesal, puto, some kind of granola cereal, salad and fruits. The mango is so delightful. I also asked for a tray for me to grab some food for my wife to bring her food to our room since we planned to leave early. Upon check out, they were very apologetic about the situation we had on the restaurant the other night. They also waived the entire bill for our dinner. All in all, the place is nice for a night stay for a family with small kids. You can bring your own food/snack if you are not vegan. I just really hope they will up their game about nuts and...

Its rare that I give 5 stars but this place deserves every single star. We are from the US and live an extremely healthy and fit life. We have been living consistently this lifestyle with proven results for the past 20 years. The last place I was expecting to find a TRUE WHOLISTIC PLACE FOR HEALTH would be in the Philippines. This is a country not known for it. I was hesitant at first because of the possibility of gimmicks and I was ready to call them out one by one but to my surprise and to find a place that meets our standards for wholistic health from nutrition, grounding, activities, mission, environment etc. What sets this place apart just like every business that truly deserves a 5 star is their service. The people that run this place both front and back are the true superstars that deserve most of the credit. After talking to a lot of them, its good to know that the owners of this place take care of them very well. That for me is a recipe for success. I need to give a few people a special mention because I felt they went above and beyond and created a personal connection. Arnel the manager from Alive is top of my list. He really took care of us like we were family and made our stay extra special. Christy the Asst Mgr also indulged us with our picky food preparations. I think most people go to Pesce for breakfast because of the buffet. If you have a REAL HEALTHY diet there are not a lot of option in Pesce, its your typical breakfast. I regret wasting 3 days in PESCE because in Alive I was able to customize my meals and even dictate the ingredients. Fresh coconut milk, coconut water, freshly made bread, freshly cut fruit, Sugar free yogurt etc etc. This became our favorite place. Arnel and Christy run it very well. Other people worth mentioning are Alex (new F&B manager), MOmmy Les, Mika from front desk. ||This place was envisioned and created by someone who truly understands health and healing from them environment itself, the products used, food, activities... It really was advanced for its time back when they started this decades ago. 90% of what gets served on the menu are harvested from the property - a true farm to table experience. Nature is the most powerful healer because it targets the root cause unlike western medicine that is owned and co-opted by corporations who creates bandaids because money is made when illnesses continue. ||Originally we booked for 3 night but had to extend for a week. We first stayed in Palmera 6 villa, it was nice and quiet. We then moved to Banaba 50 which is one of the midrise structures, I find this room noisy as you can hear people in the hallways, no balcony and cannot open windows so you cant have fresh air. The remaining nights were on Palmera Glass 1. This was the most expensive but it was beautiful. I find the lighting too dark in the room and you can hear the noise from the employees since it is close to a spot where they hang out. ||The rooms are not cheap, the treatments are even more expensive, the food depending on where you eat is pretty decent unless you eat at the french restaurant which will run you 5000 PHP at a minimum without wine. ||This is a place where you can truly harness the power of nature to work for your mind, body and spirit. We are already planning our...