Holiday Inn & Suites Batangas Limapark by IHG — Hotel in Malvar

Ah, Holiday Inn. The name alone conjures images of sensible shoes, continental breakfasts, and the very real possibility of spotting a lone businessman eating scrambled eggs while aggressively typing on a Dell. And yet, here I am, proclaiming — without fear of contradiction or fainting spells— that this particular Holiday Inn has cemented its rightful place in my sacred scroll of Favourite Hotels Ever. Yes, capitalized, embroidered on Egyptian cotton, and sealed with the kind of reverence usually reserved for holy relics and first-edition cookbooks.||||You see, Holiday Inn, in its quiet little tri-level kingdom (yes, three floors — like a well-edited novel, no unnecessary filler), understands something that so many establishments with double-barrelled French names and $900-a-night rooms have tragically forgotten: comfort isn’t about excess, it’s about efficiency, consistency, and the kind of hospitality that makes you want to hug the lobby carpet.||||Let’s begin at the beginning, which is how all good things should start — unless you’re eating a green tease donut, in which case I suggest a sideways approach. Upon arrival, the staff greeted me with a warmth so sincere I nearly confessed sins I hadn’t committed. They are not just friendly; they are the kind of helpful that makes you question if they’ve read your diary. At one point during a power interruption (more on that later, darling), the supervisor herself — the SUPERVISOR — hoisted my suitcase like a feather, smiled like a saint, and escorted me to my newly upgraded suite with the quiet dignity of a concierge in a Wes Anderson film. I was not worthy of this grace from the Lord, but I accepted it nonetheless.||||Now, about the brownouts. Yes, they happen. And yes, the hotel has generators so prompt and efficient, I suspect they’re operated by a team of caffeinated elves. One moment you’re brushing your teeth, the next, the lights flicker briefly as if to say, “Hello, we’re doing our best,” and before your toothpaste even has time to foam suspiciously, you’re back in full wattage glory. It’s seamless. It’s painless. And if all power interruptions ended with me being upgraded to a suite, then I say: cut the grid.||||The suite itself? A dream. A soft-spoken, elegantly understated, microwave-equipped dream. There I was, standing in a room so capacious I briefly considered subletting it. A smart TV large enough to double as a conference screen if one had corporate ambitions. A dining table fit for a knightly council. Bar stools that whispered, “Take your breakfast here and feel important.” And the microwave. Oh, the microwave. No sad hotel room kettle ramen here, thank you. I heated things. I re-heated things. I made popcorn and contemplated poetry. It was transcendent.||||And the bed? Like sleeping on a memory-foam cloud that paid its taxes on time and always answered your texts. Pillows that didn’t just support my neck, they believed in it. Sheets that smelled faintly of good decisions. I woke up refreshed, reborn, and ready to conquer the breakfast buffet, which brings us neatly to —||||— The Buffet. Modest in size, yes. But like a well-cast ensemble, it knew its strengths and played to them. I have never met a smaller spread that delivered such bold, confident deliciousness. The eggs were cooked just the way eggs ought to be: fluffy but not fragile, with just a hint of existential purpose. The bacon? Crisp but not self-important. The rice was warm, fragrant, and optimistic. Local dishes rotated in and out like graceful dancers on a culinary stage. Everything tasted intentional. Thoughtful. Almost... philosophical.||||Now, yes, the walls. The walls are thin. This is not a hotel where you scream at your Zoom meeting, unless you want your neighbours to know the quarterly sales forecast. But here’s the thing: it rarely matters. The hotel is so deliciously underpopulated at times, it feels like your own personal estate. I’ve had noisier evenings in meditation retreats. The quiet is not just in the acoustics, it’s in the ambiance, the surrounding area, the temperament of the place. It is located in a part of the world that seems to have collectively agreed not to be chaotic. It’s like staying in the introvert wing of civilization.||||The pool? Oh, the pool. Sparkling, serene, and blessedly devoid of shrieking cannonballers. You can actually swim, float, or perform low-grade synchronized routines without interruption. And when you emerge, dripping with grace and chlorine, you can make your way to the gym which, while not sprawling, contains all the essential machinery necessary to mimic effort and burn exactly one-third of a croissant. Treadmills that work. Weights that don’t judge. Air conditioning that whispers sweet nothings as you squat. It’s compact, but it’s yours. And it has everything you need to not feel guilty about the buffet’s third plate.||||The ambiance of the hotel, in general, is something I would describe as “quiet luxury disguised as business casual.” There’s an unspoken humility to its design, a charming lack of pretense. The hallways are not lined with abstract art that makes you question your grasp on reality. The lighting is flattering but not so dim that you mistake your shampoo for conditioner (although, honestly, I’ve lived that shampoo-only life and my hair has forgiven me). The scent? Clean. Not aggressively botanical. Just... clean. The kind of clean that suggests sheets were changed by someone with deep personal pride in linen care.||||Every interaction with the staff was another thread in the exquisite tapestry of service. They don’t hover, but they’re always there. They don’t perform, but they deliver. There was a moment when I needed extra towels, and I barely finished dialing before a knock at my door brought forth a staff member with a stack so fluffy, I thought I’d accidentally ordered clouds.||||And I must mention — because my contract with truth insists— the general spirit of the place. Holiday Inn may not parade around with the glitz of a five-star monolith or the aspirational gloom of some art-hotel hybrid, but it has something rarer: soul. When you walk through its lobby, you feel safe. When you lay on its bed, you feel seen. When you eat its buffet rice, you feel understood. This is hospitality that doesn’t need a chandelier to shine.||||To be clear, it’s not perfect. But perfection is for museums and spreadsheets. What we want from our hotels is heart, functionality, and the quiet certainty that if the power goes out, someone will upgrade you and lug your suitcase like they were born for it.||||So yes, Holiday Inn. It is not merely a hotel. It is a quietly magnificent grace of hospitality. A three-story poem to service, simplicity, and scrambled eggs done right. I left with a full stomach, a well-rested spine, and a deep sense of satisfaction that only comes from staying somewhere that remembers the guest is a person, not a walking wallet in desperate need of spa coupons.||||I shall return if the Lord wills. With joy. With luggage. And with the microwave’s popcorn setting...

10/10||10/10 ARRIVAL EXPERIENCE. |We had our staycation here. Welcomed by accommodating front desks and their supervisor. And ofc the bellman. ||10/10 ATTENTION TO DETAIL.|I mentioned that this is for my hubby's birthday. They set up something for him which I really appreciated. My mistake is on my profile, I always request for high flr. But i forgot to remove it. I know the struxture of the hotel from photos so I really want to be at 1st flr. They set up our room on 2nd flr as request. But I opted to transfer to 1st flr. They also trnsfer the setup. I know How diffucult it would be specially when everything has been set up. But its an A+ for the effort.|I forgot the name of our bellman but he's so knowledgable. He's the one who drives us going to The Outlet at Lipa. Theres a Free Shuttle.||10/10 EXPERIENCE|This is our favorite hotel among all Holiday Inn & Suites in the Philippines. We are an hour away. The energy of the people. The environment, the atmosphre. I love everything here. Miss Mika at the Front Desk and their I think Manager on duty is very welcoming.||10/10 The Patio|Miss Kate from PLUM & The Patio is really accommodating. She's the best of all staff. |Had neat Bombay & Tanqueray and Disarono at the Patio. My parents tried Bulalo & plain rice. ||10/10 THE PLUM|Kids can eat FREE! We havent take our bfast yet since we are still on fasting, I am looking for a food for my daughter. 3yr old and very picky. Always rice & egg all the Time. I checked their menu and theres some Filipino Silog meals but too big for my daughter. Miss Kate mentioned that Kids can eat free. We are assited by I think the Supervisor or Manager of the PLUM. Thank you sir and Miss Kate for giving my daughter Plain rice and Egg and orange juice 🤗 Its a relieved for a mom that my kid have something to eat even its not in the Menu. This is what really touches me in this stay. You could have encourage me to buy the whole big meal, but I think you feel me how I really wanted to get somethjng for my child thats just really a small small portion. Thanks a lot 💕 I havent got a chance to thank you after because I have to rush to the pool as my little one runs already. But I truly appreciate you guys! Mwaa! 😘 my daughter didnt finish the food but she eats until she's full. My mommy heart is so happy & relieved. That's a 5 star service!||9/10 Pool|It should be 10 as well. But my daughter is too small for the pool. They have 3.5ft but my daughter prefers somethjng wherr she can stand or touch her foot. She's not so confident with pools that why 😆||10/10 ROOM|Since my daughter did not enjoy muxh the pool, she really loves the Bath Tub! She asked me a night before of theres a tub. I said, "I think there none or Im not sure."|When she saw the room, she scream "Mom I told u theres a bathtub" she so happpppy!! Room is good, knowing the building os 27yrs old.||Overall. We enjoy it. We are from Cavite. And this is our favorite Holiday Inn so far.||Thank you guys for making our staycation memorable. You really set standards. We'll come back this May 2025.||Miss Kate and Miss Mika thank you...

I don't usually leave comments, but I need to get this off my chest, so here it goes. I recently inquired about renting a venue facility at Lima Park Hotel, so I sent a letter asking about the rates. We waited days; days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months. The hotel was unresponsive until we received a reply from the sales department.

Adding to my disappointment, as we read the sales department's response, they asked me to understand the management's perspective, claiming they value customer time. This was not respectful, as genuine respect for customer time would entail prompt responses to inquiries and immediate attention to concerns. Still, they have yet to answer my inquiries about the venue's availability on specific dates and the amenities included in the rental or offer help with my concerns about the payment terms and venue availability.

Additionally, to further understand the level of customer service provided by the hotel, I asked my sister to visit and inquire in person. Unfortunately, she received the same cold treatment as I did over the mail. The staff promised to send a quotation, but we are still awaiting a response. Seeing that even an in-person visit did not improve customer service was disheartening.

I wonder if social status affected how we were treated. Did the staff assume we couldn't afford the venue or weren't worth their time? Such attitudes are unacceptable and go against the principles of good customer service. The hotel must ensure that all customers are treated with respect and dignity, regardless of their social status or perceived financial standing.

It is dissatisfying to think that the hotel and its stakeholders may have spent considerable money on advertising and promotional activities to attract customers. Yet, with all the invested resources, they failed to respond to any inquiries or concerns promptly. This goes against the fundamental principles of good customer service and can significantly impact the customers' perception of the business. This situation is perplexing and does not make sense to me.

Given our and my sister's experiences, I would not recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a venue facility or to stay as a guest. The lack of responsiveness and attention to customer needs is a significant issue that needs to be addressed. While the facility looked nice and seemed like an excellent venue for my event, the lack of attention to my needs was a considerable downside to...