Seda Nuvali — Hotel in Santa Rosa

We have fond memories at Seda, and it was nice to be reminded why. Everything about stay was wonderful.

First off, the location. It’s right beside Nuvali so you can walk to several restaurants or go to the lake to ride a boat or feed the koi. We got caught in the rain a few times, but Seda was there to rescue. They have a free car service that can drop you off (or pick you up) in any of the nearby areas. What’s great is that they don’t have a specific schedule for it, just call them anytime. No need to wait. And did I mention it’s FREE?

For the hotel itself, it’s a beautiful well-maintained (and new for the other building) hotel. We absolutely loved that they had both soft and firm pillows. Almost all hotels would have either one, most having the very soft ones that offer zero support for your neck. So, it was a wonderful idea that they had options for guests. The view from our room was also beautiful. The view of the lake with the mountain backdrop was quite relaxing. Our room was in the new building and one thing we could remember from our previous stays was that the rooms in the old building had thin walls. You can hear what’s happening in the other room . We had that concern this time around since our room was right beside the elevator, but I am happy to report that our stay was peaceful and quiet.

The new building also had direct access to the pool, children’s playroom, and the game room which used to be behind the restaurant near the old building. For the pool, it’s the same pool as before. It’s quite a big pool with a couple of areas for children. The pool was quite cold during our stay, so we weren’t able to use it much (heated pool maybe?). The game room had a bit of an upgrade from the old location. They have more computers now and they have an Xbox and a PS5. They also have a foosball and an air hockey table. I could imagine that would be a great place to hangout with your friends. The children’s play area was a little small which not quite sure why since they have family rooms. It’s made worse with the unused space with large empty cabinets crowding one wall with large playthings like the slides, ball pit, and circular couch blocking off the room. Kids have practically no space to run around and play. The variety of toys and activities are also a bit lacking. If there’s something that could be improved, one would be the game room and play area. There really wasn’t any design and intention to the space. It’s like they threw in things that they thought kids would like and called it a day. Compare that with Timberland, for example, which has a big play area for kids where they can run around and be active with. There’s a general theme of active spaces and outdoor so they have a mini wall-climbing area and a set of tents and pretend campfire. The restrooms are inside the play area and are kid sized. Everything in the space was very intentional. The Seda play area and game room are not bad, but could be improved.

The other thing that could be improved is the food. Not to say the food is bad, the food is actually quite delicious (at least some are) but they’re not excellent. Again, I’m not saying it’s bad, but I wish it was better. The lunch buffet for example had very little variety of food which we felt wasn’t quite worth it. The breakfast was ok, and we liked that they had Filipino breakfast items like dilis and danggit. Haven’t had that for a while so that made us quite happy. The servers at Misto were also quite attentive. They were quick to offer coffee and refill our water without prompting.

Speaking of service, this is probably where they hit the ball out of the park. From the moment you enter the door, you feel well treated. The doormen were kind and polite, the front desk staff were very helpful and accommodating, the drivers who ferried us around the area, and everybody we encountered were absolutely wonderful.

I know I mentioned some things that can be improved but even if they didn’t improve and stayed the same, we’d still love to go back and stay here. And we...

We got married in Montecito, Nuvali last December 2016 and had Seda Nuvali as our wedding preparation hotel. There's a lot of nice wedding and reception places in Laguna, Cavite, Tagaytay areas but the problem is the lack of very nice and big hotels in the area for wedding preps.

My wedding planner initially discouraged us from having our wedding preparations in Seda for the lack of Presidential or Bridal suites that would fit the whole wedding suppliers and entourage. We scouted the area and our closest option was an AirBnb rental. We ended booking 6 rooms with 2 Premiere Rooms at Seda. I scouted and will have to agree that this is the BEST hotel in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

My "bridal suite" was a Premiere Room with an adjacent Deluxe Room with Twin Beds. The Premiere Room was where we had the photographs while the Deluxe Room is where we had the make-ups and all the preparations. It got pretty crowded but everything went well. We also advised the hotel that we will use the rooms for wedding preparations so there were no issues or questions when our suppliers (photo, video, make-up, flowers, planners, etc) all came up to the rooms.

They are charging additional moolah if you want to use the hotel grounds and interior for photography. This will be waived if you book 10 rooms or more. Ours was waived because of the number of stays and rooms that we booked together with some of our guests and entourage.

The lobby and rooms are nice, modern, and well-kept. They also have an ample parking space and a huge ground compared to other Seda Hotels I've been. The swimming pool is also nice and is good for photos.

Their business center is also very efficient. I asked them to print something for me (my vows!) and they just asked to e-mail it to them and they printed and delivered it to my room after a few minutes.

The breakfast has a wide selection but I must say that I like the taste of the breakfast food of their Misto Branch in Cagayan de Oro.

Seda is a business hotel that caters to the many offices and headquarters in Laguna Technopark. But since the Sta. Rosa-Laguna-Cavite-Tagaytay area is fast becoming a popular spot for weddings - I suggest that they convert some of the rooms into bigger bridal suites. We saw 3 brides when we were checking-out the day after our wedding.

I still recommend it as a wedding preparation hotel. It's the best in that area. Just get adjacent rooms like what we did. The hotel is just less than 10 minutes away from St. Benedict's Church and 2 minutes from Monochrome.

Room Tip: Book the room with the...

This is a gross hotel chain. I chose it bc it is the best available hotel. Hotels in PH are usually bad quality. This one is no exception.

Upon check-in, I was pleasantly surprised to see an iPad where I could sign hotel documents. Shortly after, the staff brought out paper and cut it with scissors from me to sign. Primitive. I paid online with my credit card, which is digitally stored on my computer. However, the staff did not understand this concept and asked for my physical card. He also asked if I used someone else's card, which was unpleasant.

The rooms are poorly designed and not stylish. The curtains do not black out the windows, so there is bright light in the room starting at sunrise. The bathrooms have a pale white light that feels like a storeroom.

The showers were lukewarm. If the AC is on you will be cold during your shower. This is common at Seda hotels as it was the same in Bacolod Seda . There is a very strong smell of fragrance throughout the hotel, which is overpowering and irritating to the lungs. I assume it covers up any odors of plumbing mold or AC malfunction, which is common in PH hotels. When you inhale this concoction of oils and chemicals, it is similar to vaping. You are inhaling solvents and artificial substances.

The breakfast is sub-standard. All dishes were served cold or room temperature, which is a health hazard. My made to order omlette arrived raw. Food should be maintained at a certain temperature to avoid spoilage and bacterial growth, and it tastes better warm. Of course, I got used to eating cold food as it's a standard here, especially in province carinderias. But this is supposed to be a business hotel. Obviously, they have lower standards than most developed countries, so they think they are doing a great job. I think it's gross . The latte was served hot and was good, although I had to flag someone down to order it. A million people are standing around, and there is no attention to detail or management oversight.

Update: on day two the food was served cold again. I brought this to the attention of the staff who said they did not know the burners were not working.

There is a reason Vietnam and Thailand passed up PH as tourist destinations. Even in the most modern establishments in ph like this one, you still encounter frustrations and incompetence not encountered in a budget motel in the west.

On the plus side, all staff are pleasant and respectful. This makes up for their incompetence...