Club Balai Isabel is a beautiful lakeside property that treats its guests to a breathtaking view of Taal Lake.
Club Balai Isabel is a beautiful lakeside resort that commands a
stunning view of Taal Lake. It's the perfect weekend getaway for you and your family if you want to enjoy soothing views and quiet surroundings.
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| View of Taal Lake |
Club Balai Isabel: An Unforgettable Family-Friendly Lakeside Resort
Our experience at Club Balai Isabel
We went to Club Balai Isabel for our annual team outing. The resort looked nice and well-maintained. It had several gardens with abundant plants, which gave out an even more relaxing vibe.
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| Our family photo |
Overall, Club Balai Isabel looks every bit like a romantic weekend villa. Just by standing on the veranda of one of the resort’s airy suites, one may conjure dreamy memories of amorous strolls with a loved one just by looking at the calm waters below.
Club Balai Isabel’s allure is enough to soothe one’s mind from the chaos and muddle of the big city. Despite this, Club Balai Isabel is not without fault though. But more about that later on.
How to go to Club Balai Isabel
Located in Talisay, Batangas, Club Balai Isabel is just a few hours from Manila depending on the traffic.
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| Mt. Binintiang Malaki |
We took the Tagaytay route to go to the resort. From South Luzon Expressway,
travelers have the option to take either the Sta. Rosa or the Eton Exit to go to Tagaytay. We took the Eton Exit then followed the main road leading to
Tagaytay.
When you enter Tagaytay, you will arrive at an intersection. As a point of
reference, when you face Taal Lake, the left road goes in the direction of
Tagaytay Highlands while the right one will bring you to the Mahogany Market.
Take the left road then continue driving until you see a road called Ligaya
Drive.
Carefully drive through the winding and steep Ligaya Drive all the way to
Talisay in Batangas. At the end of Ligaya Drive, you will arrive at an intersection. Turn left then continue driving until you pass a bridge. Around
200 meters from the bridge, you will see Club Balai Isabel which is on the right side of the road.
If you are taking Sta. Rosa exit, follow the main road leading to Tagaytay until you arrive at the intersection. Take the left road then continue driving to Ligaya Drive.
Our room in Club Balai Isabel
We were a big group since this was a team summer outing, so we booked the top
suites of Balai Laurel, including the attic.
The rooms were spacious, and clean, and looked attractively antique. It had a private veranda that offered a gorgeous view of Taal Lake.
The suites with attic are also perfect for large families. This is on the third floor of Balai Laurel so be ready to work out your legs when you take
the stairs.
The beddings are clean as well as the restroom. Standard bath amenities and toiletries are included in the bathroom. There is a television in the living room area but none in the rooms.
Guests may bring their own food; there is a refrigerator as well as stoves
fitted in the suites.
Things to do at Club Balai Isabel
One of the big adjustments of having an infant is that you would be unable to do the things that you used to do.
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| View from the lake |
We brought Miguel with us in
Club Balai Isabel so, as expected, he was the boss; our days revolved around making sure he was comfortable.
There were three swimming pools inside Club Balai Isabel but we were not able to take a dip in any of them. To explore the property, we took a brief stroll early the next day to avoid the crowd and the heat of the sun, but that was just it.
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| The swimming pool |
For those who are interested, Club Balai Isabel offers a host of outdoor
adventures like kayaking, boating, jet skiing, ball games, billiards, darts, hiking
at Taal Volcano, and activities related to wellness care of Neola Modern Thai Spa.
What's more, there is a beautiful chapel called The Spousal of Mary and Joseph Chapel inside Club Balai Isabel. It's popular for weddings as well as the renewal of vows of couples.
Lastly, Club Balai Isabel accepts prenuptial shoot location bookings and
wedding receptions.
Dining at Terraza Cafe
Our meals were served at Terraza Café and Restaurant, Club Balai Isabel’s
signature dining outlet. Honestly, food is one facet that Club Balai Isabel
needs to improve on.
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| Terraza Cafe |
When we arrived, we .purchased a buffet lunch (priced at
P500 per head) because the cost difference, if we bought a la carte meals, was minimal. However, we were disappointed because the restaurant rarely
refilled the fresh spring rolls as well as the other food items.
We were not really expecting the food to be grand, in fact, some of the dishes served that day were close to bland (like the grilled liempo). But at least they could have created the impression that they are giving guests their money’s worth by serving all the food that they promised to offer.
When we asked a waiter why some serving containers were never refilled, he
said that they were not expecting the volume of guests that day to be huge.
Not a good excuse for those in the hospitality industry and more so for a
resort whose developers espouse creating lasting relationships and Filipino
hospitality.
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| The food at the lunch buffet |
We were hoping breakfast would be a different scenario but, alas, it was the
same. It was a good thing we arrived early and got food ahead of the crowd that
was why we were able to eat well.
A case in point is the omelet station. By the
time people started lining up, the cook on duty said that the stove was broken
which was why he was having a hard time refilling the scrambled eggs station.
They resorted to taking orders from the guests and delivering the eggs one by one to the tables. By the time the servers delivered the orders, some guests were already done eating. The brewed coffee was also never refilled,
at least for the whole duration that we were at the restaurant.
Anyway, this is not to discourage guests from going to Club Balai Isabel. This
is a call for the resort managers to improve the way they handle food
service.
Our verdict
All in all, I still believe Club Balai Isabel holds a lot of promise as the next big thing down south because it’s an idyllic destination with a dramatic
lakeside vista. We enjoyed our stay even if we were not able to use all the facilities. In the end, what matters is that we all had a great time.
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Club Balai sounds like a great place to stay! I like all the plants that seem to surround everything making it feel so natural. And the lake views are so pretty!
ReplyDeleteWhat a stunning place! I would love to vacation somewhere like this soon.
ReplyDeleteHow pretty. Looks like the perfect spot for a getaway!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, what a lovely resort. I miss seeing palm trees! I live near London in England and haven't travelled abroad in 12 years.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame about the food not being refilled. You would expect good amounts of food when paying for a buffet.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly does look like a beautiful destination! I wish I could be there now...the view is truly stunning.
ReplyDeleteThis is just beyond lovely! The most majestic views and a recipe for total relaxation.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame you couldn't use all of the facilities but it still looks and sounds like a nice stay x
ReplyDeleteGenerally, a buffet-style meal indicates self-service dining at a fixed prices and as much foods as a dinner wants.
ReplyDeleteClub Balai Isabel looks fun! I’d like to visit myself one day.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely sounds like there is plenty of promise there but it is a shame the food service wasn't up to scratch and hopefully that is something they can work on.
ReplyDeleteSounds like this place is in a great location. It is nice to check out different sights and foods.
ReplyDeleteWe always wanted to go here. Hopefully this pandemic will end soon to visit Balai Isabel!
ReplyDeleteThis resort looks stunning! And the Club Balai Isabel seems to offer something for everyone. And what part of the world is this located in? Thank you!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a great time with your family!
ReplyDeleteWhat a vacay! You all looked like you had a beautiful family vacation here
ReplyDeleteThe lake looks beautiful wou,d love to vacation there. So many good things to do.
ReplyDeleteThe lake looks beautiful wou,d love to vacation there. So many good things to do.
ReplyDelete