A Taste of Ilocano Heritage Hospitality at Hotel Felicidad

I am not really an avid traveler. In fact, about 80% of my previous trips were work-related (ok, maybe 90%). This is because I am what folks in our place would call "namamahay", I don't sleep well in other places except home. Pickylittleme is picky in more ways than one. Ugh!

Hubby, meanwhile, is my complete opposite. He likes to travel, mainly to check out the architecture of a place and take lots of photos as he is also an avid photo hobbyist. When he was asked to make a site inspection in Tarlac late last week, he saw it as an opportunity to visit one place that he has long been wanting to go to: Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

So last Friday, the three of us along with our little furkid Poknat hied off to the North for a combined business-pleasure trip. We were accompanied by a few friends who had some business to check out in Ilocos, and we were glad for their company as we had never gone North by ourselves. Plus, it felt better to make a long trip in convoy in case something goes wrong with the car. We got to Tarlac by mid-morning, and was headed to Vigan by late afternoon, making a side trip to visit The Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag on the way.

We got to Vigan pretty late. After a quick meal at our companion's relative, we went off to look for a place to stay. We had no reservations since our trip was not really planned. The relative invited us to stay the night, but we declined as we had Poknat with us and we did not want to impose. Hubby went into Vigan Plaza Hotel to ask if they allow dogs, and someone there directed him to Hotel Felicidad, a newly-opened boutique hotel a few meters away. It was a very charming hotel, located just around the corner from the famous Calle Crisologo. The exterior and  interior are designed in accordance with Vigan's heritage theme, but without the spooky or eerie feeling that I sometimes get from old-looking buildings. The rooms are spacious and a combination of vintage furniture and modern amenities, making it a very relaxing place. Unfortunately, I was unable to get better photos of our room as it was already past midnight, so these will have to do.

The main entrance of Hotel Felicidad.

Front desk

The stairs leading to the second floor. We weren't to able to
check it out due to time constraints.

The hotel lobby

Foyer/Lounge area leading to the patio. This is where we passed through
when we arrived as the only parking slot was just outside the glass doors.

The covered patio where pets of guests are supposed to stay.
It's located beside where we parked.

Check in was a breeze, as the staff were very friendly and helpful, allowing us to park in the parking space beside the hotel's patio so we have easy access to our car. However, it was a single-car parking slot, so our companion had to park in the hotel's carpark which was located some distance away. We filled out the necessary paperwork and went to our respective rooms, happy to have gotten a place so soon that allowed our little Poknat to stay with us.

The standard room where we stayed.

Closet and vanity made of solid wood inside our room

View of our room from the door

A couple of minutes later, the front desk called to ask if Poknat was in the room with us, then politely informed me that he had to stay in the patio as dogs are not allowed inside the room. We were surprised as it was the first thing that hubby asked when he looked for accommodations, so he went out to talk to the staff. Turned out they misunderstood him when he asked if Poknat could stay with us. As we did not want Poknat staying by himself outside (even with one of the staff offering to check on him constantly), the front desk personnel called their Officer-in-Charge (OIC) so hubby can talk to her. Hubby explained that Poknat has always slept in our room and might cause a ruckus if he was separated from us. He then offered to pay for any damage or inconvenience that Poknat may cause while inside the room, at the same time assuring the OIC that our little dog is house-trained and had never caused damage even when he was a puppy. The OIC was very kind, and agreed to hubby's compromise. Finally! Rest for the weary!

Our happy little boss. We forgot to bring Poknat's bed, so he had
to make do with his doggie blanket :(

The little boss goofing around in the middle of the night. 

The next day, we had our breakfast at the patio so Poknat can join us. The standard room that we occupied comes with set breakfast for two and you can choose your set. Hubby had Vigan longganisa with fried egg, steamed rice, sliced tomatoes and cucumber on the side, and coffee. I had danggit with the same accompaniments, and ordered an extra breakfast set of pancakes with hotdog and orange juice for the little boss. The food was simple but very good, though I think it would have been better if they served the rice meals with garlic rice instead of plain rice. The front desk already asked us our preferred breakfast set when we checked in, and when hubby went out in the morning to walk Poknat, another staff asked him what time and where we wanted the breakfast to be served, so we did not wait long for our food. As the previous night, the staff that brought our food were very friendly and nice, checking if we got everything we need before leaving us to enjoy our breakfast. 

Enjoying a leisurely breakfast at the patio with my boys. Bliss!
Forgot to take photos of the food, though. 

We checked out early as we had quite a few places on our list and we didn't want to go back just to get our things. While checking out, the OIC, Mia Aguila, came in and immediately recognized hubby as the guy she talked to on the phone when she saw him holding Poknat at the lobby. She was indeed a very nice person, giving us tips on where to buy pasalubong and places to visit. She chatted with us while were were checking out and invited us to come back. Our thanks goes to her and the rest of the staff of Hotel Felicidad Vigan for their consideration and understanding of our situation with Poknat the previous night.

Our group during check out. The petite lady in the white blouse is Mia Aguila,
Hotel Felicidad's gracious OIC, while the lady beside her is the front desk
officer whose name I forgot to ask.

So will I recommend Hotel Felicidad? Most definitely! Very nice and spacious rooms, excellent service, very friendly and hospitable staff, and affordable rates. What more can you ask for? The place truly lives up to its motto of "Ilocano heritage hospitality at its best". This hotel is on the top of my list on our next trip to Ilocos.

You can find more information and photos on Hotel Felicidad thru their Facebook page: Hotel Felicidad Vigan

Note: This is not a sponsored post.