During my last year’s tour to the North, when our guide told me that our hotel in Vigan was “One Vittoria,” I had this quizzical and somewhat disparaging look because, in my mind, I was asking, “What and where on earth is that?” I have never heard of the hotel before and was worried about how the guest rooms would be, its facilities and its quality of service.
Well, that trip revealed to me a tourism “gem” that should be enjoyed by anyone seeking classy and prestigious accommodations in the historic capital of Ilocos Sur. Although officially not within the city limits of this Heritage City, One Vittoria is a 7-storey boutique hotel in the quaint, Hispanic town of Bantay, just adjacent to Vigan. Strategically located along the National Highway, the hotel is only five minutes away from Vigan’s downtown area and, as such, may be considered as one of the city’s hotels.
As I walked through One Vittoria’s main entrance, I immediately knew I was going to enjoy my stay. It right away struck me as a very avant-garde, very chic hotel. The first thing I noticed was a pair of Kenneth Cobonpue’s signature flower chairs that are positioned in front of the Reception Desk. Then, farther to the right of the desk, the lobby’s lounging area is also filled with Cobonpue’s classic rattan furniture. And, I saw several of those graceful brass figures that sculptor Daniel de la Cruz is known for. In a matter of minutes, I was already convinced that, gauging from the hotel owner’s classy taste, I would be pleased with the rest of the hotel facilities and its services.
My spacious suite had big picture windows offering a colorful view of the rest of the city’s downtown area. It had the usual accoutrements of deluxe hotels – plush pillows, 32-inch flat screen high definition TV, strong Wi-Fi (even in the other parts of the hotel), coffee and tea-making facilities, Lionel & Firma lighting fixtures, and my favorite VIVE bath essentials, among other things.
At the ground floor is The Commissary, a full service restaurant which offers buffet breakfast daily, included in the room rate, and a la carte items of the best Filipino and Ilocano delicacies. Every meal I had at this restaurant was a feast… and they say Ilocanos are stingy? Not on their food!
The staff at the hotel are such a joy to deal with because they make you feel that they really are there to serve you! One time, I called the Front Desk for information. I got all the details pertinent to my query without my having to ask additional questions. The lady was very proactive and delivered the information in a gracious and service-oriented manner. It was like googling something, but getting volumes of information in a personalized and courteous manner.
I called up Housekeeping one evening to check if they had a very big plastic bag which I could use as protective cover for a big box of souvenirs I bought during the trip. They said they didn’t have any, so I left it at that. An hour later, they surprised me with a big piece of plastic made up of smaller cutout plastic bags taped together. You can imagine how pleased I was with their sincere desire to give me what I needed.
If the hotel is worth writing about, more so its owner, Marsha Navarro Chua, who comes from Irosin, Sorsogon, one of the country’s very poor areas. Many years ago, she ventured far away from that southern part of Luzon to look for a brighter future, and ended way up north in Bantay, Ilocos Sur. She started baking bibingka (rice cakes) for family and friends who would order it during special occasions. The baked delicacy soon became a favorite of many, including the mayor of the town who would order tons of it to serve to guests. With such success, Marsha was able to put up a small store. Her special bibingka recipe, which to this day she keeps secret and is known only to her husband and their daughter, has made it possible for Marsha’s baking business to grow by leaps and bounds.
Fast forward to today. From her earnings, Marsha now has One Vittoria Hotel, named after her mother Victoria, and built right next to her palatial residence which has a big annex where her employees live. She made it a point to hire people from her hometown of Irosin, to help uplift their economic status… a shining example of what corporate social responsibility should be! What was once a small store is now Marsha’s Delicacies, a big showroom-cum-distribution center-cum store at the front of her house. It is the favorite stopover of every Vigan visitor before returning to Manila, for their pasalubong of Royal Bibingka, Bibingka Supreme, cassava cake, pudding and many other “sweet temptations.”
My discovery of One Vittoria Hotel was certainly a pleasant and most enjoyable experience. It made my first visit to Vigan even more memorable. The hotel’s brochure says, “One Vittoria Hotel…A Destination…An Inspired Setting…A Unique Experience.” I can honestly say it’s all that and many more.
With this piece, I hope that the hotel’s existence will no longer be a secret to many people because its facilities and service are something that should be experienced by those who go for the finer things in life. But, if you’re out to copy the recipe for Marsha’s bibingka, perish the thought. It will always be Vigan’s well-guarded secret!
YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE:
On their honeymoon night, the husband isn’t sure how to tell his bride about his stinky feet and smelly socks, and the wife is also wondering how to break the news to him about her awful breath, which so far, she’s been able to cover up. After some soul-searching, the husband gathers his nerve and says, “I have a confession.” The wife draws closer, peers into his eyes, and says, “Darling, so do I.” Recoiling, the husband says, “Don’t tell me! You’ve eaten my socks.”
