Crosswinds Tagaytay: Your Swiss Escape

For most people who live a busy life in Manila, Tagaytay has been their preferred escape and weekend destination since it is just two hours away from the metro. As workers who frequently travel from Mindoro to Manila, we also visit Tagaytay as side trip. Well, actually, going to Crosswinds and having a coffee break in one of its cafes is enough for us to complete our Tagaytay trips. 

The theme of Crosswinds, together with its   lush hill landscape and crisp Tagaytay air, is exactly the ambiance our hearts crave. We have the eyes of a millennial and this  kind of architecture is something that makes these eyes full and satisfied. We are so in love with how their restaurants were designed. There are a number of them in Crosswinds and amazingly, each delivers different kind of grandeur. 

But even though Crosswinds is a familiar place for us, we are limited to only one part of the compound because it is still a real estate property exclusive for home owners. We are always curious on what’s beyond the boundary. So when we learned about Crosswinds Resort Suite, a hotel where we can check in the property, we were so excited because finally, we can pass through the guard house! We can explore our favorite spot in Tagaytay further and we can call it our home even for one night only.

At Crosswinds Resorts Suite, your Tagaytay stay will surely be elevated because, aside from the cool breeze the city usually offers, the place will grant you a relaxing scenery and fantastic aroma of pine trees, which are imported directly from New Zealand. Plus, the hotel location is far from the crowd, ensuring a serene atmosphere.

There’s no denying that the façade of the hotel and of every house in Crosswinds are well-planned and magnificently designed. With the view of pine trees and mountain landscapes, it feels like we were touring a community in Switzerland. I just hope that there are parking slots available for the guests because there are cars parked along the streets, obstructing the views.

Going inside, the One Bedroom Deluxe Suite looks like a second-hand condominium unit furnished with old furniture. The fixtures inside are either stained or rusted. With its interiors, I’m honestly not feeling the hotel vibe. The advantage though is the fact that it is completely equipped with appliances and stuff such as gas stove with oven, kitchen sink, electric kettle and microwave.

They say that the room is good for three but our third person just slept on sofa. But my mother and I slept comfortably on the soft queen-sized bed with quality sheets and comforter. There are a number of outlets but they are positioned in places where there are no tables and chairs. There’s WiFi but the speed isn’t that high. Thankfully, there are complementary toiletries in the shower room.

Hotel guests also has free access to the subdivisions’s outdoor pool. I’m quite confused because its design doesn’t look like it belongs to a village with Swiss architecture. They definitely didn’t bother having an infinity pool instead. I understand that it isn’t supposed to be an attraction. It’s just an amenity for the home owners. We never planned on swimming because of the cold weather.

Guests can get their breakfast and choose among their three restaurants – Ruined Project?, Windmill Lausanne and Napa at Crosswinds. Since we already tried the first two, we chose to dine at the latter. As its name says, Napa at Crosswinds got its inspiration from the rustic houses of Napa Valley, a premier wine region. So obviously, Napa at Crosswinds specializes in wine and cheese.

Ruined Project? is the flagship store of the famous cafe chain, Coffee Project. We all know that every Coffee Project branch stands to their tagline as an Instagram-worthy cafe. But their most aesthetic store is right here at Crosswinds. Being an epitome of the phrase “perfectly imperfect”, the rustic and nature-themed cafe is designed as if it’s a ruined structure.

On the other hand, It’s like holiday all year at Windmill Lausanne. Imagine having a cup of coffee at a Christmas-colored barn with a striking windmill. Of course, it’s a dream relaxation and Windmill Lausanne made it possible! When it comes to place and food, this is my personal favorite cafe in Crosswinds. I am biased to European restaurants and Windmill Lausanne just nailed the cuisine.

Cafe Yuma, a Japanese restaurant, is the latest restaurant built in Crosswinds. Then, Dear Joe, another coffee shop, will soon rise. It’s true that the restaurants at Crosswinds don’t just provide great food, but also, Instagram-worthy backdrop for photos. We won’t keep on coming back if we don’t agree. However, other than hotel, pool area and playground, the village is more of restaurants.

Thus, for me, Crosswinds still lacks necessary establishments, like convenience stores and pharmacy, and activity parks, like trails and sports courts, to be called a community. After all, the land is so huge that it needs more ammenities and the location is far from Tagaytay town proper. But for sure, Crosswinds will get there.