A spontaneous travel plan to Baguio led me to search for a place big enough for a family of 6 plus 1. Since we were a big group, I figured booking an Airbnb was the better option than a hotel. Whether you’re vacationing this Christmas holiday season or for a future trip to the City of Pines, consider this Baguio Airbnb recommendation.

About the Airbnb Listing

We rented an entire cabin when we were in Baguio. According to the Airbnb listing, it could accommodate 12 guests. It has 4 bedrooms; 5 beds and 4 baths. It’s a cabin by the woods located inside Camp John Hay. It’s also near Technohub, the commercial area with restaurants.

What to Love About this Baguio Airbnb Recommendation

When traveling, where I’ll be staying is very important for me especially when it’s for leisure. It ruins my mood and the trip when the place is a letdown. And in Baguio, I’ve had my fair share of those letdown places. But this accommodation isn’t one of them. In fact, I will say that this Baguio Airbnb was the best place I’ve stayed at by far the best out of them all.

Location

First of all, it’s in Camp John Hay, a top tourist attraction in Baguio. It is an easily accessible area when you want to go to the popular tourist destinations around Baguio. You can ride a jeep and ask to be dropped off at Camp John Hay. Though I’d recommend taking a cab when you’ve got all your stuff to lug around. It’s more convenient because then you’ll be dropped off at the gate of Scott Hill, which is where this Baguio Airbnb recommendation is at.

Also as I mentioned, Camp John Hay itself is a tourist destination. Places like Bell Ampitheater, Bell House and Cemetery of Negativism are within walking distance from our cabin.

Finding a place to eat at is also no problem since we have several choices in Camp John Hay. There’s Technohub where most of the restaurants are; the popular Choco-late de Batirol is also there and there are even some food trucks near Scott Hill. There also used to be restaurants at the Mile Hi Center but the area looks deserted now compared to my last visit in 2019.

Price

For such a premium location, you’d think an Airbnb here would be expensive. When people asked me where we were going to stay in Baguio and I tell them at Camp John Hay, they were impressed. Goes to show that Camp John Hay has an upscale reputation! But we were lucky that we got the place for less than Php20,000.00 and on such short notice too! We didn’t break the bank staying here. Well, my Aunt who lives in Canada now and went on vacation here in the Philippines for Christmas paid for the accommodation. Still, it was a good deal we got!

The Cabin

The surrounding area is so beautiful, full of trees and shrubbery decorated for the Christmas holiday. It’s also peaceful. There’s a policy that noise is not allowed after 10 p.m helps. The cabins all look very nice too. Cozy and warm.

The cabin itself looks inviting. I love the wood and stone walls structure of the place. The inside of the place is spacious too. It’s got a huge smart TV with streaming sites like Netflix, Disney+ and Prime on it. We watched John Wick there during our last night of stay and ordered dinner via Grabfood delivery. The house also has a fireplace which I only see in TV and movies set in the US or UK. Of course, considering the chilly climate of Baguio, it was a fitting fixture in the house. Is the fireplace usable? I don’t know for sure. But I could just imagine cozying up to a lighted fireplace to keep warm, sipping a hot drink and having conversations with good company.

There is also a small garden area at the back of the house. A nice place to soak in the morning sun while having coffee in peace.

And the master bedroom on the second floor also has a veranda which gives us a beautiful view of the neighborhood.

Since the area is in a gated community, taking a leisurely walk in the morning around the neighborhood is possible, There are hardly any cars passing by. It’s what slow mornings/slow days are made of.

A Charming, Beautiful and Relaxing Stay at Camp John Hay

When we went to Baguio, the days were mostly sunny with clear blue skies specially in the mornings, I think that helped to highlight just how beautiful and charming the cabin we stayed at and its location was. During our whole stay, I kept thinking “This is the life!”. Living in a place that’s beautiful and peaceful away from the chaos of the outside world. I wish I could buy a cabin in Scott Hill, Camp John Hay too to stay at when I want to retreat and recharge, Though I suspect it costs more than Php10 million to buy a house there.

The checkout time was strictly at 11 A.M. and we were out of the cabin before then. There’s a steep penalty charge for every hour of late checkout. Even though our bus trip back to Manila was still at 3 P.M, we weren’t inconvenienced at all. We were at Camp John Hay after all. We just stayed around the food truck area for breakfast, lunch and coffee. We also just savored the lovely surroundings, sitting down and occasionally walking around the area.

Hot taho on a chilly morning
Food tripping at Camp John Hay

So until I win the lottery, I would just come back to this Airbnb in Baguio again if I’m traveling with a big group whether with family or friends. If you want to book Forest Cabin in Camp John Hay, you can check out the listing here.

And if what you want is a nice staycation in Metro Manila that’s not a hotel, consider this boho paradise in Marikina.