Balay da Blas - A Top Recommended Place to Stay in Laoag

Balay da Blas in Laoag - a highly recommended place to stay! 

Starting a Journey in Ilocos
As we planned to embark on a journey to the land of Ilocos, we first made sure to have a comfy place to rest in. Fortunately, one of my friends, Gelli, was very resourceful and meticulous in handpicking the hotel we will stay in -- Balay da Blas.

As I was not too engaged with the planning, I only learned about where we will stay just a few weeks before our trip, despite the fact that everything was planned several months before. Nevertheless, I excitedly shared about this to my brother, who coincidentally went to the same inn almost a year ago. He noted that it is indeed an excellent choice! Now, with that kind of expectation set, it was my turn to have my own assessment, which I'm gladly sharing with you.

Balay da Blas in the Morning Light, Laoag, Ilocos Norte

From the airport, we rented a van to take us to the hotel for P500. We were 7 in the group, so the transportation cost wasn't much of a biggie. It took us about 20 minutes to reach Balay da Blas, and seeing it from afar got me pretty excited. Nothing was particularly spectacular from our approaching view, but immediately I had an unexplained positive feeling about it, which materialized all throughout our stay.

Mini-outdoor garden and dining area of Saramsam, Balay da Blas

Balay da Blas - Pensionne House
Balay da Blas Pensionne House was initially built as a residence for the Blas family which is highly evident by the way the design, decor and furniture was put in place. However, as Laoag City became more prominent as a tourist destination, the family decided to open its home to "guests", eventually becoming a popular place to stay in the city.

Related Post: Metro Vigan Inn - A Budget Hotel for Tourists and Backpackers - in case you chose Vigan as your initial and main point destination, you may want to check out this affordable inn.

The living room or should we say "lobby" of Balay da Blas

Koi pond inside the famous Balay da Blas in Laoag, Ilocos Norte

Isn't the place a real beauty? Yeah, but wait 'til you see the barkada room we availed of.

Just outside the barkada room we availed of
Photo by Alberto Del Rosario

We availed the Barkada room which is priced as follows:

Barkada Room
BED CONFIGURATION
Two(2) Queen Size Bed
Two(2) Double-Size Bed
One(1) Bed-like Couch RATES For 8 pax - P4,600 For 9 pax - P5,150 For 10 pax - P5,700

GUESTROOM FEATURES AND AMENITIES
Air-conditioned
Private Bath with Hot and Cold Shower
With Cable TV
Rates inclusive of VAT and Filipino breakfast for each paying guest
You may want to check out all the other room rates here in the website of Balay da Blas.

Barkada Room of Balay da Blas

Now, upon entering the room, we were extremely amazed. The room was neat-looking with its predominantly white appeal, and the beds were all comfy and spacious. It felt like we were in an amazing penthouse, and yes, I may be exaggerating it, but it was really beyond how I imagined the room would be. On top of all, the air-conditioning system was way too cool! Awesome!

Bathroom of the Barkada Room in Balay da Blas

There are two (2) small yet full-functioning bathrooms (with hot shower, bidet and set of towels). making the place really ideal for barkadas or even for large families. The liberty is yours whether to assign the comfort rooms to specific individuals, but I'm telling you it will most likely not be followed.

The beds in the base floor of the Barkada Room

There are a total of 4 beds in the room, with the 2 being slightly larger than the other. There is also a couch which can be used as an extra bed, and despite the differences in form or size, all of them are really comfy!

Stairs to the loft of the Barkada room

Adding sophistication to the room's design is the presence of a loft which houses the 2 of 4 beds mentioned above. I'm advising you to claim your spot up there as early as now if you've decided to stay here. You'll definitely enjoy the breathable and comfortable space up there. Trust me, because that is where I slept.

The beds in the loft of Barkada Room, Balay da Blas

Also, inclusive of the rates indicated above is a breakfast for each guest wherein you have about 7 dishes to choose from such as dilis, hotdog, longganisa, tapa, honey chicken and tocino. All of them comes with coffee/tea, rice and fried egg.

Dishes are from the in-house restaurant called Saramsam Ylocano Restaurant and Bar which is also a famous restaurant in Laoag City. Hence, checking in here is really a brilliant choice because you'll be hitting two birds with one stone.

Enjoying the breakfast in the outdoor dining area of Balay da Blas
Photo by Nathaniel Chan

'Til next time! I'll be posting more about our amazing Ilocos experience, so stay tuned!

Balay da Blas in a Nutshell
Overall, I give two thumbs up for this place! I really adored how the place, the room, the food and most importantly the hospitality of the staff here in Balay da Blas.

How about you - do you recommend this place?

Balay da Blas
Location: #10 Giron St. Brgy. 7-B Laoag City, Ilocos Norte Philippines :

Contact No.: (77) 770 4389