Camp John Hay Manor and Log & Country Homes (Concluding Part)

THE CJH MANOR

A more inspiring eco-friendly project has just wrapped up in the city right inside Camp John Hay (CJH), which surely jibed with Masferre’s old Baguio charm – the CJH Manor.

Fashioned with Canadian red cedar, the countrified hotel with a European feel rose no more than four-storey tall so as not to squash the awesome and rejuvenating vista of the Cordilleras, said Jillian Y. Cortes, CJH ass

stant vice-president corporate communications.

As part of the CJH’s R2.6 billion expansion deal, the property sits on a 246-hectare development zone, about 121-hectare of which is managed forest with no concrete structures except for eco-trails and picnic areas to make it visitor-friendly.

Drawn out of the board by Recio & Casas architects, the Manor opened a year ago with just 65 rooms

and immediately ran a 50-60 percent occupancy rate. Currently, some 141 rooms are already operational out of the total 187 rooms, Cortes said.

With seasoned hotelier Heiner Maulbecker as general manager, the Manor sports a cozy, highland-themed interior done by Steven Leach complemented with the original artworks and tapestries by Narda Capuyan. Select wood-carvings and other objets de art gav

e the property an exquisite dominant ethnic appeal.

The CJH Manor’s fine dining outlet – the much raved about Billy King’s Le Souffle — presents a lovely sweeping view of the mountain ranges and the well-preserved Friendship Garden with Abraham Lincoln’s and Manuel L. Quezon’s seated effigies facing each other.

Across the Manor’s block is a strip of duty free commissary that carries novel

ty shops and convenience stores, signature outlets and more specialty restaurants. Later on, a fresh goods store will be included to make your shopping complete should you ran out of time to pop up at the local market. The community layout and structure of the Manor and the commissary seems like it was lifted from a community in Whistler, a well-known year-round celebrity-packed skiing destination

in Canada.

“Keep green and re-green” is the dictum behind this pro-environment endeavor. Minimal cutting of trees is the ultimate goal so as not to depress the once lush encamped forest, which the CJH Development Company (CJHDevCo.) is trying hard to preserve.

As CJH’s forest maintenance, Cortes said, for every pine tree that will be cut, a hundred seedlings will be planted to ensure the

continuous greening of the area. “Since the project started, about 90,000 seedlings have been planted within the camp.”

CJH’s greening concerns does not stop there. The management is up in arms to ensconce the conservation of the very sensitive Benguet pine, which used to abound in the area but is now considered an endangered species. “Among other greening measures, we hired three doctors/exp

erts to study the Benguet pine. They perform tree surgery as part of the study to protect and ensure the future of this species,” said Cortes.

To harmonize with the property’s wholistic improvement, the Jack Nicklaus/Golden Bear designed golf course was also given a facelift. Proudly, the world-class golf course is carpeted with bent grass, similar to the Augusta National’s, home base of the US Masters golf tourney.

The legendary golf course is expected to attract rabid golfers from all over. A world-class golf course, a four-star accommodation set-up in quiet open greens and a year-round cool-to-super-cool weather – and more — make the CJH a destination by itself in Baguio City.

Next to the golf course is the nifty and hip clubhouse. The impressive high-ceilinged stone and wood structure is CJH’s latest watering hole for pro golfers and new swingers alike. At the coffee shop overlooking the tranquil greens, guests are treated to a very relaxing set up while enjoying superb food – just the perfect way to cap a few putting rounds.

Cortes said the CJH is set to clinch not just the leisure market. This time, they are getting ready for the biggest catch – the meetings and conventions market. As it is, the good as complete CJH Cultural and Trade Center will be in full swing soon. On top of the trade center’s list are clients like the Ad Congress and other multinational companies.

CJH LOG AND COUNTRY HOMES

The expansion also involves the construction of various types of accommodation to replace the old two-room white cottages, the rooming structures of CJH’s former American occupants.

For residential units, CJH is now offering for sale or lease single detached cottages styled as log homes, luxury log homes and country homes. There are also duplex cottages and forest villas. All in all, there would be 157 units of single detached and duplex cottages and 12 units of forest villas.

With these various types of accommodation, CJH is entering the time-share turf that is trendy in Europe, US and North America. The time-share deal works well both ways for the seller and buyer or lessee. The seller earns and gets to maintain the property at low cost while the buyer is not using it, and in the process, the buyer gets a windfall, too. As for the lessee, keeping up a vacation property in a prime destination such as Baguio will not be costly either, as the property will be taken care of hotel-style.