The most beautiful hotel in Tagaytay has only 8 rooms

It’s on the lips of travelers who look for something extraordinary, other than the predictable five-star offerings that don’t always excite them.

The talk of Tagaytay is Hotel 8, a unique boutique hotel with, precisely, only eight rooms.

The creators of this four-story hotel are definitely restless and sleepless because they are busy 24/7 thinking of new projects, stimulated with enough caffeine in their blood, having built 530 branches of Starbucks in the Philippines which have made the populace hungry for good coffee. Take note of the long endless lines of customers at the huge Starbucks Reserve Hiraya in Tagaytay (the largest in the Philippines) because it has an Instagrammable view of Taal Lake.

Jun Lopez and Menchu Tantoco-Lopez belong to a new breed of restaurateurs/hoteliers. Their projects are laudable, but you will never hear them boast.

Jun spent much of his childhood under the tutelage of his inspiring father, Don Eduardo Lopez in their Bacolod hacienda. The cerebral Menchu grew up being mentored, together with her siblings Rico, Nedy, Merl, Marilen and Maritess, by the legendary Glecy Rustia Tantoco and Bienvenido Tantoco, who were pillars of our luxe retail industry. The young Menchu spent summers selling and learning at Rustans, sometimes posing hesitantly during her teenage years as fashion model for the store ads, together with sister Merl (now Pineda).

Menchu has created food concepts like Bon Appetit, Benny’s, Gourmet Garage, Judon, Bon Bakery and Pinkberry. When she first spotted this Tagaytay structure, she saw it not as a building, but as a refined oasis for relaxation with a view of the vaunted Taal Lake and Volcano—where travelers can sleep with designers.

Five of their Hotel 8 rooms are inspired by iconic designers: Missoni, MacKenzie-Childs, Marcel Wanders, Ralph Lauren and our very own Josie Natori. Each room has a receiving sala, roomy bathroom, and a terrace with a view of Taal Lake. The three other rooms—rather, suites—facing a lush garden are inspired by everything Filipino.The boutique hotel has Club 8 with a gym, a dining area for eight, and a lounging area where guests can watch Netflix, play board games, and browse through exquisite coffee-table books.

Aside from a Starbucks branch, Hotel 8 has two restaurants: Bon Appetit, which has a magnificent view of Taal Lake, and the Japanese resto named Judon, both acclaimed for their culinary excellence.

What’s next from Hotel 8? “We will soon have an events place with recreational facilities next door,” says the tireless Menchu. Helping the entrepreneurial Lopez couple are their five children with their spouses—Junjun with Margs Hernandez, Noey with Krie Reyes, Rica with James de Jesus, Maricar with Paul Tiangco and Quito with Pam Gonzales who hold top positions in the family’s companies, and have absorbed the Lopez-Tantoco remarkable work ethic and creative spirit.

Menchu assigned statuesque daughter-in-law Pam Gonzales-Lopez as creative director of Hotel 8 and head of their Floret flower shops, an easy task for someone so fashionable and dynamic.

“My mother-in-law envisioned a new identity for the Tagaytay place, transforming it into something intimate yet elevated,” Pam says. “The design leans towards mid-century modern, with a mix of artistry that is timeless.We collaborated with Maja Olivares-Co whose sensibility helped bring clarity and refinement to the overall vision.”

Here are the Hotel 8 rooms named after inspiring fashion greats: 

Missoni

Ottavio and Rosita Missoni started in 1953 with their famous knitwear bearing zigzag patterns. This Italian brand later inspired Hotel Missoni—and this room in Tagaytay now encapsulates the beddings, towels, bathrobes which guests can use. This is the only room with a spa-tub facing Taal Lake. 

Marcel Wanders

Bold orange-red stripes on the wall mixed with gray florals greet you in this room named after the Dutch industrial designer whose iconic products are on exhibit at MoMA and who co-founded Moooi. This room will appeal to Gen Z members who like maximalism which they consider “an act of self-care and an emotional outlet that reflects their values.”

Mackenzie-Childs

This very New Yorker brand famous for its courtly black-and-white checkerboard patterns will amuse you with its touches of whimsy. Founded in 1983 by Richard and Victoria MacKenzie-Childs, this brand manufactures home decor and ceramics that may evoke a childlike sense of wonder.

Ralph Lauren

Baby boomers and millennials love this timeless preppy favorite that embodies American refined living. But the younger generations may appreciate its clean lines and enduring elegance. You can feel the designer Ralph Lauren in the blue and white beddings with denims. Did we miss the RL Polo Bear?

Natori

This room definitely has a voice: that of the Philippines’ pride, Josie Natori, the Wall Street corporate biggie-turned-fashion designer and culture advocate with a string of awards and honors (including a postage stamp bearing her face and signature). Her East-meets-West philosophy is seen in her famous caftans as well as lingerie, perfume, eyewear and home designs.

Garden Rooms

Proudly made in the Philippines are all the furniture and home accessories in these three rooms facing a serene garden. From the solihiya headboards to the finely crafted lamps, chairs and accessories, the finest in Filipino artistry is captured in these rooms which are connectible for traveling families.

For inquiries, call +6346 888 9980 or email reservations@hotel8tagaytay.ph.