Hotel Luna: A Timeless Spanish-Style Hotel at the Heart of Vigan City
I’d always wanted to come back to Hotel Luna after seeing its museum during the launch of the Vigan Tourist Passport initiative in 2023. This month, heavens heard my whispers and I was invited to stay here as part of DOT’s Ilocos Tour via Cebu Pacific.
Here’s my feature / review of Hotel Luna in Vigan City!
Contents
Our stay at Hotel Luna
Hotel Luna is the first hotel museum in the Philippines. Originally built as a 2-story ancestral mansion for Don Jose Florentino, the hotel was later re-designed as a luxurious hotel with a courtyard, a rooftop, and 70 well-equipped rooms and suites (including the ones in Hotel Luna Annex).
To say that the hotel is beautiful is an understatement. It features white-washed walls, intricate detailing on ceilings and borders, wrought-iron balconies with ornate copper designs, and gorgeous wooden furniture.
It certainly exudes that old-world charm that will transport you back to the Spanish era.
Room
I stayed with my roommate in a Double Queen Deluxe Room. It has two queen-sized beds, a flat-screen TV, a working desk, a make-up desk, coffee and tea making facilities, a large closet, bathrobes, and a separate toilet and bath.
I fell in love with the room the moment I saw it. It was so beautiful! The bed was so comfy and everything was working as intended.
The hotel promotes sustainable practices, so the default toiletries only include soap and dispensers for body wash and shampoo/conditioner. You can request other items such as toothbrush and toothpaste simply by dialing the front desk (no additional fee). You can also refill the water jug at the water dispenser placed at every floor.
Another thing that I would like to highlight is the toilet, featuring a hands-free modern Japanese-style toilet seat. You know, those that come with complex buttons that will automatically shoot a jet of water, dry, and flush for you. As my roommate said, it was like living in the future.
We were also left with complimentary sweets (at the beds). I thought that was a nice touch and how they chose a local sweet instead of the usual chocolate.
Restaurant
Hotel Luna has three dining options: Comedor (main dining restaurant), Chula (a saloon bar for coffee and drinks), and Azotea (cocktail bar located at the rooftop).
We had dinner and breakfast at Comedor. Comedor’s typical menu includes authentic Filipino and Spanish cuisines with a modern twist.
For that dinner though, we had a Japanese food buffet. I’m not sure if it was a special menu for that night, but I did enjoy the food. I also love that they serve fresh salmon sashimi because some Japanese buffet do not offer those.
Later in the evening, there was live music performance, which was nice.
For breakfast, there are the usual sections for bread, salad, and Filipino viands and rice. There is also an egg station just outside the restaurant. My friends had Vigan longganisa (when in Vigan…), while I tried the cornbeef and tortilla de patatas (Spanish omelette) which were both good. I wasn’t a fan of their hot chocolate; it needed more flavor.
Overall, the food in the restaurant was good.
Others
Hotel Luna also has a courtyard with a small pool, a terrace with mural by Rene Robles, and as mentioned above a rooftop with a cocktail bar. I wanted to try the swimming pool but I was the only one who bought swimwear and we had a tiring day anyway (fingers’ cross I’m coming back).
But the hotel’s highlight is definitely its own museum called the Grand Sala, housing original artworks from Juan Luna and other national artists, as well contemporary ones such as BenCab.
As per the hotel’s manager, even non-hotel guests are welcome to tour the museum (which is how we were able to see it last year).
The highlight of the Grand Sala is Juan Luna’s originally painting called “La Mandolinera,” featuring a female mandolin player believed to be one of the mistresses of Juan Luna. In 2018, the National Commission on Culture and Arts valued the artwork at P148 million.
Even though it was my second time, I still felt chills seeing all the beautiful paintings. And I thought I wasn’t a museum person!
So those are the facilities at Hotel Luna. Let’s move on to what you can do outside the hotel.
Hotel Luna is conveniently located just a block away from the famous Calle Crisologo. My fellow content creators and I woke up at around 6AM to take photos at the cobblestone streets of Calle Crisologo. There were no people yet and the lights were amazing!
We also had a kalesa tour, ate empanada at Irene’s, and visited the Dancing Fountain at Plaza Salcedo, which operates at 7:30PM every night.
Overall
I had a really amazing time at Hotel Luna. I love the history, the beautiful old-world aesthetics mixed with modern comforts, and the convenient location close to Calle Crisologo and other tourist spots in Vigan.
Here’s a short summary of my review:
- Room: Our room was clean, polished, and beautiful. No complaints whatsoever!
- Food: The food at Comedor was good. Late-night music performance was a nice touch. The staff was also helpful and friendly.
- Location: This is one of the best hotels in Vigan in terms of location as it’s walking distance to most tourist spots including the famous Calle Crisologo.
- Value for money: If you like historic hotels or accommodations with a certain character, then Hotel Luna offers great value for your money. We had no issues here, even the WIFI connection (one at our room and a general WIFI for the hotel), often a problem when I’m working while traveling, was working great. If I can say one more thing, it’s that one night definitely wasn’t enough here!
This hotel is a great choice whether you’re a casual tourist, a couple, or a family.
Book your stay at Hotel Luna
For discounted rates, book your room at Hotel Luna here.
You can also check out our review of another hotel in Vigan: Hotel Felicidad.
Disclaimer: Our stay was complimentary as part of DOT x Cebu Pacific Ilocos Media Tour.
Have you been to Hotel Luna in Vigan City? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments section below!
What to read next:
Visiting the Ilocos Region? Read the rest of our articles!
- Best Ilocos Norte Tourist Spots
- Best Ilocos Sur Tourist Spots
- Best Vigan Tourist Spots + Things to Do
- Paoay Sand Dunes
- Burgos Wind Farm
See our hotel reviews:
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Katherine Cortes is a long-time backpacker and a freelance writer/editor. She likes beaches, snorkeling trips, and relaxing staycations (preferably with bath tubs!).
