Timberland Highlands Resort

We came for my grandma’s birthday, and the activities were pretty good. The gym has lots of equipment, and we also played basketball and badminton. The pool was amazing, though only 5 ft, and I wish it were a bit bigger. There’s a kids’ play area, but not many activities there. Food was good, including the delicious breakfast buffet, but the prices didn’t feel local friendly and seemed more like tourist prices. We had two twin deluxe rooms and one deluxe king. Both room types were very big, with nice views from the twin deluxe and big bathrooms, especially in the king deluxe. The water we bathed in smelled pretty bad, which was one thing I really didn’t like. Overall, it was okay and not that bad, though some parts of the stay were pretty bad.

Everyone was friendly and accommodating. When my husband suddenly had trouble walking, staff knew to call the nurse for first aid, and the nurse also helped with my wound after sports. We liked the sports and recreation facilities enough that we might return. There’s a pool, gym, kids’ play room, basketball and badminton courts, pickleball, table tennis and wall climbing, all easy to reach from the main building. The resort is in Timberland Heights in San Mateo, Rizal, about 30 minutes to an hour from where we live, which is a plus. The rooms felt a bit old, though the beds were comfortable. We could hear noise from upstairs and from people outside, so light sleepers should ask for a room away from the open area and elevator. Ridge Cafe’s buffet breakfast was part of our stay and had an okay selection. Supper there was very busy, and we waited an hour for the food. In my opinion, the Italian restaurant Le Stelle was better value for money.

The mountain air was refreshing, and the well-kept property felt like the city escape I needed. Jerald from the front office deserves a special mention. He was diligent, proactive, and great at helping us with everything, which made the stay feel welcoming and seamless. We had a wonderful time at Timberland Highlands Resort and will definitely return. I recommend it for a clean, peaceful getaway with hospitable service.

What a beautiful, elegant place, which made the service problems especially frustrating. I visited twice, once with a dinner party and once with a group having light refreshments and coffee. The waiters and waitresses seemed unsure which items were available, and they needed prompting when serving. It felt like poor leadership and management. I’m sure proper training could make them great. I didn’t stay overnight, so I can’t rate the rooms.