243. Vanished Landmarks: PINES HOTEL OF BAGUIO, 1934-1975 Ads

Known as “the grand old dame of Baguio”, PINES HOTEL was one of the earliest structures in the city center that were built between 1905-1910. The original hotel was known as “Hotel Pines” that was erected in 1909 on what is now the Gov. Pack Rd. area where the University of the Cordilleras (formerly Baguio College Foundation) now stands. Regarded as the first tourist hotel of Baguio, it was totally destroyed during the War.

The second, more well-known hotel—PINES HOTEL was built on Luneta Hill, which provided the most modern accommodations for Baguio’s wealthiest visitors. Its construction involved the employment of Japanese workers from Nagatomi Construction. 

American managers headed the new hotel, but in 1927, the first Filipino manager, Ciriaco Z. Cuenco of Sta. Rita, Pampanga was installed, replacing the previous head, a certain Mr. Best.

The “premiere resort hotel in the Orient”, surrounded with pine trees and terraced gardens, was the exclusive place to be for weary tourists to be in the 1930s. 

The  cluster of wooden and stone buildings that overlooked Burnham Park was later rebuilt and remodeled post-War, giving way to a modern, concrete building.

In the 1950s, PINES HOTEL boasted of 144 rooms with private bath, and main facilities that include the Ifugao Hall (Main Lobby), Bontoc Bar, Kankanai Tea Room, Kalinga Dining Hall, and Cañao Ball Room. But even with these, the aging hotel struggled keeping afloat given the rise of less expensive lodgings and newer hotels in the city.

The government, which administered PINES HOTEL, later sold it to the Resort Hotel Corporation  in 1968 for Php 6.8 Million. Legal disputes hounded the sale, as the balance was not reportedly settled.

Thus, the new PINES HOTEL, relaunched in 1969 became part of  a chain of hotels of the  Resort Hotels Corporation, along with Taal Vista Lodge, Hyatt Regency, Hotel Intercon, Philippine Village Hotel, among others. By this time, it featured a Gold Dining Room, Sadiwan Cocktail Lounge and Disco, Blue Fountain Coffee Shop and a swimming pool.

On that fateful day of Oct. 23, 1984, a fire razed down the popular mountain resort hotel—which by then had 4 stories and 423 rooms.  

The deadly 6-hour  fire  left 4 people dead, including 2 Americans and 46 others, mostly vacationing World War II veterans who were there on a nostalgia trip. PINES HOTEL was totally gutted, and its destruction marked the passing of an era.

The property at Luneta Hill was subsequently foreclosed and  auctioned off by Development bank of the Philippines, which was won by SM magnate, Henry Sy in 1988. In 2002, the SM City Mall-Baguio was opened amidst controversies.