EVERYONE wants the best, if not, the perfect place for celebrating their memorable and special day, be it a baby’s first birthday, debut, graduation, or wedding.
Providing a beautiful venue, homey and peaceful ambiance, Casa de Canitoan is the perfect getaway and events destination for a couple, family or friends who need some place away from the bustling streets of the city.
Located near the junction of Macapagal drive and Canitoan-Pagtapat road (beside the Cooperative Development Authority building), Casa de Canitoan has been one of the best spots for pre-nup wedding photoshoots, receptions, debuts and birthday parties.
Built in 2017, Casa de Canitoan, a family corporation owned by Lolit and Gerard Cua, is a huge, charming house overlooking Acacia trees inspired by the ancestral home of Gerard in Burgos.
The classic yet elegant design of Casa de Canitoan can be discerned from the several antique-looking items scattered in different parts of the house such as the rocking chair near the stairs going to the attic, the beautiful chandeliers, wall lamps, the teapots and cups in the coffee shop, among others.
Clocks of all designs and ages are also present in all parts of the house, a collection of Lolit’s husband, according to Lolit.
“The wall lamps, the chandeliers, the clocks collection, all are carefully selected and are like heirloom items. [They] add a certain character of ‘that elegant place somewhere in time’ where you can enjoy your unforgettable precious moments with family and loved ones,” Nadine Cua, Lolit and Gerard’s daughter and the managing director of Casa de Canitoan, said.
With lots of windows and glass doors, the house is abundant with natural lighting, making it a perfect place for taking photographs, selfies, groufies, or doing photoshoots.
“Because Casa is situated away from the main highway and surrounded by trees, our guests enjoy this exclusive and secluded ambiance,” Nadine said.
Bienvenido a Casa de Canitoan
From its front gates, visitors will immediately notice the green, clean and beautiful garden, the blue, cool swimming pool, and the white walls of the two buildings of Casa de Canitoan.
Found in the ground floor of each building are the function rooms of different sizes where wedding receptions, business meetings, forums, parties, and other events take place. Each of the rooms can accommodate a number of people depending on the type of event.
Entering the second floor of the main building, comfy sofas are in the lobby for waiting visitors and the elegant and classy coffee shop where breakfast or lunch food items are served to the guests staying in the house.
The receiving area, the kitchen and the room accommodations, namely: the Superior rooms, Junior Suite, and Premier Deluxe, are also located in the second floor.
Each rooms, apart from having a comfortable bed, closet, mini fridge and being fully air-conditioned, has its own bathroom and balcony.
The main building also has an attic where prenup wedding photoshoots are mostly done. It is also serves as the family’s library, according to Lolit.
The second building of Casa de Canitoan holds the Family Rooms, which can accommodate around six people. It also has a rooftop area, overlooking the swimming pool and the garden, and a spacious function room in the second floor.
Experience
Having personally stayed in the place, Casa de Canitoan brought comfort and relaxation away from the hustle and stress in the city.
Although I wasn’t able to go for a swim in the pool, you can see the happy expressions of the kids playing in the pool after the party that occurred during my stay.
The staff were also polite and accommodating, doing their best to provide a helping hand whenever the guests needed it. The Filipino dishes cooked and served are quite enjoyable too.
Newly-wed couple Ethelbert and Vanessa Faye Santos, who had their wedding reception at Casa de Canitoan, also recommend the place, saying that the “service and the owners are good and its nice and accommodating.”
“We chose Casa de Canitoan because of the glamorous place and at the same time, the sense of privacy, especially for those newlywed couple,” Ethelbert said.
Future plans
As someone who manages Casa de Canitoan, Nadine shared some of her plans for this year to further enhance the place.
According to her, she plans to improve the garden area by adding shaded walkways on the sides, more flowers and more trees on the side of the fences.
She’s also beginning to complete their staffing for the kitchen, reception, garden maintenance personnel, operations manager, to upgrade Casa de Canitoan’s “capability of serving guests who just want to spend quality time with their friends and loved ones in a beautiful place.”
They are also planning on installing an online booking software (linked to Expedia, booking.com, and other similar sites) to make the place more accessible to guests outside Cagayan de Oro.
Even with all these planned improvements for Casa de Canitoan, it has been one of the top venues chosen by couples for their wedding receptions.
In fact, just last month, Casa de Canitoan was the recipient of the Top Booker Award for Venue Category during the She Said Yes Wedding and Debut Expo 2019.
The place has also been garnering several positive reviews from guests and clients.
“Home away from home,” a few yet precise words to describe Casa de Canitoan as you enjoy the quality comforts of a cozy home.