The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Nestor Cuartero
Tucked away in a secluded, what-looked-like-a-private side-street off Barangay Payapa, Lemery main road is a charming cluster of houses that, at close range, are really more than clan residences.
The houses are collectively known as La Casa Maranan, a set of multi-layered, multi-functional structures that cater to various needs at any given time.Everywhere around them are pocket,manicured gardens and well-appointed fixtures. Parts of the second floor serve as hotel rooms while a spacious area on the ground level function as events hall ideal for wedding banquets, and celebrations like birthdays, company milestones, and the like.
Engineer Johnny Maranan is the man behind the casa, built on a 4,000 sqm ancestral property where the old Maranan family home used to stand along the rolling, mountainside, picturesque-with-a-view-of-Taal Lake and Volcano highway, Payapa Road, that connects Lemery in Batangas and Tagaytay City in Cavite. It sits only a few hundred meters away from the former, now non-functioning Fantasy World. By the way, whatever happened to it? Sayang naman.
Maranan says La Casa hasn’t officially launched, although bookings are streamed through word-of-mouth and recommendations from friends.
After a hearty lunch of steamed tiger prawns and broiled maliputo, kani salad and bagnet kare-kare that he himselfprepared, Johnny toured us around the two-level, sprawling complex. A baby pool with waterfalls refreshes guests while they lounge around the living room, which serves as the lobby area. Upstairs, hotel rooms with multiple beds as many as 10 each, are designed to accommodate families or groups.Hallways are transformed into music rooms and relaxation areas. A larger pool looks more tempting at the back of the house where more dormitory-like rooms are located.
After a heavy lunch, Johnny drove our small group to Tagaytay City where we were to spend the night at an extension outlet, another La Casa Maranan. Located within Tagaytay Country Homes 1 right in the heart of the city, just behind Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral, the new facility is designed by Johnny himself like a modern townhouse. We are impressed by Johnny’s ample use of space.
It has a jacuzzi pool and wood furnishings that he himself designed. There are four bedrooms for families or groups.
We took note of Johnny’s preference for large accommodations. We figured it might have something to do with his own family background. He came from a family of eight siblings and thrice or four times as many cousins and extended relatives.
La Casa Maranan is technically on soft opening, but bookings are welcome through 0962-532-2977, 0916-355-3947, or 0927-515-1152.