Bluewater Panglao Resort: Giving Bohol tourism a boost

Bohol, the 10th largest island in the country, has been a slice of heaven on earth for local and foreign tourists alike. In recent years, the province has been one of the most-visited destinations in the Philippines. With plenty of things to do and places to see, Bohol has continued to beckon travelers to experience its natural and man-made wonders.

However, it is not a secret to many that Bohol has been experiencing challenges in the last two years. According to Walter Sultan, vice chairman of the Bohol Provincial Tourism Council, the province was brought down to its knees when it experienced a double whammy of an earthquake and a super typhoon late last year. Sultan adds that the one-aircraft policy in the Tagbilaran airport implemented in 2012 has also decreased number of flights from 14 a day to just seven, which significantly reduced tourist arrivals by 15 to 20 percent.

Bring this home and show your support for Bohol. 

 Here’s the good news: a tourism recovery plan has already been mapped out. “One of the important activities of our tourism recovery plan is improving our airline access. An international airport in Panglao is already underway and will be operational by 2016. In the meantime, we plan to expand the Tagbilaran airport to accommodate more tourists,” says Sultan. “We also have the Bangon Tours and we’re looking at coming up with a geological and scientific tour that will involve the areas affected by the earthquake.”

Heeding to the call of the local provincial tourism council, Bluewater Panglao Resort has been offering the Bangon Tours (“Bangon” is the Filipino word for “to rise”) since last year to encourage more tourists to come to Bohol.

Bluewater Panglao Resort resident manager Edison Navasa.

“The Panglao property of Bluewater Resorts is very active in helping boost tourism in Bohol,” says Edison Navasa, resident manager of Bluewater Panglao Resort. “The Bangon Tours package features discounted room rates, more or less 40 percent off of published rates. These are special rates to lure more people to choose Bohol for their next trip. And the response was overwhelming!”

Bluewater Panglao Resort features local materials in its design. 

Navasa says that guest profile at the resort is still dominated by Koreans, followed by Japanese, Filipinos and other nationalities. “It’s a good mix. About 30 to 35 percent of our guests are Koreans. Based on feedback, our guests love that there are a lot of activities that they can do in the resort,” says Navasa. “That’s our goal: to add more activities in our 5.5-hectare property so that our guests will truly enjoy their stay here and make the most of their vacation. We have two swimming pools and a beach front where our guests can enjoy water activities like snorkeling, glass bottom boat, kayaking, diving, hobbie cat sailing and stand up paddle boarding."

The signature ube dessert, featuring Panglao's proud product.

The resort also arranges for countryside and island hopping tours to allow guests to experience the sights and sceneries of Bohol. Although most of the churches are still under construction, one can still see past through the cracks the charm of these century-old churches. Most roads have already been repaired, proving that Bohol has slowly gotten back to its good shape.

A myriad of activities at the resort. 

Bluewater Panglao Resort invites tourists to rediscover the province because “Bohol is still beautiful” despite the disasters last year. For one, the resort offers a luxurious escape that honors the island’s natural beauty. Its Filipino architecture and design complement Bohol’s culture, inherent warm hospitality, and eco-focused initiatives. The Panglao resort, the youngest of the Bluewater Resorts siblings (that include Bluewater Maribago and Bluewater Sumilon, both in Cebu) aims to showcase local beauty through its structure, rooms, food, and services.

Despite the disasters last year, the resort never lost its charm. Its elegant, innovative and functional designs remain to be one of Panglao’s best.

Baclayon Church post-earthquake.

Loboc River Cruise. 

The media fam tour group poses for a photo before saying goodbye to the resort.

“Although there were some cancellations and rebooking, we are positive that the growth we have experienced since December will continue, especially that it’s already the peak season,” says Navasa. “It’s not difficult to sell Bohol because the place has already established itself as one of the Philippines’ most beautiful. And when you’re in Bohol, stay at Bluewater Panglao and we promise to show you the beauty of the province.”

(Published March 24, 2014, The Philippine Star)

Sheridan Beach Resort & Spa in Palawan: A paradise within a paradise

Of all the dozen destinations that offer an experience of paradise, Palawan truly stands out. That Palawan is paradisiacal is an understatement. Having seen and divulged what I’ve seen in this part of the Philippines is already enjoying a little piece of heaven on earth. For many a tourist who had marveled at the country’s last frontier, a lot of firsts had been experienced in this nirvana of an island.

Welcome to Sheridan Beach Resort & Spa in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

If you are someone who takes delight in the splendor of the sea and the outdoors, you are in for an amazing treat when you find yourself at the Sheridan Beach Resort & Spa in Sabang, Puerto Princesa City. (Situated a good two hours drive from the Puerto Princesa airport, Sabang is the place to be when one wants to experience nature in all its magnificence. It is the entry point to the world-famous Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a finalist for the “New 7 Wonders of Nature.”) From Sheridan, it takes only a 20-minute boat ride to the reputed longest navigational underground river in the world.

Sheridan Beach Resort & Spa is two hours away from the Puerto Princesa Airport. It is 5 minutes away from the jump off point to the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River.

Sheridan's signature 340-ft.-long swimming pool.

The view from the balcony of our room.

Nestled in between the lush mountain ranges of Palawan and the sparkling West Philippine Sea, Sheridan boasts of 94 elegant rooms and suites that feature Asian-inspired contemporary interiors with a touch of local culture. The resort’s first-class accommodations spell unparalleled comfort and luxury. Triple-A room amenities include LCD cable TV with built-in DVD player, mini bar, WiFi access, individually-controlled air-conditioning and full bath amenities. The rooms offer a veranda, the views varying from a view of the sea, the surrounding mountains or the beautifully landscaped gardens.

Pathway to the rooms.

Room with a balcony.
Photo courtesy of the resort

Room by the poolside.
Photo courtesy of the resort

The balcony.
Photo courtesy of the resort

Our room during our stay. 

Clean and clear T&B area.

Sheridan also offers a one-of-a-kind dining experience through its several F&B outlets. The stunning view of the inviting waters and sunset over the same horizon complement the gourmet cuisine at the South Sea Restaurant. It serves delicious grills, seafood and other healthy options. Located within the South Sea is the Blue Bar that serves cocktails prepared by the hotel’s dedicated bartenders. When doing some laps or just lounging by the pool area, the sunken bar Sip n’ Dip Poolbar is your perfect option. You can relax by the picturesque Sheridan’s signature 340-ft.-long swimming pool while you enjoy your personalized concoctions.

Blue Bar.

Here's to good times!

Your view while you sip cocktails. 

'Action Station' at the South Sea Restaurant. 

...And the action begins!

Hearty meals at the South Sea Restaurant. 

Sip n' Dip Poolbar, the resort's sunken bar.

Since it is away from the pressures of work and the hustle and bustle of the metropolis, weary travelers should find their way to the Sheridan Nature Spa. The caring hands and intuitive touch of the spa therapists could perform delicate pampering guaranteed to soothe your senses and do wonders for your entire being. Sheridan is also proud of its business and events facilities that are perfect for your banquet needs. Its convention center can seat up to 500 persons and offers state-of-the-art equipment.

The resort offers a view of the mountain...

...and the sea!

Serenity.

Sheridan is undoubtedly a paradise within a paradise that is Palawan. Aside from the Subterranean River, guests at this world-class resort can also enjoy a myriad of activities. One can take on a hiking adventure through the Monkey Trail or hop on a paddleboat to tour the Mangrove Forest (you may opt for an exhilarating ATV ride on the way there). Guests can also visit the tiny virgin islands nearby to snorkel and dive. But you don’t have to go too far as you can bask in the long stretch of fine cream sand and pristine waters at the Sheridan beach while listening to the sound of eternal tranquility.

Sheridan Beach Resort & Spa inspires life filled with comfort and convenience as our facilities and services are expressed through a fine balance between simplicity and luxury,” proudly claims corporate GM Edgardo Tongco.

The lobby.

Gym time. 

Interesting design at the resort's welcome area.

Here at Sheridan, excitement becomes the ultimate experience.

Managing director Jacqueline Tan reveals some future plans for the resort. An organic farm is in the works, as they would like to market Sheridan as a “green” hotel, what with all its conservation and preservation efforts.

Offering so much to do and see, Sheridan Beach Resort & Spa invites everyone to indulge endlessly where nature is at its best and where excitement becomes the ultimate experience.

(For more information, call 376-6968 or 0917-6318937.)

(Published Nov. 1, 2011, The Philippine Star)

Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa: Fit for royalty

I had been to Cebu quite a number of times before this particular trip yet I still looked forward to this one. The child (and water baby) in me was excited and ecstatic about the idea that our media group would be staying in a relatively new resort that features a... waterpark, teehee! Not to mention that I would be traveling again with “THE” Tita Rita Neri and Tita Nerissa Neri as well as Teddy Manuel, the same amazing people I was with during our fantastic Kota Kinabalu trip.

I “took my chances” on the two slides (Open Body Slide and Tube Slide) but had to beg off from the Space Bowl. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough courage to be swirled there lest my two-piece bikini go “berserk.” But don’t get me wrong: the waterpark is absolutely safe as it is designed by Dream Park International USA, which is the expert in building theme parks and water parks in the US.

Since it’s a “vacation,” I decided to spend a lot of chill time at the Amazon River Pool, where you just float and literally go with the flow. There are a dozen more things to do here.

Find out how else you can have a great time in Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa in Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City from my article in 2010. Of course, there have already been a lot of developments but basically, it’s still the same resort I loved more than three years ago.

Welcome to Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa.

Fit for royalty

For more than a year now, tourists have been getting the “royal” treatment in this part of Cebu.

Conveniently located just 15 minutes away from the Mactan International Airport and 30 minutes away from cosmopolitan Cebu, Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa promises its every guest that he or she will be treated like a king or queen for the duration of his or her stay in this eight-hectare property.

Waterworld in Mactan, Cebu. See that girl at the Space Bowl? Uh-oh.
Photos courtesy of Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa

The resort is managed by international hotel management group Imperial Palace Hotel Group, which has two other hotels in Seoul, South Korea and in Fukuoka, Japan. The former was recently rated by Time Magazine as the best hotel in Asia, a testimony to the group’s high standard of management style and industry expertise.

Beach time.

The beach area of the resort. 

Beach Pool.

The resort holds activities for guests.

..And so we joined the aerobics class in the morning.

Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa in Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City opened its regal doors in September 2009 and offered something that has never been seen or heard in the Queen City of the South. The resort features Cebu’s first and only Waterpark that both the young ones and the young once can truly enjoy. Designed by Dream Park International USA, this one-of-a-kind Waterpark lets you choose from five different pools (Wave Pool, Amazon River Pool, Captain’s Hook Pool, Toddler’s Pool and beach pool) and three exciting water slides (notable is the thrilling Space Bowl).

Still alive post-Tube Slide.
Photo by PJ Enriquez

The gang taking it slow at the Amazon River.
Photo by PJ Enriquez

...and by the beach.
Photo by PJ Enriquez

Imperial Palace allows you to have everything on your travel wish list peppered with the Cebuano’s own brand of hospitality. The resort boasts of elegantly furnished rooms including 128 Deluxe Rooms, 372 Suites, nine Spa Suite rooms and 48 Villas with private pool or Jacuzzi. Your well-appointed guest room is an interesting discovery in itself. Each room offers luxurious amenities designed to give you the utmost in luxury and comfort. It is in your plush room that you find out that Imperial Palace leaves no stone unturned to provide you with first-class rest and relaxation package — large sculptured granite bathrooms with separate shower and bath, 37-inch LCD television and DVD player, Internet connection, fully stocked mini-bar and refrigerator, radio clock with iPod dock and 24-hour room service.

Welcome to our suite! The living room awaits you by the entrance of the room.

Bedroom at the one-bedroom suite. 

My bedroom at our two-bedroom suite.

There's a kitchen in our suite!

...and a balcony so you can better appreciate the view!

Those with discerning palate will have gastronomic excursion at the resort’s eight F&B outlets, which offer sumptuous cuisines from around the world. The search for Asian flavors will take you to the Maru Korean Restaurant and Cheonsan Chinese Restaurant. The Coral Seaside Restaurant, which is perched on the seaside overlooking the picturesque panorama of the Hilutungan channel, guarantees to be a feast to your palate, as well as to your eyes. There are five other outlets to satisfy your gastronomic cravings. Also, let your musical instinct guide you to Bel Ami Karaoke, where snacks and a variety of liquors and beverages are served.

We had our welcome lunch at Cheon San, the Chinese restaurant.

Then dinner at Maru Korean Restaurant.

Maru Korean Restaurant.

Dinner, Korean style.

Farewell dinner at Coral Seaside Restaraunt.

Dinner by the sea.

From sun up to sun down, the tourist menu is filled to the brim at the Imperial Palace. The resort also features a 180-meter-wide beachfront and a marine center that offers an array of water sports for those who yearn for some adrenaline-pumping activities. The 570-sq.-m. Caracalla Spa has 11 well-designed treatment rooms as well as a separate sauna for men and women, steam room and plunge pool. There is also a fully equipped Fitness Centre and Beauty Salon (one of Korea’s most popular) to complete guests’ total fitness and wellness experience.

The Presidential Suite: Where an uber popular Korean star stayed a week before we arrived in the resort.

Imperial Palace also takes business seriously. Its Grand Ballroom (which can seat up to 600 persons) and four collapsible meeting rooms cater to business meetings, conventions and exhibitions. (In fact, at the time director of sales and marketing Jun Cordova hosted our stay at the resort, functions were happening simultaneously — yet all were orderly and organized. In one meeting he attended, hotel manager Edgardo Tongco was commended by fellow hotel executives for the close to a hundred percent occupancy rate of the Imperial Palace.)

Pool Villa.

Lounging with Rina at the Pool Villa.
Photo by PJ Enriquez

Special events like weddings are most welcome at the resort. If you wish for a destination wedding, you do not have to worry as you can expect the Events team of the Imperial Palace to keep you organized and to be on top of every important detail of your wedding. The resort’s “Weddings at the Palace” Indoor and Outdoor packages include lunch or dinner menu for a minimum of 50 persons and an overnight stay at the Pool Villa and Mactan Suite with honeymooner’s set-up and breakfast buffet. If the couple wants an outdoor ceremony, the Poolside and Beach Front area are the perfect spots. Here, the bride and groom exchange “I do’s” as they are presented with a magnificent blue vista of the sea while they watch the sun sink into the horizon.

Sunken bar in the pool area.

The resort has its own shuttle to provide guests with comfort and convenience.

Going around the resort is easy with golf carts.

***

You work hard all week and then leave the rat race far behind to get a breather from the hustle and bustle of life. Trust the Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa to give you that “majestic” escape. After all, its first-class facilities and friendly services are indeed fit for royalty.

Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa will surely give you a different kind of Cebu experience.

(To experience the royal treatment, call Imperial Palace at +6332 494-5000 or visit www.imperialpalace-cebu.com)

(Published November 11, 2010, The Philippine Star)