Past the reception area and the restaurants are the stairs that leads to the swimming pools. On the right side is an area i'd like to call the "kiddie station". You'll find a kiddie pool, a swing, kiddie slides and a trampoline. Its perfect for parents who would like to bring their kids to this vacation. The kiddie station will keep them busy while mommy and daddy are relaxing as well. On the other side of the kiddie station is a huge infinity pool with the waterfalls, bridge, and mini bar. Its surrounded with coconut trees and chairs. I don't know why but there we were the only guests on the pool that afternoon. We felt so lucky for having the pool all for ourselves.
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| Swimming Pool in the afternoon |
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| Swimming Pool by night time |
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| "Kiddie Station" |
After a while, we took a walk around the resort to check out its other amenities. Its a short walk since there isn't much to see. There's a jogging path at the boardwalk with several sheds where you can just hang out and relax. Beyond the boardwalk is a basketball court and a mini stadium. There's also a badminton court near the pool area but I have no idea if they provide sports equipments for guests. We weren't able to visit The Cliffs Golf and Beach Club where, from what i've heard, you'll a golf course and a beach. Both weren't very appealing so we just decided to stay at the pool.
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| mini-stadium |
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| View of the Resort |
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| Green fields and the Boardwalk |
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| Infinity Pool |
There are 3 restaurant options in the resort but all of them have the same menu. Its just a matter of choosing the ambiance you like while eating. If you're having so much fun swimming at the pool and never ever wanna leave, you may request for a menu and have them served at the Pool Bar. If you want a more intimate dining experience, then the Olive Restaurant is your best choice. It claims to be the only fine dining restaurant in Ilocos Region and North Luzon. They also offer a dinner buffet for Php700 per person. But the food choices are very limited and plain so we decided to pass. On the other side of the hotel lobby is the Patio Santorini, our restaurant of choice. Its actually a bar with a live band to entertain the guests. There are additional food choices that are a bit cheaper than those offered in the original menu.
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| Pool Bar |
For our dinner, we ordered the Blue Cheese & Mozzarella Penne Pasta and the Seafood Medley which consists of shrimp, tuna, salmon and scallops served with mashed potato and vegetables. Whew! Both dishes are good for two persons but the waiters said its only good for one. As a consequence, we had a lot of leftovers. (Sayang!) But we enjoyed the food very much. We were so full already but I still wanted to order a cake because it was still my boyfriend's birthday then. The desserts are served with a choice of tea or coffee. Their black forest cake wasn't anything special, and so is the coffee. Our total bill for this meal was around Php1700++.
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The next day, we had a wake up call from the receptionist to remind us that the breakfast buffet is only until 10am. So we went to the Olive Restaurant and found it half full with hotel guests. The food was surprisingly good, the beef tapas were my favorite. I especially liked the drinks station because they serve cold chocolate milk and watermelon juice. I tried a little bit of everything. We also met the head chef when he visited the restaurant, probably checking the food trays that weren't eaten. Shortly after, we checked out of our room and collected the remains of our deposit.
Overall, it was a great experience. The resort is easy to locate, rooms look good, food is delicious, pool is huge and most importantly, its not crowded! Though I must admit that I expected a lot more from this resort. But then again, its not really that expensive and based on the constructions everywhere, its still under development stage. It would probably look a lot better once its completed. I'd recommend this place to families, friends or couples who are visiting La Union. Its a great alternative for those who are not into surfing or for those who just want to relax. The beautiful Santorini of the North has made its mark as a must-see place on this side of the country.
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