Almost a year since it reopened to tourists, Boracay with its stretch of white sand and beautiful sunsets is still one of the most popular island destinations. The road running parallel to White Beach remains in disrepair but vacationers can skip the bumpy ride altogether if they book a room at Boracay Newcoast.
From Caticlan, hotel guests are whisked off on speedboat to the island’s Keyhole, a distinct rock formation as popular as White Beach. In five minutes, guests arrive in the hotel ready to check in.
The 150-hectare Megaworld property, through its subsidiary brand Global-Estate Resorts, Inc., is set to open Belmont Hotel Boracay, its second hotel development there two years after it launched Savoy Hotel Boracay.
“We’ve positioned both properties as 4-star hotels but we’re targeting different markets,” said Cristina Tiong, area director of sales and marketing.
Savoy’s bright color palette, ample gym and party pool (a first on the island) is designed to cater to millennials and yuppies. These are the ones who look forward to weekend parties and movie screenings sometimes staged in the pool.
“Belmont has a classier, more sophisticated style we hope will appeal to travelers who prefer a more laidback vacation,” Tiong said.
Colors are muted, mostly earth tones with an accent hue like ochre or burnt sienna. The reception area is designed with elements that recall the sky, earth and sea. Suspended from the ceiling are pieces of clear glass; on one wall, a flock of birds take flight; a stylized coral design on an area rug grounds the space.
The P2.1-billion Belmont Hotel Boracay is a three-structure hotel within the sloping area of the estate just beside Savoy and overlooking the eastern side of the Boracay.
A third hotel, Chancellor, is still being constructed.
Connecting all three will be the Promenade, a retail and dining area made up of convenience stores, restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops. Guests can stroll down to Cove 2, one of three coves at Boracay Newcoast if they want to take a dip; there is also a pool onsite with a view of the hills.
“We want to position Newcoast as ’paradise within paradise,’” Tiong said. “If they prefer it, guests can actually stay in the area the entire duration of their vacation. Of course, they can also ride one of the shuttles to take them to and from White Beach.”
Belmont has 442 guest rooms (Deluxe Twin or Queen, Premiere Deluxe and Executive Suite) ranging in size from 27 sqm to 52 sqm. Like Savoy, it will also have special rooms for PWDs.
At Belmont Cafe, chef Alan Mathay serves a seafood-rich menu like Sinigang sa Batuan, a deconstructed Seafood Risotto, and Pasta Arrabiata topped with juicy prawns.
“Our second hotel under the Belmont brand will offer an exclusive nature experience in the paradise island of Boracay,” said Raymundo Melendrez, managing director, Luxury Global Hotels and Leisure, Inc., the company operating Belmont Hotels under the Megaworld Hotels Group.
“Guests can see the island’s panoramic natural scenery from one building to another—from the vast sea to the lush mountains and hills of the island and other nearby islands.”
Belmont Hotel is the second homegrown hotel brand introduced under Megaworld Hotels. The first Belmont Hotel opened in Newport City in 2015.
Another Belmont Hotel is set to open in Iloilo Business Park by 2023.
To date, Megaworld Hotels has opened five five homegrown brands: Richmonde Hotels, Belmont Hotels, Savoy Hotels, Twin Lakes Hotel, and Hotel Lucky Chinatown with close to 3,000 hotel rooms total. In the next five years, the company will open new homegrown hotel brands in Parañaque, Bacolod, Iloilo, Boracay and Laguna. —CONTRIBUTED
