A DeLIGHTful Stay at The Lighthouse Marina Resort, Subic Bay.
Story & Pics by Alesah
Subic Bay is on the west coast of the Philippines just 2 to 3 hours from Manila making it a great spot for a Gourmet Getaway. The area is known for its water sports, shipwreck diving and Eco-tourism. Whether you’re Filipino or an international traveler visiting the Philippines, Subic Bay is the ideal area to spend a few days.
We were caught in an afternoon, long familiar drizzle as we journeyed from Manila to Subic Bay.
Thankfully when we arrived at The Lighthouse Marina Resort we were welcomed by a bellman and a porter who sheltered us with an oversize umbrella.
The Lighthouse resort is a charming three-story modern structure. The large ceiling to floor windows showed off the picturesque location beautifully and created a light and airy feel. It all looked so perfect looking through the glass panels.
Walking in the entrance eye-catching ornaments were on display with a consistent marine theme.
This even included a lighthouse hand sanitiser and a shell-shaped lamp.
Checking in was a breeze. Although the hotel provides a lift for the three storey building, we opted to take the stairs to the second level, so I could take a few more pics of the expansive foyer.
We were booked into the Aqua Terrace Room, if you click the link you will see a list of room inclusions.
Boy, this resort sure knows how to pamper their guests!
The Lighthouse Marina Resort is a boutique style hotel with just 34 rooms. The welcoming feeling was apparent on check in, and then again when we found a complimentary welcoming fruit basket in the room.
The room rate also included afternoon snacks, and a turndown dessert!
Oh, and did I mention complimentary buffet breakfast for two, three hours of room internet plus free wi-fi in designated areas! …but wait there’s more, and afternoon cocktails and nightcap are available on request. The list goes on!
Every kid and kid-at-heart will most certainly ask the question,
“Can I climb the lighthouse tower?” and I am no exception.
The friendly pool guard suggested that I could simply inform the front desk that I wanted to climb the lighthouse.
I imagined myself like “Puss-in-Boots’” in the Shrek movie, pleading at the counter. I needn’t have been shy, the security officer took it upon himself to organise the climb, and returned to accompany us to the view deck, our safety assured.
The night before sailing I tossed and turned pondering if a non-swimmer like me would in fact take pleasure of the resort’s Sunset Yacht Cruise. With the inclement weather, I turned to the god of the sea and my prayer was heard. I will share more about our sunset cruise in another story.
If you are not into sailing or kayaking the resort also offers sundry board games, spa services, game console rentals, kids club and bookings to theme park and treetop adventures in Subic.
Slightly soaked from the cruise, we went back to the hotel, still awed by the enchanting lighthouse. We were hungry and looking forward to a meal at the resort’s Sands Resto Grill.
The Lighthouse Marina Resort is located just 2-3 hours travel from Manila so it’s a great spot for a weekend getaway, truly worth the drive, although “worth it” is an understatement.
After my experience at The Lighthouse Marine Resort I only have three letters to sum up this accommodation – WOW.
The Lighthouse Marina Resort
Lighthouse Drive, Central Business District Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Philippines 2222 The Lighthouse Marina Resort website Manila Direct Line (Tel/Fax): (+63 2) 711.0019Subic Line (Tel/Fax): (+63 47) 252.5000 or (+63 47) 252.7545
