2012 • 8 • 23

“I have bad news for you.”

That was the first thing I said to Doyzkie as soon as I opened the door. He was standing right outside the door, his finger still pressed to the doorbell. He had barely entered the suite, and I was already bombarding him with negativities.

“What?” he asked.

“We’re sharing a bed,” I answered. “A matrimonial bed.”

“Naaah, I don’t mind,” he dismissed. “May I enter now?”

I opened the door to the suite wider, moved aside, and gave way. Doyzkie pointed to the room at the end of the hall and flashed a look asking me if that was the bed. I followed him as he settled down, opening the closet and shoving his bag into it.

“I don’t mind sharing the bed. No problem,” he said.

“I snore,” I sheepishly admitted in the form of a barely comprehensible mumble.

He laughed. “It’s okay! Don’t worry.”

“No, no. You don’t understand. I SNORE!”

“Let’s have lunch,” he dismissed as he made his way to the kitchen. Doyzkie and I were two of the many bloggers invited by Tattoo to the launch of their new website in Boracay.

Location

All of us were housed at The Palms of Boracay, situated in Station 1 at the north end of the popular White Beach in Boracay. While this side of the island is the most popular of all its beaches, the Palms is tucked in the more quiet corner, far from the busy and crazy Stations 2 and 3.

The hotel is several yards away from the beach. If you’re checking in here, don’t expect that you’d see the shore right after you made it past the gate. You’ll have to walk a little, about five minutes if I estimated right. That’s the downside. The upside, you’re away from all the noise. If you’re the type who loves silence and being alone in a paradise, then you’ll love it.

Rooms and Rates

Unlike most hotels, the Palms offer two types of accommodations only — studio suites and family suites. The one assigned to us was a family suite with two bedrooms: a twin room and a double room. It was really designed for a family of four: the double room is perfect for the parents and the twin room for the kids. There was also a kitchen and dining area, a living area with a flat-screen TV, and a spacious glass-walled toilet and bath with a tub. The double room, which serves as the master’s bedroom, has a study table and a small balcony. Unfortunately, the view we had was nothing special. But the room itself was phenomenal. It was big, tidy, and absolutely quiet.

Here are the rates as of August 23, 2012:

Studio Suite

High Season (01 Nov. 2012 – 31 May 2013): PhP 9,000
Lean Season (01 June 2012 – 31 Oct. 2012): PhP 7,200

2-Bedroom Suite

High Season (01 Nov. 2012 – 31 May 2013): PhP 15,000
Lean Season (01 June 2012 – 31 Oct. 2012): PhP 12,000

For list of inclusions, policies, and terms, visit their official website here.

Design and Architecture

The Palms of Boracay harbors three buildings: two hotel buildings and a restaurant. Just beside the restaurant lies a pool, open to all guests for free. We visited Boracay at the time when there was an overgrowth of algae at the beach and news of e-Coli infection broke on TV, and some of us were so afraid to swim in the sea so we settled with the pool on our first two days.

The hotel was designed by Therese Yupangco, a prominent architect in the country, using Mindanao as the inspiration. According to the hotel’s Facebook page, “This can be seen in the wonderful architectural features of the roof and the colour schemes and also in the original and antique art work and craft examples that are showcased in the rooms, corridors and lounges.”

On the far end of the hotel grounds is a slope on top of which stands a small hut, accessible via a steep concrete staircase that extends from the pool area. Fringed with grass and flowering plants, the stairway allows a good view of Station 1.

Service

The service was commendable. The staff were all very friendly, approchable, and helpful. When we called for lunch, the delivery was quick and we encountered no problems about our food. When we had questions, we would just call the reception and we’d get appropriate and satisfying answers. There was an instance where I returned to the hotel to get something but completely forgot that the key was not with me. One of the staff passed by and I asked him if it would be possible for me to get in. After taking my name and other details, he went down — we were on the third floor — to get another key and open the door for me. I also found myself a number of times sharing cheerful conversations with the staff (about island life, their dreams, favorite celebrities, haha).

There really was nothing else to be said about the service other than that it was great!

Our 3-day, 2-night stay at The Palms of Boracay was comfortable and rewarding. The service was fantastic, the food great, and the rooms spacious. While others might not like the location, it was perfect for the type who still long for some peace and quiet. And peace and quiet my roommate Doyzkie did not get.

“You were having a concert last night,” he said jokingly the next morning, referring to my snoring. “You really were.”

“Was it that bad?” I asked.

“It was a concert! A concert!” We laughed talking about how scandalous it was. He can’t say I didn’t warn him.

The Palms of Boracay
Station 1, Boracay Island, 5608 Malay, Aklan
reservations@palmsboracay.com
marketing@palmsboracay.com
www.palmsboracay.com