I’ve been all around the Philippines but two places remained unvisited, Batanes and Coron. I’m convinced there are hundreds of stunning destinations that I have yet to discover in our beautiful country, but these two were on my priority list. I’m so grateful that my dream to visit Coron finally came true last weekend. And specifically it was a dream to visit Club Paradise! Ever since I watched the video of Cat Juan-Ledesma getting hitched to Carl Ledesma on this magical island (I watched the video by Bob Nicolas over and over again! It gave me the KILIG feels like no other beach wedding!), I had Club Paradise on my must-visit list.
Club Paradise is an International winner. It’s located in Palawan which we all know was once voted as the BEST island in the WORLD by Conde Naste Traveller. And when Conde Naste says it’s the best, you know it is. And the resort itself has been consistently voted as a favorite on TripAdvisor! Hay, it was even MORE beautiful up close. It’s stunning in photos but being there and seeing it all in person—makes you just stand in awe and think of all the inspirational quotes possible! Hahahaha! It’s just so bloody GORGEOUS. Here’s a photo heavy journal for you to all enjoy! I hope they’ll be sufficient to entice you to book! Hahaha! More info about our experience at the bottom of the post!
We stayed in a Beachfront Cottage and loved it’s old rustic charm! It came with a hammock which became my dearest friend. I just LOVE hammocks!!! We felt like Robinson Crusoe for a weekend in our cottage which was just a few steps away from the shore. Although the rooms are very earthy and rustic in terms of interior, they’re very well-kept and maintained. In a few months though, you’ll see some exciting changes in their rooms as well as the rest of the resort.
The Discovery Leisure Company Inc, the team behind my favorite hotels Discovery Primea in Makati, Country Suites in Tagaytay, and Discovery Shores in Boracay just recently acquired the resort a few years ago and is already working on bringing improvements to the Club Paradise bit by bit. It’s important to note that the renovation of the property has been taking longer than usual because the Discovery group is very particular about making the whole process as eco-friendly as possible. They follow strict environmental guidelines and have been trying to work in a way that they can add more top-notch amenities but at the same time making sure they preserve the island’s natural form. Majority of the construction will be by hand as they would like to avoid bringing in heavy machinery that will disrupt the natural eco-system in the island.
I wish more and more resorts will be as environmentally conscious and considerate as Club Paradise! The Philippines is blessed with such beautiful natural resources, we don’t even have to try hard to impress because we have IT ALL! Crystal clear waters, powdery white sand, the glorious sun, diverse flora and fauna! Other countries spend millions and millions just to recreate what we already have here. I just wish we were more grateful of what we have and would fight to protect our treasures. Even the heavy duty laundry (towels, sheets, etc) are not done on the island. They are literally transported on a boat and brought to the main land to be washed as they don’t want the detergent to affect the reefs surrounding the island. I’m sure they have a dozen more eco-friendly moves that may sound small but actually have a huge impact.
The entire resort has that cool, laid back island vibe. But one thing that’s not laid-back is their service and that’s a huge deal! It says a lot about the management running the property. Well trained, knowledgeable, efficient and pleasant—the staff of Club Paradise can rival the ones you encounter in 5 star properties in Paris or London! They may be donning beautiful tans and wearing rash guards, but these people are true hospitality professionals. We didn’t encounter any hitches during our stay, everything was very organized and systematic. Even families with small children will find that this resort, although far flung, has enough amenities and skilled staff to assist them with their kiddos.
What I noticed also in all our chit-chats with the staff (Patrick and I love talking to waiters, guards, front desk, etc! Hehehe!) is that they all genuinely love their jobs and the resort they represent. And as a tourist, that makes me feel even more convinced that this resort was worth visiting indeed.
We had such amazing encounters with EVERYONE on the staff. Not one bad egg on the island. Lahat mahusay, lahat matiyaga, lahat mabait! But extra kudos to Joegil Escobar, the hotel manager, who assisted us throughout our stay. I have never seen anyone so friendly! He was hopping from one table to another engaging each guest like they were life long friends. We were also so impressed by the Bea, Jem and the rest of the front desk staff. Jem met us at the airport and we enjoyed his Wikipedia style chat–he had SOOOO much information about the culture in Coron, Club Paradise as a resort, and so much more. I’m such a sucker for trivia and so this was something I really enjoyed! The van&boat breezed by so quickly because we were so in to the whole discussion with Jem.
The waiters at Ocean Restaurant (will be blogging more on the food soon!) were also very sweet and accommodated all our requests. The GLOW SPA masseuses were AMAZING. I loved our first massage so much I ended up knocked out and snoring happily! Pat goes ” halting nag-enjoy ka babe! You kept snoring!” HAHAHAHA! We were so addicted to it, we booked another massage the following day! Hahaha! Aside from massages, they have body scrubs, facials and other treatments.
We also want to give a shout out to the water sports/snorkeling team! They were all very helpful especially since Patrick and I didn’t know where or how to go about it. Hahaha. Ante was so patient with us and really gave us the best experience of the island last Sunday! And of course, I would also like to thank the team here in Manila headed by Ms. Frances Maniquis and Jane Santiago who work twice as hard to bring tourists like me all the way to Palawan! Thanks for helping me arrange this wonderful weekend with the husband. I know the past few paragraphs were all about the people but I just wanted to properly credit the folks who made us feel so loved this weekend. I personally feel that what makes Club Paradise, PARADISE is 50% The Breathtaking Island and 50% The Amazing People who work here.
Club Paradise appeals to different types of travelers. For the honeymooning couple (we pretended for a weekend!! #MarriageFirst), it’s the perfect setting for romance: Candlelit dinners by the beach, a picnic lunch on a private beach, massages for two, etc. For those with kids, you’ll never run out of fun things to explore with your little tots. There’s even a kiddie playroom for your children to enjoy on their own. And for the barkadas that like a bit of adventure, you can go kayaking, hiking, island hopping, diving, the list goes on and on! I love that it’s a very versatile resort that works for any season in your life making it a place you’ll want to revisit again and again.
Thanks again for the hospitality, Team Club Paradise. It’s clear from my Instagram Feed that I fell completely in love with your resort over the weekend! For bookings and inquiries, visit http://www.
clubparadisepalawan.com and ht
tp://www.discoveryhotels-
resorts.com You can also search them on IG& Facebook for more current promotions @clubparadisepalawan