CONSIDERED as the country’s future premiere getaway, Clark, Pampanga, is continuously being developed as a modern hub for commercial, industrial, leisure and tourism.
Now known as Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ) and Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ), these zones have become the melting pot for the hotel and restaurant industry, which offer various types of accommodations, theme park attractions, golf and country clubs among others. Likewise, it is now one of the popular choices of destination for a short spree outside Metro Manila.
Situated at the central area of the district is a unique hospitality establishment—the Fontana Leisure Parks. Regarded as the country’s largest and perhaps the most advanced integrated leisure park, Fontana sits in an expansive 300-hectare property within the CSEZ. Fontana is not your typical resort. It is the only one in the country which offers a wide-ranging R and R estate complete with a water park theme and golf course. Couples, families, business travelers as well as tourists and corporate groups will surely appreciate what the American planned community has to offer, including conference and banquet rooms. They also serve a diverse array of international restaurants, cafés, bars and KTV. Interestingly, it only takes less than two hours, in light traffic conditions, to get to Fontana.
Wide-ranging accommodations
As soon as you reach the main entrance, you will be greeted with a charming landscape presentation. As you progress, rows of villas will start to surface along the wide path. All are positioned in succeeding streets facing one another with cul-de-sacs in each end. These bungalow-type villas feature attractive architectures such as trellised yellow bells, which serve as canopy at the entrance and individual patios. The exterior spaces, meantime, are surrounded with trimmed lawns.
These fully air-conditioned and furnished luxury villas offer two- or three-bedroom setup. Inside, you’ll find a living room, minibar, kitchen, dining, bathrooms and a maid’s quarter. The interior design presents a conducive arrangement, giving you that feeling of having your own home in a vacation. The two-story villas, on the other hand, offer more rooms, up to five, with two living rooms, reading room, dining, kitchen and a maid’s quarter. But if you wish to further uplift your experience, there are available villas with a private swimming pool, as well as a jacuzzi and sauna.
Meanwhile, Fontana raises the bar in terms of lodging big groups with its very own three-story villas or mansions. Away from where the typical villas and the main hotel building are located, the compound, with a cul-de-sac, sits in a secluded, fenced and secured area. Imagine you’re inside a neighborhood with identical Beverly Hills-looking mansions, each with its own driveway and garage. Once inside, you’ll be in awe to see the posh arrangements and structures. For one, the high-ceiling living or receiving area is illuminated by a big chandelier with wall lamps on each floor. Not to mention the first-rate detail trims on the walls and edges. Then, there are four dining tables with chairs for the entire group, along with the minibar table with elevated chairs facing the kitchen room.
Offering seven bedrooms to as much as 19 bedrooms, the Rose Garden Mansions are complete with amenities. Ultimately, it’s like having your very own posh mini hotel for the entire stay. This is what makes Fontana unique from the other hotels and resorts in Clark. Among the seven mansions, one has its own private pool area. Aside from these various villa lodgings, there are more luxurious rooms in the main hotel building for the couples and travelers. One of the best parts is that the property sits in a great vantage point of Mount Arayat along with an upmarket atmosphere and greeneries.
Splash adventures
Fontana’s Water Theme Park is an absolute treat for the water activity seekers. Here you’ll find giant slides and fun water facilities. But the park also houses other sports and recreational facilities for basketball, tennis and badminton. There’s even an olympic-sized pool and other gaming centers to suit your active lifestyle.
One of the themes is the “Three Giant Aqua Thrill Slides.” This attraction lets you experience the thrill from covered body slide, full open body slides, or with inflatable tube. Another is the lazy river, where you can experience the 500-meter long pool hyped by water currents and fallen log with showers.
If you prefer a serene moment with your family, then there’s the hot spring and lagoon pool. Here, guests can go fishing in the man-made lagoon surrounded by age-old trees. This lagoon stretches to a pool with jacuzzi and a bar and the Fontana Hot Spring.
But if you really want to do actual swimming laps, the Fontana’s premium and well-situated olympic-sized pool is the one for you. The pool, which measures 50×25 meters, has eight lanes made suitable for competitive swimming or lap ups. With all these wide-ranging accommodations and water attractions, your trip to Fontana with your family or friends is absolutely like the best summer, every time.
Backed by strong leadership and vision
With a strong 400-plus work force to deliver excellent service to guests, the entire group is helmed by Fontana Hot Spring Leisure Parks General Manager Pak Chi Keung “Dennis” since 2009. Being a 44-year veteran in the hospitality industry, Dennis has acquired the skills to blend science of hotel management with the art of professional hospitality that allowed him to achieve exceptional results. His previous leadership roles involve various stints from midsize and high-end hotels in Hong Kong and mainland China.
As the general manager, he is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations and work collaboratively with his high-performance management team. He also provides leadership vision to the organization by assisting the board and staff with the development of long term and annual plans, including its evaluation and reporting of progress. He also has thoughts on what to do for Fontana in the near future. “I would love to continue the development and expansion of Fontana facilities, especially the Water Theme Park,” he shared.
Just like any other leader, he has also faced difficult challenges and along the way, accomplished achievements. “There’s a tight competition in the hotel industry inside and outside Clark but Fontana has always been able to overcome the challenges,” he said.
If there’s one thing he believes why guests keep on coming back to Fontana, he said, “Because they loved and enjoyed staying with us. It’s the exclusivity of the place and its facilities that offer something for all types of travelers,” he explained. “Indeed, the resort offers a unique kind of experience. Fontana is the only resort inside Clark that offers both villa and hotel accommodation with huge recreational facilities. Fontana also contributes to the tourism industry by catering to international clients. Most of all, our staff members are very hospitable, friendly and are always happy to serve.”
www.fontana.com.ph
Image credits: Randy S. Peregrino