CORON town, the gateway to Coron Island’s numerous wreck diving sites, clean and clear lakes and beautiful islands with white-sand beaches, has a new addition in its gallery of premier boutique resorts: Bacau Bay Resort. Managed by Anya Hospitality Corp. (the same company which manages Anya Resort Tagaytay, Club Punta Fuego, and Amara Residences), this four-star, 1.5-hectare resort had its soft opening on March 23. Located along Governor’s Drive in Sitio Jolo, Poblacion 5, it is located just 2 kilometers from the National Highway and a 30- to 45-minute drive from Francisco B. Reyes Airport. The resort was so named after the bakawan, the local name for mangroves.
Upon arrival at the resort, our media group were ushered into a Zen-inspired lobby which opens to a vista of swimming pools, fountains, walkways and a garden planted with banaba, pepper, mulawin, duhat, cashew and acacia trees plus bougainvilleas and bamboo trees, all surrounded by clusters of buildings housing the resort’s 80 nonsmoking rooms: 64 Deluxe Rooms, 15 Premier Suites and one Presidential Suite. Each air-conditioned room, elegantly designed in the minimalist style, has a flat-screen, 32” LED cable TV, phone, digital alarm clock with Bluetooth speaker, minibar, safety deposit box, writing desk, turndown service, espresso machine, balcony/terrace and complimentary drinking water. Its private ensuite bathroom has a rainshower head, bidet, hair dryer with free toiletries, dental and vanity kit. Bathrobes and slippers were also provided. Free Wi-Fi is offered in the room, as well as in public areas. Hung along the walls of the rooms, as well as in other areas in the resort, are abstract paintings by Anton Cunanan. The air-conditioned, 80- to 100-pax Amihan Restaurant, with its rattan-lined coffered ceiling, offers indoor (80-pax) and al fresco (50-pax) outdoor dining (with patio umbrellas) of buffet and à la carte local and international dishes.
There are three outdoor swimming pools, all of varying depths. The round children’s swimming pool has a 3-feet depth ideal for kids. A similarly rounded swimming pool, beside it, has a 9-feet depth ideal for introductory dive sessions. The free-form swimming pool, the largest of the three, has a 5-feet depth ideal for adults. All are surrounded by sun loungers shaded by patio umbrellas. Nearby is the Isla poolside bar. Strategically located along the walkways are three-person metal outdoor swings with canopies, while near the buildings, underneath trees, are free-standing hammocks. The 24-hour fitness center offers two stationary bicycles, one treadmill, weights (in pounds) and TRX.
The recreation information center books van transportation and island-hopping (Malcapuya Island, Banol Island, Banana Island, Bulog Island, etc.), lakes (Kayangan Lake) and hot spring (Maquinit Hot Spring) tours for guests. It also has a small boutique with souvenir items. The Alon Spa offers volcanic rock massage, traditional hilot massage, Swedish massage, Shiatsu massage, Thai massage and combination massage, as well as head massages and body scrubs which could be done at its two massage rooms or five outdoor massage cabanas.
For weddings, seminars and conferences, there’s the 46.46 square meter Malcapuya meeting room and the bigger 151.55 sq m Culion ballroom, with its coffered rattan-lined ceiling. They can accommodate 50 and 80 persons, respectively, depending on the setup. Other resort facilities include a 24-hour Front Desk, a dive shop, a 24-hour business center and a pavilion. The resort is one of few in the area that has their own exclusive private pier. About 200-meter long, it is used for island-hopping and diving adventures. Slung along the sides of the boardwalk are four sturdy rope hammocks, two for watching the sun set and the other for the sun rise. The resort has two speedboats as well as a 14-pax motorized outrigger boat. From here, you can board any of the resort’s three bamboo rafts with picnic table and benches where you can dine al fresco or do kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding among the mangroves or out at sea.
Aside from the kiddie pool, children can spend time at the Kiddie Activity Center which offers lots of board games as well as train sets, and badminton and table tennis gear. The resort also offers concierge, luggage storage, laundry, airport transfers, daily housekeeping and room service.