Savoy Hotel Boracay brings a hip, young vibe to the island

The Swe-dish girl was a solo traveler around Southeast Asia. When Amanda Muller arrived in Boracay on Tuesday last week, she took a boat from Caticlan Jetty Port to cross to the island and then to Boracay Newcoast, located on the other side of the island. It’s the more quiet side of Boracay but easily accessible by hourly shuttle service to White Beach.

Boracay was the third leg of her Philippine adventure, following Cebu and Palawan. She had no idea that she was the first ever guest of the new Savoy Hotel Boracay, which held a soft opening last week prior to its launch on Sunday.

Savoy Boracay general manager Adie A. Gallares says, “She was pleasantly shocked because she just booked online and we were all there to welcome her.”

This young traveler is the kind of guest that Savoy had in mind in designing the hotel — young, adventurous, excited about exploring new places and new cultures. A perfect fit for the hotel’s slogan “Color your experience.”  

Savoy Boracay was developed by Megaworld in partnership with its subsidiary GERI (Global-Estate Resorts Inc.) as part of Boracay Newcoast, a 150-hectare masterplanned township that will eventually include hotels, low to mid-rise condominiums, a subdivision and the existing Fairways & Bluewater golf course. Its masterplan envisions 60 percent of the township to remain open and only 40 percent will be built on.

Savoy Boracay was designed by Singapore-based FB Eye, whose diverse portfolio includes luxury, resorts, celebrity restaurants, signature spas, private residences and mega yachts.

The hotel has a young, hip vibe starting with the white web-pattern ceiling and touches of vibrant turquoise, pink, fuchsia, and green colors. It combines solid color fabrics with print, wood and woven material. Its lobby is airy and wide open with whimsical touches in seating areas and the reception.   

Adie says, “We wanted something unique and different. Millennnials like everything that’s new and  spaces that are Instagrammable and  social-media ready.”

But Savoy is not just targeting millennials, it’s also for vacationers looking for a more relaxing time in Boracay, a quiet beach and leisurely walks, and perhaps to enjoy the party scene of White Beach without having to stay there all the time.

Sitting on a 1.8-hectare land in the 150-hectare Boracay Newcoast township, Savoy Hotel Boracay is a 559-room, six-story hotel with a main swimming pool, and a party pool open to the public for events, parties and concerts, and a spa and fitness center.  

Adie says, “We have four room categories — deluxe, corner deluxe, premier deluxe and executive suites. We also have 40 connecting rooms. The rooms face either the pool, the golf course or the ocean.”

Savoy has three dining outlets: Vienne Lobby Lounge and Bar, just behind the reception, serves cold sandwiches, tapas, drinks and pastries. This space, more than any other in the hotel, carries its design identity. It is colorful and fun with egg-shaped chairs hanging from the ceiling.

Savoy Café one floor down is an all-day dining restaurant with air-conditioned and al fresco seating areas. The main room can seat 150 people and 80 outside by the pool.

The third outlet is the Chambrey Pool Bar, which can seat up to 30 people and is embedded in the main swimming pool. Behind this is the Party Pool, the first concert pool arena in the country.

“We’re looking at the Party Pool as a destination and is open to the public,” says Adie.

The first event at the Party Pool is happening this Labor Day weekend on April 29 and 30 starting at 7 p.m. Savoy will shuttle guests between Station 1 and the hotel.

Performers, DJs and celebrities are expected to liven up the Vibrant Blacklit Pool Party.

This weekend’s Laboracay is the annual event when the whole island parties from dusk till dawn. It’s a weekend busier than Easter or New Year, and getting more popular every year.

Savoy also has a ballroom that can accommodate up to 150 guests and smaller groups. 

Boracay Newcoast has three coves and Savoy is a 10-minute walk to the beach. Adie says, “There are golf carts and shuttles to take guests there but they prefer to walk.”

The beach is 250-meter-long of white sand that will soon be filled with beach beds and umbrellas. The water is so clear in this part of Sibuyan Sea and it’s truly awe-inspiring in several shades of blue.

You know how a beautiful, pristine beach is always described as “Boracay 20 years ago?”

Well, this is Boracay right now, in the present — and it’s a breathtaking sight.

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For reservation, call Savoy’s Manila office at 318-8834 to 37. Log on to savoyhotelboracay.com.ph.

Visit the author’s travel blog at www.findingmyway.net. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @iamtanyalara.