One can be like the waves and flow like bliss at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao, a five-star business hotel and resort set in a lush garden. Here, one can have his cake and eat it too while on a serious trip, a seminar, or other official business. It is nestled in the core of the city – just a short ride away from major commercial centers, the Davao City airport, an 18-hole golf course and other points of interest in the Philippines’ largest metropolis.
But one doesn’t have to go outside the confines of Waterfront Insular Hotel to revel in fun, pleasure and comfort. The hotel is paradise itself. Having completed its renovation recently, Waterfront now has more than 250 rooms that are designed with the guests’ comfort in mind. Touches of greenery are vital elements in every room, adding to its "homey" and relaxing feel. Other structures of the hotel likewise have been blended harmoniously with tropical accents – including the stretch of beach fronting the Davao Gulf – to give the guests the feel of being constantly being in touch with nature. The hotel lobby itself has been redesigned to give visitors a view of the garden, the Davao Gulf, Samal Island and the whole grandeur that is Waterfront Insular Hotel.
The hotel isn’t lacking in facilities where guests can wine, dine and have fun. La Parilla, an al fresco restaurant, offers a wide array of mouth-watering delicacies and dishes from succulent steaks to the day’s freshest catch from the sea. The Orchid, on the other hand, is the hotel’s all-day coffee shop that also serves sumptuous Continental and Asian buffets. The Vinta Bar offers live entertainment nightly, while the Badjao Pool Bar serves tropical drinks, cocktails and light snacks.
There are also facilities where guests can work their muscles and sweat it out. One can take revitalizing laps in the hotel’s crystal-clear pool, enjoy a few sets of tennis or a friendly shoot-around in the basketball court, or practice putting in the hotel’s golfing greens. One can also take a ferry ride to the nearby islands in the Davao Gulf (including Barcelo Pearl Farm Island Resort) through the hotel’s jetty.
Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao is one of Davao City’s renowned landmarks, having been around since 1961. Originally built by the Ayalas and now owned by the Gatchalians, it has undergone several transformations through the years. Nevertheless, it has been the hotel of choice among visitors to the city.
As proof of its superior facilities and services, the Waterfront Insular Hotel is the only first-class hotel in Davao to have been bestowed the Hotel of the Year Award by the Department of Tourism in the 1995-1996 Kalakbay Awards.