Boracay Regency: A grand showcase of value for money

MANILA, Philippines - Who would have thought that five-star international hotel Boracay Regency Beach Resort and Convention Center started out with only 40 rooms in 1998?

But 11 years hence, that 40-room affair is now the icon of grandeur and excellence on Boracay Island, offering a unique experience, boasting 285 world-class rooms, and still expanding.

Boracay Regency president Henry Chusuey simply calls it “value for money,” which he describes as all the luxurious facilities, amenities and superb service that give value to every cent that guests spend in this resort hotel. 

“That’s the reason why our hotel always enjoys the highest occupancy rate on the island, enabling and inspiring us to expand and expand in order to accommodate our ever-growing clientele,” Chusuey says.

True to his word, this sprawling beach resort complex, by December, is launching the Regency Lagoon Resort comprising an additional 120 rooms, bringing the total to over 400 and all the more reinforcing its distinction as the island’s biggest and finest. The 120 new rooms will constitute another resort that Chusuey intends to turn into an exclusive facility for adults, particularly honeymooners who seek a quiet and romantic ambiance unspoiled by the noise and frolic of hyperactive children.

At present, Boracay Regency is composed of three principal clusters — the main and north wings located right at the beachfront, and the garden wing nestled in a nature-inspired setting at a more secluded portion of the property for utmost privacy.

Constituting the main and north wings are four types of rooms — superior, deluxe, family and premier — and five types of suites — junior, executive, honeymoon, royal, and presidential, all with such standard amenities as air-conditioning, cable TV, pillow top mattresses, 300-tread count duvet, in-room electronic safe, electronic room key, telephone, alarm clock, high-speed Internet access, mini-bar with refrigerator, complimentary bottled water, coffee and tea-making facility with complimentary coffee and tea, and toilet and bath with hot and cold shower, towels, Boracay Regency toiletries, and secondary phone.

The superior room offers either a queen-size bed or two single-size beds, while the deluxe room has a queen-size bed and another single-size bed. The family room is like a superior room and a deluxe room put together and linked by a large and well-equipped bathroom.

But for comfort and accessibility, nothing beats the premier room, the largest among the hotel’s non-suite rooms. Exuding a sense of luxury and opulence that come at a reasonable price, this room has a single-size bed and a queen-size bed, or a king-size bed for maximum comfort. Direct pool access is available in some units, but all have bathtubs.

And on top of the standard amenities, each of the deluxe, family and premier rooms has a sitting area and a balcony overlooking the beach, garden or swimming pool. 

The amenities just keep on adding up as one goes up the ladder of the “value chain” or the level of conveniences that each type of room or suite can offer.

For example, the junior suite has its own receiving area, a 37-inch LCD TV, separate bathtub with telephone-type shower and hairdryer, and complimentary Boracay Regency slippers and fruit basket, which are on top of the standard amenities.

But one step up the list is the more luxurious executive suite, with a separate dining and living area with its own TV aside from the 37-inch LCD TV in the master bedroom, a separate powder room, and all the amenities that the junior suite has.

And so goes further up the line, with the honeymoon suite even featuring a floor-to-ceiling mirror, a whirlpool tub, and a grand balcony for a truly romantic stay.

Still, the peak of luxury is yet to come. Aside from all those amenities, the royal suite offers even more — two exquisitely furnished rooms adjoined by a receiving area. The master bedroom has a king-size bed, while the other has two single beds. Each room has its own toilet and bath.

So now comes the ultimate in luxury — the presidential suite. Located at the center of the resort, this suite showcases all the other suites’ amenities at their grandest.

Their counterparts are at the Garden Wing, which provides a more private space away from the crowd, yet remains close to the beach. But while the Garden Wing has its deluxe, premier and family rooms, it has only one type of suite — the garden suite, which Chusuey describes as the “epitome of style and luxury.”

Guests staying in the suites are entitled to exclusive use of the VIP Lounge, where they can have free-flowing snacks and beverages, free Wi-Fi Internet access, and pre-dinner cocktails of canapés and wines.

With eight bars and restaurants, including a garden pool bar, the hotel also has a spa, fitness facilities, a grand ballroom, function rooms, and a three-story convention center, the biggest on the island.

Most importantly, the hotel’s share of this world-famous white sand beach is at the very center of such a magnificent strip, befitting Boracay Regency’s somewhat obvious distinction as the crown jewel of the island, in all its “royal highness” that renders great “value for money.”