The lost horizon rediscovered
MANILA, Philippines - I have been here before. But now things seem renewed, as if everything had just been hatched from the imagination of some grand architect. Perhaps because of the frenetic speed and pace at which the year thus far has proceeded, or perhaps because we have come here just a few days after producing “Megadeth Live in Manila.” This place is miraculous. It’s clearly man-made, but it magically captures the serenity of nature and molds it into a luxuriant form that coddles the mind and body. The Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa is truly a paradise, especially vis-à-vis the rest of the island. Welcoming us at the lobby was Amit Oberoi, the GM of Shangri-La Boracay, formerly the resident manager of Makati Shangri-La. This quiet place is the saving grace of a once great nook in this sprawling archipelago.
I wake up here almost automatically just past six in the morning, fully rested and excited to venture outside of our beautifully arranged villa and into the gusty humidity, for a stroll to the main hall for breakfast every morning. The grounds are beautifully landscaped, the overall architecture of the resort is grand and sweeping — but that is not what is truly impressive. What is remarkable is how the property is maintained: with a precision that somehow creates the sense that every fallen leaf is in its proper place. The staff — from gardener to security guard to restaurant host to waiters and waitresses — exudes an uncommon and sincere happiness that is rarely evinced in the hospitality industry throughout the world. We have been here for five days straight and this uncanny quality has been consistent from my waking hours to the moment my wife and I disappear beneath the sheets.
Several minutes away from our villa, at a casual grandfatherly pace, you’ll pass the entertainment center, which is outfitted with all sorts of games from ping-pong to billiards to air hockey to foosball to PS3 to Wii to karaoke, as well as a number of online computers (which is where I write this article now). Just outside this area is another set of doors that leads you to the Adventure Zone where parents can deposit their little ones, who can then run amok and careen down massive kiddie slides into a gazillion multi-colored plastic balls. Another brief distance onward, you will find what is perhaps the best health club facility on the island, complete with well-maintained weight machines (which is a rare factor in a beach setting, where machines are commonly corroded by the sea air).
There is plenty of nothing to do, and what with reading a book in our villa’s spacious living area, sipping tea or enjoying the gentle view from our veranda and private pool out toward the private beach area, I am never bored. The master bedroom and bath area is an expert case study in luxury. From the vanity and walk-in closet area to the bright, refreshing bathroom, you clearly sense that an intense thought process went into developing this little alcove of comfort.
Turning left outside of our villa, a short and gentle stroll up a little hill, across a silent bridge and down welcoming stone steps that lead you over a generous pond filled with swaying coy, is the Chi Spa — a temple of comfort and certainly an oasis for the soul. Albeit pricey, it is, if you are into oodles of self-medicating pampering, precisely what a busy mind needs. The Chi Spa is a modern-day miracle that obviously draws deep inspiration from a glorious imagined past of myth, mystery and Tibetan dreams — reality can only be this lovely in Hollywood.
After a truly soothing massage that is administered with what I can only describe as reverence, the walk back across the rippling pond and up the stone steps and down the little hill, it is easy to imagine, looking up at the gentle hill covered with trees, that you are elsewhere. Although I have never been there, I imagine Kyoto might look or at least evoke this kind of peace.
Perhaps the only area this amazing property could improve on is its culinary offerings, which we experienced at a sister property, the Shangri-La Rasa Ria, in Kota Kinabalu. Not that the Italian restaurant, Rima, or the lovely seafood restaurant, Serena, are poor dining choices — they are certainly among the best available on the island — only that the level does not quite match the high sheen of the property. With this improved, the Shangri-La Boracay would be a true juggernaut, unbeatable in terms of hospitality, class, service and taste. Nonetheless, my mom was very pleased with the special care Sous Chef Gianluca, who accorded her for her food allergies. She enjoyed a superb meal of mushroom risotto with poached sea bass for lunch at the Vintana before our departure for Manila.
