Crown Regency Boracay: Your destination within a destination

MANILA, Philippines - It is one of the best beaches in the world. Boracay is known internationally for its pristine white sand, azure waters and as a major tourism spot for the country. Locals and foreigners alike come to lie on its sandy beaches for a good tan, or mingle with other tourists in the various bars, establishments and hotels in the area. The beautiful waters offer a host of activities from banana boats to windsurfing. But the face of this famous vacation destination is about to change, for the better, with Crown Regency Beach Resort.

The hotel – a modern and sleek 524-room property located right at the center of Boracay at Station 2 – is already generating a buzz for what it has in store for tourists within the next few months. Crown Regency will be, according to president and CEO Richard King, a “destination within a destination,” featuring an array of entertainment and activity facilities for everyone.

The moment you arrive at the Crown Regency’s lobby, look up; what you see is a hint of what to expect from a structure that will be more than just your typical hotel. What greets you is a ceiling aquarium, complete with groups of various fish species seemingly floating right above you. More than just a statement, anyone staying here will surely delight in the many water activities nearby.

The Crown Regency is a hotel that is currently being built in three phases. The first phase, which is the main hotel, will be fully complete by the end of the year but, already, guests can enjoy two of the Crown Regency’s biggest draws: the wave rider and the wave pool.

Touted as the only one in the country, the wave rider generates a steady stream of powerful, rushing water on a shallow platform where one can practice his surfboarding skills without fear of falling into deep water.

Right beside the wave rider and on a completely different level is the wave pool. About the size of an Olympic swimming pool but only about four and a half to five feet deep, the wave pool does exactly what its name implies. “The wave pool can create two-meter high waves,” says King. A loud siren signals whenever a batch of waves is about to be unleashed, which is about every 10 to 15 minutes. One can learn to surf, ride the waves or simply wade at the end of the pool as the waves come crashing down. A couple of regular pools also flank the facilities and provide a much calmer experience.

About to be completed in this phase is the Oceanarium. Targeted for a December completion date, the Oceanarium will be a huge aquarium at the basement level of the hotel, providing guests a chance to observe different fish species while eating at the restaurant or just walking around.

Guests may also go scuba diving inside the large aquarium (or walk with the help of special equipment if they don’t know how to use scuba gear). Entertainment shall be provided by underwater shows and the like. Also, guests can walk across a long underwater tunnel that, says King, is longer than the one at Manila Ocean Park.

“We will have sea turtles, sharks, manta rays and other big fish,” King continues. “Aside from that, our Oceanarium has access to a tunnel inside the aquarium. At 100 feet, it’s even longer than the one at Manila Ocean Park.”

That’s just phase one of the plan. Phase two, adds King, will be the land component of the hotel. “Phase two is what I call our land adventure,” he enthuses. “I call it the Boracay Adventure Park. It will be a three-hectare development right at the back of the hotel. It will be composed of many attractions. It’s like a theme park but mostly environmental-friendly.”

King elaborates that they will construct several team-building facilities for corporate accounts. Secondly, an amphitheater is in the works for animal shows.

He says, “We will have a bird show, monkey show — our bird show is better than the one at Jurong Bird Park in Singapore. We will have the monkeys driving scooters, playing basketball. We are already doing these shows at Cebu malls for free. Our parrots can also do scooters, basketball and bowling. Our eagles fly and come back. They will show you how they catch their prey. It’s a complete show with tigers, lions, bears, a lot of educational shows for children.”

Other facilities include a 2,000-square-meter crocodile farm, a 2,000-square-meter aviary, various animal exhibits filled with exotic animals such as lions and tigers, and an ATV trail.

“One facility we are putting up in our adventure park is an indoor firing range,” says King. It is an effort to bring international events to the island. “I will put up three studios capable of holding world-class shoot competitions.”

At the highest point of the property will be a tower with spectacular views of Boracay and the ever-present zipline. At the back of the property, touted as phase three, will be an exclusive enclave of villas — about only 50 — situated on a private beach cove for VIP guests.

Lastly, there’s the Convention Center. King explains, “We are completing the Convention Center. It will be the biggest in Boracay. We can fit about 1,200 persons here. It has a 650-square-meter exhibit area. We can now hold big conventions here because of this.”

The first two phases will be completed within the next two years. In four years, King says the entire resort and all of its planned activity and adventure facilities will finally be open.

“What I’m doing is all for tourism. It’s going to be tourism-friendly, environment-friendly. We are not disturbing the back area because it will be a good habitat for the animals. The birds can live naturally in the trees,” says King.

The Crown Regency attractions will not be limited to its guests. King declares, “Our intention is not to compete with other hotels (here in Boracay) — we are complementary. Because we are putting up an attraction for all the guests going to Boracay. We are not exclusive but, of course, Crown Regency guests will get a discount.”

What King has done is truly remarkable, creating a destination within a place that already enjoys international acclaim. Crown Regency is set to change the face of Boracay as we know it. He concludes, “We will try to change how Boracay is enjoyed — for people to enjoy Boracay to the fullest.”

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The Crown Regency Boracay is located at Boat Station 2, Main Road, Barangay Balabag, Boracay Island Malay, Aklan. For inquiries or reservations, call (+6336) 506-3111, fax at (+6336) 506-3131, e-mail at reservations@crownregency.com or log on to http://www.crownregencyhotels.com/convention/index.php.