The Life Acuatico

MANILA, Philippines - The sleepy, four-kilometer or so stretch of beach in San Juan, Batangas has long been known as a quiet vacation spot for the summer. Sun worshipers come here to relax — a relatively remote place in the province where tranquility and the beautiful blue waters of Tayabas Bay meet. Adding to its fame is a small, intimate resort providing exciting new ways to enjoy the sun and sand. Get ready for the life aquatic at Acuatico Beach Resort and Hotel.

With a name that is directly translated from Spanish as “water,” Acuatico lets you in on what a true resort is all about. Located right in Laiya, San Juan, Batangas just two-and-a-half hours from Manila, the resort is small in scale to capture the essence of intimacy and peace in a beautifully designed space. Right off the bat, as you enter past the main building’s reception area, an exquisitely designed infinity pool stretches into the distance, melding with the open waters of the bay.

“It’s the trademark of the resort,” says general manager Simonette Gusi. “700 square meters seamlessly connected to the sea.”

Designed by architect Rommel Dionisio, the infinity pool is angled perfectly, meeting the edge of the water, so much so you will have to strain your neck or go farther up the pool just to see the sand. He also was responsible for the look of the entire resort, Balinese-inspired with several modern villas glistening in the sun. Each villa has a picture window view of the pool or the beachfront. With the Acuatico facing east, every morning is a sunrise view for all its guests.

Gusi notes that Acuatico’s villas may all look the same from the outside but each has a different room capacity — ranging anywhere from two occupants in the smaller villas, to accommodating a group or family of six in the largest villa called the Estancia. Taking advantage of bigger space, additional mountain-view rooms in Acuatico’s main building have bathtubs.

In the main building is the Oceano Restaurant where breakfast, lunch and dinner is served. Serving Filipino and continental cuisine, Gusi reveals that they have come up with something exciting at the restaurant. “Our food and beverage offerings are now on tablets, including the menus,” she continues. “Guests need to just tap the dishes or drinks they like. Kids, especially, love it very much.” Smack dab in the middle of the pool is the Acua Bar serving drinks and pastries to poolside loungers.

As much as you may want to spend your entire time in the pool, it would be a shame to miss out on Acuatico’s many water sports activities. Granted you and your friends or family came here for the peace and quiet, there’s no denying the thrill that Acuatico can provide anytime. Courtesy of Raj Watersports — incidentally run by Simonette’s husband Noli — guests can choose from several water activities from traditional jet skis, banana boats, paddle boats, a speedboat that travels along the Laiya coastline or the adrenalin-pumping Fly Fish which has you and your friends hanging on for dear life in the air on an inflatable raft pulled by a jet ski or motorboat.

After all that excitement, the Simona Spa by the main building is the perfect place to relax and wind down. Gusi says, “We had our massage therapists trained by Cathy Turvill’s people from Nurture Spa.” Offering Swedish massage, traditional hilot and even dry sauna facilities, Simona Spa is completely in-house with personnel coming from the local community.

‘Let’s make a difference’

In its first year of operation, Acuatico had already become famous by word of mouth, so much so that in Google’s Philippine Zeitgeist for 2009 — a collection of the most searched terms, personalities, and pop culture interests of the year — Acuatico Beach Resort came in third overall in searched local travel destinations.

“When we started this we wanted to be different,” explains Gusi. “Both my husband and I are from San Juan and we said, ‘Let’s make a difference.’ That’s been our concept in everything we do. Even now that we are six years old we are continually evolving.” She shares that later in the year they will renovate the pool, restaurant and rooms to offer a fresher kind of resort for future guests. “We say it’s now time.”

Families and groups of friends are the natural market for Acuatico but corporate accounts will find the resort the perfect venue for their workshops and events. A meeting room can accommodate 60 people in a theater setup. Wi-Fi is free and fast everywhere. Acuatico is also the perfect setting for weddings. On average, the resort has welcomed around 30 weddings a year since it was established. The entire property can be booked exclusively for a maximum of 70 guests.

Loyalty program

With Acuatico’s success is the offer of a loyalty program launched this month called Infinité Rewards. Categorized into Emerald, Sapphire and Diamond, each has its own set of perks. Guests who have visited Acuatico five times receive the Emerald Rewards which include exclusive perks and privileges; 10 visits will bag guests the Sapphire Rewards with higher-level perks and Diamond Rewards are given to 15-time visitors with perks that can be enjoyed for a lifetime.

May is the anniversary month of Acuatico, celebrating six years of success by continuing to evolve and delight its guests. What the resort offers is more than just a great place to spend the time in Laiya. It is an experience of how life’s vacations under the sun should be spent.

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Acuatico Beach Resort and Hotel is located in Barangay Laiya, San Juan, Batangas. For more information, contact its Manila Sales and Reservations Office at Unit 142, G/F Mile Long Building, V.A. Rufino corner Amorsolo St., Makati City. Call (632) 892-7577 to 79 and (632) 408-8383. E-mail at reservations@acuaticoresort.com.ph or go to its website at http://www.acuaticoresort.com.ph. Photos by Fernan Nebres