We were so glad to be back on land after a petrifying boat ride, but more on that in my next post. For this one, let me talk about the resort we stayed in. We stayed in Buri Resort & Spa (www.buri-resort.com). We’ve been eyeing this resort for a couple of years now, ever since we found their website and saw a flyer they had. It seemed really interesting, but at the same time affordable. But in the summer of 2004, on our way to another resort, we passed by Buri and it looked pretty decrepit, far from how the pictures looked in the pamphlet. We were disappointed and scrapped this resort out of our list. But when we saw the new website, announcing its re-opening in October 2007 after a major renovation, with its impressive pictures (and a new partnership with Nurture Spa), we decided to finally check it out.
And boy, were we glad we did. The resort was just as nice as it looked in their website. The moment we saw the layout of the resort, we knew we made the right decision to go there. The main area was breathtaking with its 2 pools, and greenery all around.
If not for the nippy winds, we would’ve jumped right into the pool the minute we got there. But as is the case whenever we get to a resort, we were excited to see the rooms as well. We got the Family Villa, which is the mid-sized villa of the 3 types, and again, we were NOT disappointed.
It’s got 2 floors, the bottom one containing the main bedroom, and the top one with 3 extra beds. The main bedroom is just perfect. It’s got a killer view of the pool area and the sea, all visible from the bed. What a view to wake up to. It’s also got sliding doors in front and on both sides of the bed, which you can open up for an indoor-outdoor feel.
The 2nd floor bedroom isn’t as fantastic, but it’s pretty cozy as well. It’s got 3 beds (actually 2, but one has a pull-out), and it also has a view of the resort. Both have aircons and fans for the summer heat, which we hardly used, since the weather was chilly the whole time we were there.
But one thing has to be said about this resort. We’ve been to many resorts, but hands downs, this one has THE BEST PILLOWS AND BEDSHEETS EVER! No other resort even comes close to the quality of the pillows and bedsheets. The pillows seem like feather pillows so it’s got the right amount of softness and firmness, and the sheets must’ve had an impressive thread count. So nice.
The toilets were cute too, nothing fantastic, but not bad either.
And when it wasn’t raining, we’d have our meals in these wonderful daybeds right next to the shore. A nice quaint touch to an already impressive resort.
Overall, the resort is a winner, with more bang for your buck than most resorts in the Philippines. ALMOST perfect. One sour note though. The service. Don’t get me wrong, the service is excellent. The staff is friendly, and very efficient. The pool boy is cleaning the pool 24/7, taking out the leaves practically the whole day, making the pool crystal clear and constantly inviting. So why am I giving the service low marks?
On our first night, the last call for food and drinks was at 9pm. We weren’t even finished with our food yet when we were informed of the last call. We found this odd, to say the very least, because most guests don’t even eat dinner until 8 or 9pm! I guess because there were only 2 groups, us included, and they figured they could close up shop earlier.
Worse, on the 2nd night, after the other group left, we were asked for our final orders at 8pm! What restaurant asks for final call at 8pm?!? So we were freaking out because we still wanted drinks and desserts but the whole staff left us there, at 8pm, with nothing more to eat or drink. That was a deal breaker for us. Major boo-boo. It’s not just bad for the guests, but it’s bad for the resort as well. It was lost revenue for them because we would’ve ordered drinks till the wee hours of the morning! We found out later that the resort hasn’t hired a manager yet, so basically the staff is running the place on their own, going Lord of the Flies on us. I don’t know if the owner knows about this, but they should. When you pay good money for a resort, you expect to be pampered like guests. Those two nights, we felt like unwanted interlopers who were imposing on the “homeowners”. This is one resort that is in dire need of a MANAGER.
But come morning, the staff is back and is efficient as ever. The service is top-notch IF they’re there. That was the only flaw (and a HUGE one at that), in an otherwise impressive resort. What a shame.
(To Be Continued…)
