Astoria Boracay

So this begins my return to Boracay after 2 years. And that's a pretty long time. I used to go to Boracay twice a year every year since I got out of College. But the past two years have isolated me from one of my favorite islands in the Philippines. And yes, no matter what they say, Boracay is still Boracay.


Since I live in Astoria Plaza in Ortigas, I've been seeing the new Astoria Boracay poster in the lobby. It said, "making waves in Station 1". The picture looked nice, so we tried to book for a room for 3 nights there. When we inquired about the room rates, I was surprised that they were significantly higher than if you booked online via Agoda. So that's what we did. Booked the last room in Astoria Boracay in the Agoda website.


Astoria Boracay was actually at the end of Station 2, and not really part of Station 1. That was a disappointment for me, since the beach front is small, compared to those in Station 1, that has the widest and finest Boracay sand. There weren't any beach lounges as well in front facing the beach, so there's really no other place to go but in the resort.


But who wouldn't resist this resort? As soon as I entered, I was amazed at the design. It was white and teal, bright and clean, very European in design. The heart of this small resort was their amazing pool. Although a bit small, it was very inviting. The pool area looked very cosmopolitan. I think they were trying to battle it out with Tides.


But the structure of the resort was similar to Discovery Shores, although much modern looking. It is simpler as well, and won't give you a luxurious feel. You'll feel hip and trendy lounging in one of the Dedon leaf lounges, or in those spectacular pool pods.


At night, the resort becomes more attractive. I could imagine renting out the entire resort and hosting a party. The lighting was well designed as well, and the pool changed color every now and then.


The reception area was located in the restaurant. There is a cocktail lounge at the 2nd floor as well. The main restaurant is again small, but good enough for all its guests.


I wasn't able to sample their food, just their breakfast. They have a dinner buffet though for just less than P500 I think. The host their buffets in the beachfront when the weather permits. The buffet includes grilled seafood, making it a bargain.


We loved our stay in Astoria Boracay. Our room cost us P4,200 a night via Agoda, so we thought it was worth it. The place was just beautiful, but would appeal more to design fanatics. Again, it's not luxurious, and the resort still has some improvements on customer service. As long as Astoria Boracay focuses on delivering the best experience to its guests, then the resort would definitely make waves in Boracay.