Visiting Vista Marina
Posted by resident
Hanapbahay.com is not just about Philippine Real Estate for sale or for rent but also about places you can go to or stay at in the Philippines. Anyway, just got back from a post-Christmas celebration at Subic, Zambales where we stayed at the Vista Marina Hotel. I used to think that traveling during the holiday season was bad since everyone would take advantage of going out-of-town for a vacation. I guess people were tired of the holiday rush that they opted to stay at home or spend time in the malls. The trip to Subic took less than 2 hours from Balintawak! Only a few tricycles and buses were plying the streets of Pampanga. Encouraged by the lack of cars on the road, I guess I will be going back to Subic around this time next year!
The Vista Marina Hotel is located at the end of the Boardwalk strip inside the former US Naval Base. Upon entering the hotel, you will be greeted by a lobby adorned with Christmas cheer. A sitting Santa, a Christmas tree with lots of gifts, sparkling balls and lights, a faux fireplace with stockings….. it was enough to make my kids shout with glee! Well, I guess it was because they thought the gifts were theirs…..Their angelic smiles crumbled when I had to explain that it was only empty wrapped boxes meant for decoration. Their saddness was only momentary, however. One step outside the lobby was the swimming pool and the most breath- taking view of the ocean and surrounding mountains! We rushed to our rooms and changed for a dip in the pool.
We were given a room on the second floor facing the pool. The view from our bedroom was equally spectacular! There was even a small veranda where you can just hang out and watch the people walk on the beach or sun-bathe by the pool.
pool and ocean view from our room
pool view at night
The room was simple but clean and spacious. It had a mini-ref stocked with water and soft drinks. There was no complimentary bottled water but there was free coffee and tea for two. The bathroom was spacious and had complimentary toothbrushes, cotton buds, shampoo and lotion. One thing I like doing when I first check-in a hotel is look at the compendium. I like to see what amenities and facilities are available and what is on the room service menu. Their room service menu is quite extensive, ranging from appetizers, soups and salads, main courses, breakfast fare, desserts and drinks. Though it looked good, I never had the chance to try it.
The staff was courteous and the internet connection at the Business Center was pretty fast. But not everything came up roses. We experienced little thorns that the hotel could improve on but it wasn’t enough to make our stay unpleasant. Being used to travel and having stayed at other hotels, my expectations were not up to par with what I experienced. There were mosquitoes in our room. It seemed as though a swarm of big, fat mosquitoes invaded our room and started biting my son. They sprayed the room with Baygon but still a few survived the well-known insecticide.
Our room which was P3,850 (USD 93) a night, included buffet breakfast for two adults. It was definitely worth it but if you think that you will be going to Subic Bay often, it would be wise to purchase their Privilege Card at P6,000. The benefits include 2 free hotel nights, 20% discount on succeeding room nights, discounts for functions held at the hotel and a free overnight stay on your 11th visit!
Will I come back to Vista Marina? For the price and the view…..definitely! They just have to continue to improve some more since there are more hotels opening in the vicinity soon.
Happy Holidays from HanapBahay.com
Posted by resident
Happy Holidays from Hanapbahay.com!
Greet your friends ‘Merry Christmas‘ in different languages
| Afrikaans | Geseënde Kersfees |
| Albanian | Gezur Krislinjden |
| Arabic | Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah |
| Armenian | Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand |
| Azeri | Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun |
| Bahasa Malaysia | Selamat Hari Natal |
| Basque | Zorionak eta Urte Berri On |
| Bengali | Shuvo Naba Barsha |
| Bohemian | Vesele Vanoce |
| Breton | Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat |
| Bulgarian | Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo |
| Catalan | Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | Gun Tso Sun Tan’Gung Haw Sun |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan |
| Choctaw | Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito |
| Comish | Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth |
| Corsian | Pace e salute |
| Crazanian | Rot Yikji Dol La Roo |
| Cree | Mitho Makosi Kesikansi |
| Croatian | Sretan Bozic |
| Czech | Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok |
| Danish | Glredelig Jul |
| Duri | Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak |
| Dutch | Vrolijk Kerstfeest |
| English | Merry Christmas |
| Eritfean/ Tigrinja | Rehus- Beal- Ledeats |
| Eskimo (Inupik) | Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo |
| Esperanto | Gajan Kristnaskon |
| Estonian | Ruumsaid juuluplhi |
| Faeroese | Gledhiligjol og eydnurikt nyggjar |
| Farsi: | Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad |
| Finnish | Hyvaajoulua |
| Flemish | Zalig Kerstfeest |
| French | Joyeux Noel |
| Frisian | Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier! |
| Galician | Bo Nada |
| Gaelic | Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ur! |
| German | Froehliche Weihnachten |
| Greek | Kala Christouyenna |
| Hausa | Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara |
| Hawaiian | Mele Kalikimaka |
| Hebrew | Mo’adim Lesimkha. Chena tova |
| Hindi | Shub Naya Baras |
| Hawaian | Mele Kalikimaka ame Hauoli Makahiki Hou |
| Hungarian | Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket |
| Icelandic | Gledileg Jol |
| Indonesian (Bahasa) | Selamat Hari Natal |
| Irish | Nollaig Shona Dhuit or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat |
| Iroquois | Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut or Ojenyunyat osrasay |
| Italian | Buone Feste Natalizie |
| Japanese | Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto |
| Korean | Sung Tan Chuk Ha |
| Latin | Natale hilare et Annum Faustum |
| Latvian | Prieci’gus Ziemsve’tkus un Laimi’gu Jauno Gadu |
| Lausitzian | Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto |
| Lettish | Priecigus Ziemassvetkus |
| Lithuanian | Linksmu Kaledu |
| Macedonian | Sreken Bozhik |
| Maltese | LL Milied Lt-tajjeb |
| Manx | Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa |
| Maori | Meri Kirihimete |
| Marathi | Shub Naya Varsh |
| Navajo | Merry Keshmish |
| Norwegian | God Jul, or Gledelig Jul |
| Occitan | Pulit nadal e bona annado |
| Papiamento | Bon Pasco |
| Papua New Guinea | Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu |
| Philipines | Maligayan Pasko |
| Polish | Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie |
| Portuguese | Feliz Natal or Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo |
| Pushto | Christmas Aao Ne-way Kaal Mo Mobarak Sha |
| Rapa-Nui (Easter Island) | Mata-Ki- Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O- Te-Henua |
| Rhetian | Bellas festas da nadal e bun onn |
| Romanche (sursilvan dialect) | Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn |
| Romanian | Sarbatori vesele |
| Russian | Srozhdestvom Kristovym |
| Sami | Buorrit Juovllat |
| Samoan | La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou |
| Sardinian | Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou |
| Serbian | Hristos se rodi |
| Slovakian | Sretan Bozic or Vesele vianoce |
| Samoan | La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou |
| Scots Gaelic | Nollaig chridheil huibh |
| Singhalese | Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa |
| Slovak | Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok |
| Slovene | Vesele Bozicne. Screcno Novo Leto |
| Spanish | Feliz Navidad |
| Swedish | God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt Ar |
| Tagalog | Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Taon |
| Tami | Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal |
| Trukeese (Micronesian) | Neekiriisimas annim 00 iyer seefe feyiyeech |
| Thai | Sawadee Pee Mai |
| Turkish | Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun |
| Ukrainian | Srozhdestvom Kristovym |
| Urdu | Naya Saal Mubarak Ho |
| Vietnamese | Chung Mung Giang Sinh |
| Welsh | Nadolig Llawen |
| Yoruba | E ku odun, e ku iye’dun |
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Posted by resident
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May you have a Blessed Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!