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.
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