Spread Some Awesome

 

Duration : overnight (check-in time: 2 PM, check-out time: 12 PM)

 

Bummers : there are some instances where quality of service is less than expected

 

 

 

Ever since I started searching for awesome places to visit in and out of the country, the Cyclades in Greece has been one of my dream destinations. I have not made this dream come true yet but that won’t keep me from searching and going nearer places that look like Santorini or Mykonos. Thunderbird Resorts Poro Point is a Santorini-inspired beach resort found in the surfing capital of the Philippines – La Union. It offers a modern Mediterranean setting with its cubical and spherical structures, whitewashed-like finish, and sky blue highlights here and there.

 

Even at first sight, it’s easy to fall in love with Thunderbird Resorts Poro Point. The matrimony of white and blue walls is perfect sight to see for a summer getaway. Its enticing appeal draws people into it because it perfectly complements the roaring waves in the sea and the clarity of the summer sky.

 

 

One weekend, me, my family, and a couple of friends visited Thunderbird Poro Point. We arrived a couple of minutes before the check-in time of 2 PM. We immediately went to the reception desk to check-in. We got 2 rooms located side by side. We were informed that one of the rooms is not ready yet but we can already go to the other room if we want to and they will just inform us when the other room is ready. They led us to the available room and they carried our bags to our room.

 

I think all rooms in the resort are connecting rooms. Doors can be opened to go easily from one room to the other. So when the other room became available, we asked them to open the connection between the 2 rooms.

 

Each room has 2 queen-sized beds. There were 8 of us so we maximized the number of people allowed per room, 2 people sharing a bed. The beds were cozy. The dim lighting made sleeping a lot easier. The beds are pointed towards a large LCD TV that has more that 20 channels. There is an office-like area in case you want to set up your laptop or other mobile devices. The Wi-Fi is really fast. The sockets are universal.

 

 

Complimentary coffee, tea, and water is located on the cabinet top. A complimentary plate of fruits is located on the bedside table – red apple, green apple, and orange.

 

 

The bathroom was really huge. There is a huge space in it where a bath tub could have fit. Yeah, I wished there was tub. The shower area had wood-like floors and it is embellished with stones. The shower area is in a glass enclosure.

 

 

I really liked the bath essentials in Thunderbird especially the hair/body shampoo. It left my head filling really cool, literally. The feeling was like using mint or menthol on your hair and body. It was really relaxing and it seems like all the stress just melted away.

 

 

All rooms have their own balcony, which is a perfect area to stay early in the morning while having a cup of coffee. The balcony offers a copious view of the sea.

 

 

 

After getting settled in our rooms, we changed our clothes and headed to the resort pool. We had a bit of a hard time finding a vacant table to put some of our stuff but luckily after maybe half an hour, a table was vacated.

 

 

They said that there are pool and beach towels from the pool attendant near the pool area. Unfortunately, when we went there for a swim, there were no towels available. Many of the guests were left waiting for the towels to be available. It took more than 2 hours for us to get the towels that we requested. I think for a resort of their caliber, they should have a quasi-unlimited supply of towels.

 

The pool was huge. At one end is a small man-made falls where you can swim and let the water from the falls pour continuously over your head.

 

 

Near the bridge is the pool bar. You can relax here and have a cold beer or beverage without leaving the pool. We tried 2 of their in-house coffees. We were “not” so amused with the service at the pool bar. I think the servers/waiters should undergo more training especially when it comes to customer correspondence. Who would be amused if you were told to wait “indefinitely” for your drink? It would be better if they just told us to wait for a bit while they check if the drink was available from the restaurant. But saying the word “indefinitely”, that’s really a deal-breaker.

 

 

Our coffees were served in about 20 minutes. Good thing, we really didn’t have to wait indefinitely.

 

 

The resort pool and pool bar is open daily between 7 AM to 10 PM.

 

After drinking our coffee, we headed to the Beach Club. This is Thunderbird’s private gateway to the open sea. You can do various water sports at the Beach Club and since the waves in La Union are insane, this is a great spot for surfers. The Beach Club is just a few meters from the resort pool. You can just walk to go there. But remember that the Beach Club is only open until sunset. Maybe going there at night is quite dangerous because the waves are really crazy.

 

 

 

 

The waves at the Beach Club are really strong so we just spent a few minutes there to take some photos and climb up some rocks then we headed back to the resort pool. We stayed at the pool area until the sun has set. Sunset by the beach is always magical, especially if you have a view of it from a luxury resort like Thunderbird.

 

 

After frolicking in the resort pool and Beach Club, we went back to our rooms to clean up and get some dinner. We found these complimentary treats by the table. This tiny bags had several pieces of Hershey’s Kisses inside them. Sweet!

 

 

Even at night, the Santorini-like appeal of Thunderbird Resorts Poro Point exudes in the atmosphere. So, if you’re just like me and you’re dreaming to be in a place like the ones in the Cyclades, Thunderbird Resorts Poro Point is a great destination.

 

 

 

At night, there are a few activities that you can do at the resort. You can stay at the Santorini Bar & Lounge and have a few cocktails while listening to the live band.The Santorini Bar & Lounge gives a great view of the West Philippine Sea. Live music is played here every Friday and Saturday night.

 

If you are not into drinking and music, you can rent DVDs from their collection.You can also borrow some of their board games, which you can play inside your room.

 

If you want to get more relaxed, you can hire their professional masseuse to pamper you as the day ends.

 

The Fiesta Casino

 

The Fiesta Casino is the common destination of many Thunderbird Resorts guests at night. The Fiesta Casino is open 24 hours to serve people who want to try their lucks at any time of the day. Make sure that you wear proper attire so you will be allowed to enter the casino. Recommended are pants and closed shoes. Women are allowed to wear sandals as long as they are not flat. Shorts and skirts are only allowed for female guests.

 

 

The Point Residences

 

Thunderbird Resorts Poro Point offers luxury residential Villas for people who want to own a private spot in this Mediterranean-inspired community. They also provide attractive investment packages through the Villa Rental Programme. If you are interested in having your own Villa at Thunderbird Resorts Poro Point, just give them a call.

 

 

Insider Tips:

- Maximize the capacity of the rooms so you can save more when you visit Thunderbird Resorts.

- Check out the tours they offer especially if you plan to go around up north.

- The resort has a “No Pets Allowed Policy” and they are strict about it. So if you will be checking in, leave your animal buddies at home.

 

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Thunderbird Resorts Poro Point

VOA Compound Pennsylvania Avenue – Poro Point,
San Fernando City, La Union
Tel. No.: (+63.72) 888.7777
Website: www.thunderbird-asia.com

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Spread some awesome..ness..

Tags: beach, hotel, luxury, resort, sunset