Pico De Loro + Pico Sands Hotel: Found An Almost Paradise Resort in Batangas
After a night in Taal Vista Hotel and doing a Taal Heritage Tour, we ended our Summer In The South trip with a stay in Pico De Loro's Pico Sands Hotel!!
I've known of Pico De Loro Beach & Country Club for the longest time, but only as a members only resort. Through this trip, I discovered that inside this 40-hectare "Residential Resort Village" is Pico Sands Hotel where even non-members can stay and enjoy some of Pico De Loro's facilities.
Pico De Loro Beach & Country Club is the first development in the "Premier Sustainable Coastal Resort Town" of Hamilo Coast. The property is divided into three, namely:
1) Beach Club - a beachfront recreational facility that is exclusive to members and their guests. They have daybeds, infinity pool, bars and cafes.
2) Country Club - where members and guests can enjoy various indoor and outdoor recreational and sports facilities.
3) Residences - 9 buildings of low-impact residential condominiums surround a four-hectare saltwater lagoon.
Welcome To Pico Sands Hotel!
The group stayed in our individual rooms at the Pico Sands Hotel. They have 154 rooms in total, very spacious and modern, with a beautiful view of mountains and lagoon. It is a perfect place to have a relaxing vacation!
When we checked in, they strapped our wrists for security measures. They change the strap color daily, to ensure that everyone roaming around the resort are their guests.
You'll find the Pico Bar and the Pico Restaurant at the ground floor of Pico Sands Hotel, just across the lobby and reception area. I also saw a small store that sells beach and summer essentials at the lobby. Anyway, we had our breakfast buffet in this area, as well as mid-day merienda and even cocktails at night. Check out the other Pico Sands Hotel dining options here.
My Room At Pico Sands Hotel
Since we came from a tour, I was so excited to go to my room to rest up a bit and freshen up before our sunset cocktails and dinner.
Heading up, I learned that Pico Sands Hotel now promotes sustainability by placing water refilling station in all floors of their hotel.
They also provide a glass pitcher in all the rooms, at the mini bar. I remember staying in a hotel in Korea where they also have water stations in every floor (instead of the usual 2 small complimentary bottled water), which is not only super convenient and saves me money from buying water outside, but also very earth-friendly since we don't have to consume single-use plastic daily! I hope more resorts and hotels will follow.
I've seen different rooms of hotels and resorts in my traveling life, but still, opening a door to my next accommodation still excites me!
My reaction to the Corner Deluxe Room in Pico Sands Hotel was nothing short of awe! It is very spacious, well-designed, and I just love the view from two sides of the room! Sobrang maaliwalas! I suddenly missed my family, and was hoping I can share this experience to them!
Let's head in:
The toilet and bath has everything you'll need from fresh towels to toiletries.
The room is very spacious, good for 2 adults and 2 kids. It has one king-sized bed, a closet, a work desk area, and a flatscreen TV. Price per night is about Php 11,800 inclusive of taxes and fees.
You can check the other Pico Sands Hotel rooms and rates HERE.
Everything's kept clean and organized, during the whole stay it felt as if I was in one of those newly built resorts, but Pico Sands Hotel has been around for years!
I was also amazed that I got a corner room, I also have two balconies extending on both sides!!
The view of the lagoon from my balcony is a big bonus, I really wish I can stay here longer just to take in everything, but time flew fast and we had to meet up again with the group at the lobby for our sunset cocktails by the beach.
We arrived at the beach just in time for sunset (via the resort's free shuttle, but you can also walk if you have the time and want a little exercise / sight seeing).
Pico De Loro is a private resort, and you can really feel the perks just by going to the beach area. Minimal crowd, very quiet, you can fully enjoy the sunset right in front of you. It was very calm, almost as if you have the whole beach to yourself!
Cheers to beautiful experiences!
Where we had our sangria and cheese, my weakness:
And then our dinner and post-dinner drinks:
Food tastes 3x better by the beach:
Rain The Spa
After our dinner, Bettina and I went to Rain Spa, Pico De Loro's oasis for wellness and pampering. They offer traditional and progressive therapeutic services for residents and guests. Bettina and I got a 30-minute massage, and the room is massive! I love that it has a tub and its own sauna!!
Things To Do In Pico De Loro
Needless to say, we had quality sleep while in Pico Sands Hotel. When my alarm went off the next morning, I wasn't sure if I want to get up or just extend my sleep!! Hehe!
But since it's our last hours in the resort, it's time to maximize our time with some outdoor activities you can organize with the help of Pico De Loro.
Some of the things that you can do when in Pico De Loro:
1) SWIM! They have several pools and the beach for you to enjoy. They can also provide paddle boards, kayaks, and jet ski if you want to try water sports.
2) PLAY! They have indoor courts for basketball, squash, and badminton, and facilities for bowling, billiards, karaoke, and even video gaming!
3) REFLECT! Aside from strolling around the vast property or beachfront, Pico also has a beautiful church on top of a hill called the St. Therese of the Child Jesus Chapel.
4) RIDE! You can either ride a bike or ride a pony while in Pico De Loro, up to you!
5) JOIN TOURS! You can book several tours with Pico Sands Hotel, including dives, mangrove tour, or short hikes. You can check out the offerings and the price list here.
Since we only have a few hours left, we conquered two activities before we headed back to Manila.
First was a 45-minute eco-trail hike to Santelmo. I haven't hiked for the longest time, and this activity is definitely one of my weaknesses, but the hike to Santelmo was all worth it and very doable even for non-athletic peeps like me. We had a nice workout with a view, and ended at the "secret beach" for lunch!
It's great activity to bond with new and old friends too! I can imagine this as team building activity as well, for corporate groups.
Santelmo is a sanctuary, a secluded beach that you can reach through hike or through a quick boat ride. By some miracle lol, when my own wedding comes, this will be on the top 5 of my venue list! Haha!
Boodle fight for lunch!
We also went on a leisurely Cove Tour where we were able to snorkel and see colorful fishes and even baby sharks!
I've been to Batangas beaches before, but these sites are all new and refreshing to me! I can't believe that you can experience all these in just 2 or so hours away from Manila. I highly recommend both the eco-trail to Santelmo and Cove Tour when you're in Pico Sands Hotel. Then make sure to have a massage at the Rain Spa at the end of the day! 😉
To end this post, I really enjoyed our Summer In The South escapades, and I hope you get to experience it too! It has the right mix of relaxation, food trip, adventure, and even history and culture appreciation! I am glad I was able to join the group and enjoy a vacation that's so close to home.
What are your own summer plans?
Pico Sands Hotel
Pico de Loro Cove, Hamilo Coast, Barangay Papaya, Nasugbu, Batangas, Philippines
reservations@picosandshotel.com
Telephone: (+63 2) 464 7888 | Mobile: +63 917 809 1289
Instagram: @picosandshotel
Special thanks to Pico De Loro, Jen Bagus, and Kuya Melo of https://outoftownblog.com for having me!
1 Comments
Hello, Ana! Did you get a tour guide for Santelmo trail?
ReplyDeleteYour turn! Always excited to read your comments! :)