HOTELS & RESORTS
Story & Photography by Jeck Simbulan
Six years of working away from home made me love small details during vacation leaves. Freshly cooked eggs, fragrant sheets fit for a 24-hour slumber marathon, and people who only bother you for a hot tea or a cold fruit platter. It is these details that pack you enough juice to go the extra mile when back on the field.
As a travel writer / photographer, I make sure that there’ s a mandatory rest stop along the trip, or“ a vacation within the vacation.” It should have a beach, bar, and a pool in one accessible area, no high-rise hotels, room service who doesn’ t say no to a 3am food trip, and it should be new or without existing reviews yet; since we triumph in first discoveries.
From Real to Surreal
Crimson Resort and Spa’ s welcome is an experience in itself. Crossing a wooden bridge while a huge Zen garden rests easily ten feet below you, complete with bamboo trees that swing with the blowing of the wind, silently tells its guests to leave worries on that far end of the bridge and let serenity seep in. It’ s a fantastic transition from the passenger drop off to the lobby.
Once in the lobby, take it easy and put your feet up in day beds facing the sea and furniture with tasteful designs.
Choice of furniture found in the lobby and the Zen garden’ s effects of serenity, just seals the deal on our first impression on Crimson Resort and Spa’ s feat on transforming real to surreal.
Everything Over Easy
Our bags made it to the rooms first and we were found at the poolside holding a bar list.
Private Villas come with a living room for complete rest and relaxation.
Surprisingly, attractions were easy to reach and not a half-day’ s hike, compared to other five star resorts when they impress guests with high-rise structures that block the view of the sprawling grounds. In Crimson Resort and Spa, footpaths were carefully planned out to maximize the space and reach the attractions easily even if it is laid on a 6-hectare lush property where the highest structure is only up to two floors, thus a fantastic view of a real sprawling lawn.
In a resort hotel where bubble baths are taken seriously, the Deluxe Suites’ bathtubs come with large jalousies that open up to the room with a huge flat screen TV. Don’ t you just love it when details on rest and relaxation are still found even inside the bathroom?
Ready for a two-hour bubble bath or how about room service? After talking to room service, hotel waiter shows up with a platter of hot Crispy Pata, cold sodas, and steamy white rice. From over easy to relax, I think it’ s time to really call it a day and hit the crispy white sheets of my bed.
Stepping Backward to Move Forward
You know the quote, to move forward, you have to take few steps backward? Think about all the things your favorite hotel does everyday about the hundreds of gallons used to water the lawn, continuous expansion on the beach, and sheets and towels changed daily.
For Crimson Resort and Spa, ran by Filarchipelago Hospitality, Inc., a joint venture of Filinvest Development Corporation and Archipelago International Pte, Ltd., where development is also a thrust, to which an example is Grand Cenia at the heart of Cebu’ s business district, the resort’ s management team makes it a point to pay it forward to the environment. A tree planting activity was just recently finished in Tuyan, Naga City, it’ s management initiated and highly participated by Crimson Resort and Spa’ s employees. They have a monthly beach clean up activity, or what they call the“ scubasurero.” And for the maintenance of motorized watercrafts, a refilling area for gas and oil 15 meters away from the shoreline to make sure pollutants won’ t crawl to the beach.
Water from the rooms and laundry undergo reverse osmosis to be used for watering the lawns, comfort rooms preset to 23 degrees Celsius, energy saving devices installed in each room to minimize energy consumption, light dependent photocells or switch for the plunge pool, and of course, staff are always briefed on shutting off lights and appliances when not in use.
CRIMSON
34 7107 ISLAND TRAVEL