The most talked about and probably the most searched resort on the web since Priscilla Meirelles and John Estrada's wedding early last year, then it became the setting of the box-office movie -- No Other Woman with Anne Curtis, Derek Ramsay and Cristine Reyes, Thunderbird Resort sure does live up to everybody's expectation of how grandeur and beautiful it is including ours.
Greece has been a dream destination of mine and since I don't have the means to go there yet, this resort will be a welcome substitute with its white and blue colors, very Santorini!
The trip from Manila took about 6 hours including a stop over at NLEX for breakfast. Its not hard to look for Thunderbird because signs are very visible starting from McArthur Highway, just take the same route to Baguio City until you see the road that splits to Agoo, La Union.
Like most resorts and hotels, standard check-in is 2pm. Since Thunderbird is fully booked (as always), early check-in is a no-go and we had to wait until the room is fixed. We spent the hour waiting in the lobby like most of the guests sweating buckets because there's no aircon or even a fan to relieve the heat.
The estate is not yet fully developed but there's a scale model to see how it will look after all the construction is done. By the way, Thunderbird is not only a resort, you can opt to buy a property here and feel like everyday is a vacation.
We were allowed to check in at exactly 2pm. It only took me about 5 minutes signing the forms while listening to the reception guy tell me the things we can do in the resort, it was a breeze.
Our room is located on the second floor of the North Wing.
All the rooms here has a mini veranda with the amazing view of the beach.
The boardwalk area is perfect for an afternoon jogging or biking. There's also a half-court basketball right beside the pool area if you feel like playing.
I love the little details like this lamp on the table at Patio Santorini.
One of the main attractions here is the Santorini swimming pool located at the back of the hotel. Almost everything here is named after the famous tourist place, I sometimes feel like I was really in Greece!
The deepest part of the pool is about 4 feet so no worries even if there's no lifeguard on duty. There's also a kiddie pool and a mini-playground for the young ones. We took a dip at around 5pm and the water is so warm it felt like we were in a jacuzzi minus the bubbles.
Thunderbird Resorts also offers a day trip package only if they're not fully booked. If I remember correctly, the package include free use of the pool and lunch only, you have to pay an additional fee if you want to go and swim in the beach.
Since we are guests of the hotel, we were able to wander around the resort and the beach area. Right across the pool is the rocky side of the beach, not suited for swimming but perfect pictorial spot.
We wanted to go out for dinner and try the local food of La Union so after asking the concierge for some recommendations, we hopped in the car and drove to the town proper.
One last shot before we leave for dinner.
Our overall experience at Thunderbird Resort Poro Point was exceptional! The staff are courteous and helpful, the rooms are so nice and comfortable we can stay there all day long no problem, the views are amazing and the pools and beach very inviting. We had so much fun here that I would love to come back maybe next year or two years from now when the construction's finished and all the amenities fully operational.
This year has quite been about staying and experiencing world-class resorts in the Philippines. Misibis Bay in January, Plantation Bay in March then this time, Thunderbird Resort. It somehow made me realize that you don't have to spend so much on airline tickets to travel the world because our country has so many great places to offer, you just have to know where to go.
~o~o~o~
Thunderbird Resort
VOA Compound, Pennsylvania Avenue
San Fernando City, La Union, Philippines
Tel.: (6372) 888-7777
Fax: (6372) 888-3888
Website: http://www.thunderbird-asia.com/
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