Boracay, Tell Me Something New
Everything's been said about Boracay at this point. But the Henann Group of Resorts has something more to say. It just opened its seventh resort at Station 2, and we're here for it. We are living through the Henann-ification of Boracay, folks. Someone should do a rankings thing for all of them, really. Anyway, with the new location comes much of the same, but we can't really get enough of getaways like this now, can we? I'm a sucker for a decent resort myself, especially one that's pretty affordable by Boracay standards. Mama's been hounding me about going on a family vacation. It sounds like a plan.
Henann luck number seven.
“Boracay has always meant the world to us as a family," Vice President for Marketing Karl Chusuey explains. "Our Henann locations are a way for us to share that love with vacationers from the Philippines and all over the world." It couldn't have come at a perfect time, too. Despite the resort quitting construction in the middle of the pandemic, it finished at just the right time. With the islands opening to tourists now, it just made sense to go all in on the would-be frenzy coming up (The revenge travel crowd, so to say). Interestingly, Chusuey doesn't think of himself as big beach guy, but that doesn't mean he can't churn out a world-class product. That also doesn't mean he shouldn't get a tan. You have all these resorts, man. Come on.
Henann's been the popular choice in Boracay, actually. Since its soft opening last April, the resort's been perpetually fully booked, Chusuey points out. I guess that says something about the Henann standard. They're nice like that. To think, Kar's father, Henry stared out his first Boracay Henann with just 43 rooms in 1998. Look at them now.
The deluxe room. Very nice.
Now for the rundown. Surely we need to know its proximity to the beach. We are in Boracay, after all. Location-wise, The resort's guests get to access the white beaches through D'Mall, which is a five-to-ten minute walk away, depending on your foot speed. They can also walk down a narrower path on the left side of the establishment. That, on the other hand, is only a three-minute walk. We all get to have our sunrise or sunset moment without much hassle.
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So about the resort itself. The joint, featuring the signature Henann courtyard and modern amenities (a gym and fitness center, a gift shop, function rooms, buffet areas, expansive infinity pools, and more), has 232 rooms in total. Couples, families, and singles in their live-laugh-love era can choose as they go. They have options like the premier, family, and deluxe, after all, each having direct access to the pool. All are pretty spacious and adorned with trendy earth-y accents. I'd suggest the deluxe room. It gets you a queen-sized bed, a 43-inch television, a marble bath, and rainforest showers. The works.
The Orchard Cafe is a pretty neat buffet concept, as well. It's a Henann thing, too. Think of it as a coastal dining experience or something like that, just the way the group wants it to be. The cafe serves Southeast Asian cuisine; guests can go Malaysian, Indonesian, Thai, Singaporean, and, of course, Filipino here. The dishes are a macro-snapshot of Southeast Asian flavors. Cool, right?
Then there's the sunken pool bar. A whole paragraph will be dedicated to this. It's a place where parents can get away from their kids for a little bit, as they watch them swim around the pool, sipping cocktails and stuff like that (This is not a recommendation, by the way). The Sweet Citron, a vodka-based drink with Midori melon liqueur, soda, and pineapple juice is pretty neat, if I do say so myself. For some other options, maybe the Henann Isle is more your liking. Here, we get vodka (again), with blue Curacao and grenadine. Classics such as Mojitos, Weng Wengs, Long Island Iced Teas, and the like are available, too. They also have a secret menu, which is something you ought to find out for yourself.
A bar by the pool is a must for any Boracay resort. Guests can also book poolside massage and hair-braiding services for the, well, vibes. You got to max out the vibes, right?
Anyway, except for the new Henann, Boracay is still Boracay. And we're happy with it that way. There's beauty in familiarity, after all. Henann knows that, too.
So yeah, ma, about that vacation...
The Orchard Cafe has a pretty nice view, too. What more do you want me to say?
We can book a deluxe room for as low as P3,900 on weekdays and P4,300 or lower for premier rooms, as long as the availability is there. For more information, visit the group's official website here.
