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| View of the Lighthouse Marina Resort from the poolside. |
Lighthouses always catch my fancy. I am enchanted by its presence, and charmed by it's design.
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| The Lighthouse changes colors at night. |
There are many kinds of lighthouses around the world, and every time I am in France, I go to Brittany and Normandy as most part of the coast line is adorned with lighthouses. Not only does it stand there as a museum, many are still functioning, and serve as a beacon to boats out at sea.
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| View of the Lighthouse Marina Resort from the bay. |
Here in the Philippine archipelago, lighthouses exist, though many are already abandoned. Twelve years ago, seeing a lighthouse at Subic Bay was one of my joyful moments. In addition, I discovered that the lighthouse was actually a hotel, yet at the same time, it also serves as a perfect back-drop of beautiful Subic Bay.
RIDE COMPANION
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| Test-driving a 2018 Miata MX5 RF to Subic with Monch Henares of MonchsterChronicles.com |
As a media blogger and writer for Sunday Inquirer's RoadTalk with my partner Monch Henares of MonchsterChronicles.com, we are privileged to test-drive vehicles to do a motoring review. As a mechanical engineer, Monchster is the perfect motoring expert to write about the cars that are lent to us for a week. With time on our side, we get to plan for out of town trips, and escape the chaos of the metro.
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| A romantic rendez-vous at the Lighthouse Marina Resort with the 2018 Miata MX5 RF. |
Our friend at Mazda Philippines, Mikko David booked a 2018 Miata MX5 RF for us. It was a charming, and sporty two-door top down car that was perfect for a romantic getaway.
Watch Video:
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
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| Lobby of the Lighthouse Marina Resort, Subic. |
Like a beacon shining over the roads of Subic, the Lighthouse Marina Resort guided us to it. Going up its driveway, we were welcomed by at least 3 bellboys, who immediately helped carry our bags to the lobby, and later to our room. And wow, was the lobby spacious. It gave me the feeling of being out in the sea, welcomed by the charming nautical ambience, with a touch of "under the sea" decors.
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| 2nd floor landing with a cozy book corner. |
As water is my element, the first thing I checked is the swimming pool, located on the ground floor. It had the right size and depth, giving out enough temptation that made me want to jump right in. Beside it is a bar, the perfect place to have cold drinks and after-sunset parties.
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| Lighted swimming pool. |
AQUA SPA SUITE
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| Aqua Spa Suite is a corner room with a view of the bay from two balconies. |
It must be the best room of the hotel. The Aqua Spa Suite is a corner guest room with a 90-degree view of the Subic Bay. The sliding doors of two sides of the wall open to balconies, which faces the swimming pool, the bay, and of course the famous lighthouse.
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| King-sized bed with petals, swans and a welcome note. |
We were welcomed with a petal-decorated king-sized bed, and a personalized note. The room had complete amenities, was spacious, decorated with touches of the sea, and nautical elements.
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| A fusion of under the sea decor. |
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| Complete amenities. |
My favorite part of the room was the bathroom, which had a jacuzzi bathtub. Soaking myself in warm bubbles was the perfect way to relax tired muscles. Furthermore, the hotel offered a therapist who gave us one of the best head-to-toe massages in this part of the world.
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| View from bathtub through the glass partition. |
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| Clean and charming bathroom. |
DELICIOUS ESCAPADE
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| The Sands Resto Grill. |
The Sands Resto Grill is the main dining area of the hotel, located on the ground-floor, overlooing the bay and swimming pool. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner until 11 pm with live acoustic music nightly.
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| Buffet breakfast for two is included in the room package. |
This is where we had our delicious buffet breakfast and dinners. The service was tops with the servers always smiling and efficient. The restaurant is open to non-hotel guests, too.
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| Grilled tiger prawns. |
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| It was served on a skewer. |
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| Seafood bisque soup. |
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| Oyster Rockefeller. |
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| The Halo-Halo Turon with Mango Ice Cream is to die for. |
ROMANTIC DINNER
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| Enjoying dinner in the privacy of cozy Sands Cabin. |
The set-up was everything and anything romantic. A special table on the view deck beside the lighthouse was prepared for us, but due to rain, it was transferred to the Sands Cabin, which is actually a very cozy private room by the pool.
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| A bouquet of roses by Details and Bloom completes the evening. |
It will not be romantic without the flowers. When the butler opened the door, the first thing I spotted was the colorful bouquet of roses specially arranged by Details and Bloom.
And the food.... and the wine.... and the background music... it was all meticulously chosen, and prepared by the hotel.
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| Caesar's Salad. |
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| Chilled red wine. |
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| Salmon in lemon-butter sauce. |
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| Sirloin steak. |
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| Mango flambe with whipped cream and cherry. |
To top it all, our romantic dining experience was made more special with our very own butler, who made sure that the night would be perfect. And so it was, including our stay.
Website: www.lighthousesubic.com
Address:
Block 4, Lot 1, Moonbay Marina Complex, Waterfront Road, Central Business District, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, 2222
Telephone Number:
(047) 252 5000 & (02) 711 0019
Telefax Number:
(047) 252 7545
Mobile Numbers:
0917 512 3364 / 0918 945 5697 / 0922 885 7175
Email Address:
reservations@lighthousesubic.com / marketing@lighthousesubic.com / sales@lighthousesubic.com
Online Booking Assistance
Landline
(047) 252.9978 (intl: +63.47.252.9978)
Manila Line:
(02) 404.4784
Fax:
(02) 857.2600 (intl: +63.2.857.2600)
Mobile Nos.:
Smart: (+63) 939-908-0373/ Sun: (+63) 922-858-5858 / Globe: (+63) 917-832-8050
