Boracay’s hidden paradise: Belmont

Story and photos by: Emme Rose Santiagudo

Bustling beach stations, dusk till dawn parties, and restless crowds – Boracay is one thriving island that never sleeps.

Others though prefer their vacation with a more laidback theme, away from busy crowds and noisy parties.

A new luxurious destination in Boracay Newcoast, Belmont Hotel Boracay will guarantee you that much-needed reprieve from the hustle and bustle of your daily life.

Away from the crowded beach stations, Belmont Hotel Boracay is the newly opened second hotel development inside the 150-hectare Boracay Newcoast of property-giant Megaworld, through its subsidiary brand Global-Estate Resorts, Inc. (GERI).

Sandwiching the picturesque Savoy Hotel Boracay and the soon-to-open Chancellor Hotel Boracay, the three-tower hotel offers every guest Boracay comfort like no-other with elegantly appointed 442 rooms with choices of Deluxe Twin or Queen, Premiere Deluxe and Executive Suites and sizes ranging from 27 square meters to 52 square meters.

While only 30 percent of its rooms have been operational since it opened last September, Savoy Hotel Boracay and Belmont Hotel Boracay General Manager Roland Galano said they will be in full swing before the year ends.

“We opened the middle cluster last September but we will be in full swing before the end of the year. I am confident that in the next two years, this new destination and this area of Boracay will be the next top destination,” he said during a media tour.

This new luxury hotel has been designed to accentuate Boracay’s pristine beaches and treasured marine life with furniture and art pieces inspired by jellyfishes, corals, and other marine creatures.

Inside the hotel, you can spoil yourself with unlimited eats at the Belmont Café which features cuisines with Asian and Mediterranean influences.

Located at the ground level of Belmont Hotel Boracay, the all-day dining café sourced its ingredients from local farms in Aklan and other nearby provinces.

Their Sinigang sa Batuan Prawns with batuans, swamp cabbage, radish, tomato, string beans, eggplant, and okra is a must-try where one can savor the freshness of the farm produce.

Zabana Pool Bar also offers a variety of cocktails one can indulge in while cooling down.

The hotel is also but a five-minute walk from Cove 2, an exclusive pristine beach offering the best sunrise in Boracay.

Sunsets maybe the official trademark of Boracay’s main beaches but no other destination could clearly paint a picture of the best Boracay sunrise with the vast overlooking sea and unique keyhole Cove 2 offers.

“The view is fantastic with the sea breeze and the sunrise. All the facilities here seemed modern but we made sure that the guests can still immense and enjoy the beauty of nature,” Jennifer Palmares-Fong, vice president for sales and marketing of Boracay Newcoast said during the farm tour.

Fong said that as early as 2015, they already started with its very own initiative to advocate environmental responsibility among partygoers, tourists, and even local residents in Boracay island through the “Cause for a New Coast”.

Since the movement started in 2015, the hotels and resort owners and residents conducted coastal rally and clean-ups and were able to collect 20,000 kilos of trash.

Aside from this, Boracay Newcoast has its own sewage treatment facility and material recovery facility (MRF).

“We own our own sewage treatment plant. We have installed detention and siltation tanks to prevent discoloration and contamination of the beach area para yung mga fluids, sewage coming from here will not be able to contaminate the beach,” Fong added.

While the 150-hectare Boracay Newcoast envisions developing a modern and luxurious island community in Boracay, Fong said 60 percent of the property is dedicated to green and open spaces.

“There are a lot of green areas, untouched green areas and a huge chunk of that are golf course and some of the protected areas. 40 percent will be buildable but the 60 percent of the area will be green and open spaces. We want to be a model of sustainability,” she said.

In my book, Belmont Hotel Boracay is the epitome of what a vacation should be.

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