COSTA Pacifica’s swimming pool and lounge area
There are very few vacation destinations along our country’s eastern seaboard. So when one comes up, the new resort deserves every bit of attention.
Costa Pacifica Raintree (www.costapacificaraintree.com) has just opened along Sabang Beach in Baler, Aurora. Baler would seem unlikely as a resort destination, but this distant spot is a hidden jewel of a paradise.
FAMILY room of Costa Pacifica’s One-Bedroom Suite
Tucked between mountain and sea, Baler is the economic hub and political center of the province of Aurora. The waters of the Pacific Ocean lap the town’s beaches and its back is the formidable Sierra Madre mountain range.
Along Baler’s long stretch of gray, sandy beach is the Costa Pacifica Raintree property. The resort has just over a hundred handsomely designed suites, each fully equipped to rival any five-star hotel. Aside from the usual LCD TV and air conditioning, there is complimentary Wi-Fi to keep all guests, especially the kids, connected 24/7.
For the more active kids, there is an activity room and a full gym beside a large outdoor pool. The beach itself has two seasons. From March to June, it is soothing and calm, but during the rainy season, it beckons surfers with its large, rolling waves. The Pacific Ocean comes in myriad hues. It can be deep blue in the summer and steel gray during the wet months.
BEACH House, F&B outlet of Costa Pacifica
Costa Pacifica’s cuisine is highly diverse as well, with The Beach House serving the specialties of the province, and the Café Rosa offering a more Mediterranean-inspired menu. There is also a wood-fired oven to give most selections a smoky, heartwarming flavor. Plus there is no better meal than one served with a calming view of the ocean. Both outlets are open all day for the resort’s guests.
The resort has incorporated bits of local culture into the décor. Colorful “sabutan” mats in various tropical shades adorn the walls, as mat weaving is a revered folk art in Aurora.
The resort also boasts of its multipurpose function room, The Pavilion. This structure is right on the beach and offers a panoramic view for weddings, birthdays or more corporate events.
COSTA Pacifica Junior Suite
Andre Wisniewski, vice president of The Raintree Hospitality Group, which manages the Costa Pacifica, notes: “We’re very passionate about the place because of its geography and landscape, which have somehow isolated it from the main tourist tracks. Baler still holds a lot of interesting features that need to be discovered.”
The Raintree Hospitality Group is well known for conceptualizing, developing, managing and operating various luxury concept hotels all over the country, including the ultrapopular Discovery Shores Boracay and other properties of the Discovery group, including the bed and breakfast in Tagaytay, Country Suites.
Costa Pacifica Raintree is positioned to be the next “barefoot luxury” destination in the country. It will certainly be the place to be to have a laidback vacation!
Follow @tessavaldes on Twitter or visit www.tessaprietovaldes.com.