Fairways & Bluewater Boracay’s journey to success and excellence is one for the books. From an exclusive property that was known to just a few, it is now a proudly Filipino homegrown world-class resort brand with a professionally run organization that is making its indelible mark both in the local and global tourism industry as evidenced by the multiple international awards, recognitions, and certifications it has been receiving.
December 2023 marks the 5th year of being the only resort in Boracay Island that has a triple ISO certification, as conferred by a Dubai-based certifying body. Fairways & Bluewater ends 2023 with a monumental success in completing yet another year of triple ISO certification despite the challenges and limitations. Catherine Marcelo, Fairways & Bluewater’s General Manager shares “It will be recalled that in December 2018, right after the 6-month closure of Boracay Island, Fairways & Bluewater made a historic feat when it got its certification for three ISO standards in one-swing when others would traditionally work on each standard separately. Fairways proudly holds certifications on ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management System), ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management System), and ISO 45001:2018 (Occupational Health & Safety Management System) as confirmed through rigorous and strictly methodical quarterly internal audits and annual surveillance audits by the Dubai-based certifying body.” Ms. Marcelo adds “The passion of the Philippine government to strengthen the tourism industry and promote excellence in delivering the warm Filipino hospitality to the world without ever compromising the welfare of the environment and the health of the community is very much aligned with the advocacy of Fairways for environmental preservation and sustainability.”
Recently, the resort is also getting much attention from many discerning travelers as Fairways takes one of the top spots among hotels in the island for having the highest number of guest arrivals. “This is good news for everyone in Fairways & Bluewater as we continue to work on making our resort a market leader in the island’s tourism sector. It is always our pleasure to open our doors to the travelers who want to experience their own little piece of paradise and to show them why Fairways & Bluewater was hailed as Condé Nast Johansens’ Best Value Experience Property Awardee for the entire Asia, Africa, Middle East & Oceania region for three consecutive years, World Travel Awards’ Philippines’ Leading Beach Resort for two consecutive years, and World Golf Awards’ Philippines’ Best Golf Hotel for nine consecutive years.”, says Fairways & Bluewater’s Chairman, Mr. Wilbur L. Chan.
After the progressive and trailblazing transformation of Fairways & Bluewater Boracay over the recent years, it is proud to greet a record-breaking number of arriving guests in the island to showcase its sprawling eco-friendly, sustainable paradise in a gated, self-contained secure community in the island. From what was once only a hidden gem in Boracay island, the resort has evolved into a showpiece cut and polished diamond in the travel industry both in the Philippines and the world. Fairways & Bluewater boasts of being the only resort in Boracay that offers its guests a vacation experience in old-fashioned, and charming Spanish-inspired villas set in a tropical island location, exuding a very serene and relaxing vibe, where privacy is accorded to everyone. The resort offers a wide range of amenities and facilities including over 850 well-appointed spacious guestrooms (with more than 15 room types spread across over 20 villas including its latest addition, the flagship Villa Augusta), numerous food and beverage outlets that serve meticulously curated local and international menu of flavors, seven swimming pools strategically located around the resort, modern fitness and wellness facilities, and a powdery white sand private beach among others. Each of its numerous guestrooms is painstakingly decorated by the housekeeping team daily with warm greetings on the bed made from the abundant plants and flowers grown on the property together with intricate animal towel folding art. The private beach is a stone’s throw away from the famous Boracay Keyhole attraction, and plays host to several activities like horseback riding, crystal kayaking, and the one-of-a-kind romantic dinner in the cave attraction. Fairways & Bluewater Boracay is the nest of the picturesque 18-hole, par 72 championship golf course designed by Australian professional golfer Graham Marsh.
Fairways & Bluewater went out of the box and daring when its Chairman, Mr. Chan, conceptualized the now famous Kudetah District – a showcase centerpiece of the resort that offers a unique tropical ambiance and party vibe in the island that rivals Bali and Phuket. This massive entertainment complex is complete with several restaurants and bars offering international fare, the largest Jacuzzi tub in the island, and even a Neon Night Safari attraction, among others. The lavish Ventana infinity pool offers a majestic panoramic view of the Sibuyan Sea. This area offers the perfect blend of quiet relaxation during the day and a jovial vibrant atmosphere as the sun goes down. The Ventana Pool becomes the ultimate party place every Thursday and Saturday with Fairways & Bluewater’s exclusive Foam Party complete with DJ spinning and flowing drinks at the pool bar. Experiencing what the Kudetah District offers allows one to fully step out of the ordinary traditional Boracay experience and into something extraordinary.
Watch Fairways & Bluewater Boracay’s latest AVP here:
Fairways’ maturity as an organization has also gone full circle as it embarked on environmental preservation and sustainability programs, community service activities, alliance and collaboration with non-profit organizations and government agencies to promote and strengthen awareness on various advocacies.
Fairways & Bluewater is the first and most significant partner of the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Boracay Island advocating the promotion of sustainable and responsible tourism by reducing dependence on single-use plastics and implementing activities that will benefit the environment. It is also the first resort in Boracay that ensures that used oil and other hazardous materials are transported out of the island by partnering with a waste management group that applies treatment to used oil to ensure it does not harm the environment and disposes of other hazardous materials through proper channels. Fairways & Bluewater is also known for its 12-year-old War-On-Waste Program that encourages the involvement of its employees and guests in clean-up drives within the resort and in the various areas of the island which aims to build more awareness in the community in preserving the environment. Fairways & Bluewater is also the only resort that has an STP (sewerage treatment plant) within its property that is shared with the rest of the community. These environmental programs have gained for the resort the tag from Condé Nast Johansens as Boracay Island’s leading green and golfing resort for its total commitment to the environment and golf tourism, and as one of the two finalists at the 2022 Best for Green Practices & Sustainability in the entire Asia, Africa, Middle East & Oceania region of Condé Nast Johansens Awards for Excellence for its support to local conservation efforts.
In support of the advocacies of government agencies, Fairways warmly welcomes them to host in the resort their advocacy events. Just a few days ago, the Department of Health, in partnership with The Global Fund and Pilipinas Shell Foundation, held its biggest convention on HIV and AIDS in the Visayas Region to build awareness and solicit commitment and support among the local government leaders in the combat against HIV and AIDS. Fairways & Bluewater also has a soft spot for children and women. Through General Manager Catherine Marcelo, it has taken a principal role in supporting a private foundation that promotes the welfare and development of underprivileged children and women in remote areas in the mainland of Malay. The resort is an advocate of the HOPE in a Bottle and HOPE in a Box movements championing sustainability and support for local communities to build more classrooms for schools in remote areas. As a responsible member of the community, Fairways & Bluewater is also the foremost partner of the Bureau of Fire and the Boracay Fire, Rescue, and Ambulance Volunteers in responding to emergency calls for fire incidents, and rescue operations around the island through the employees who have been trained and certified to perform firefighting, first-aid, and rescue operations. Further, Fairways & Bluewater has kept its commitment to support the community by continuously providing free water supply to the numerous residents right beside its property.
Achieving the accolades and recognition was not a walk in the park though. The management team of its current Chairman, Mr. Wilbur L. Chan, faced various challenges, hitches and setbacks. “When our team set foot in Fairways & Bluewater in 2011, we started a massive rehabilitation project alongside building new infrastructures within the expansive 80+ hectare property. We inherited many beautiful elements that make this place a paradise like no other, and so our team was bent on painstakingly restoring each area like an artwork. Our team struggled over limited reference materials and resources, but giving-up is not part of our DNA so we gave it our all to make sure that our guests will be able to appreciate the magnificent paradise that Fairways offers. We also had to make sure that the resort is relevant and responsive to the demands of the modern traveler, so we turned to our drawing boards to come up with new features that are still deliberately and stringently aligned to the tropical island vibe concept we want to keep to make the vacation experience of our guests as wonderful as possible. A vacation that will be etched in their memories for a long time, if not a lifetime,” says the passionate, energetic, and hands-on Chairman, Mr. Wilbur L. Chan.
At the heart of Fairways & Bluewater is its fervently dedicated team of professionals whose commitment to delighting customers and displaying the best of Filipino hospitality is unrivaled in the island. All of its staff have imbibed the resort’s signature bowed hand-over-heart gesture when greeting guests to create a welcoming and homey atmosphere. At Fairways & Bluewater, one can expect personalized service and an enhanced overall guest experience. “The employees of Fairways & Bluewater are one of the most important ingredients in the success story of the resort. They have partnered with the Management team to make sure that their work standards and actions are in line with the overall objective of the company to give the resort guests the best possible service they can experience. As our Chairman would say, our employees are “committed to delivering service excellence through a balanced combination of sincerely warm hospitality that is traditionally Filipino and uniquely designed world-class facilities that give a tropical island-feel vibe,” says Catherine Marcelo, General Manager of Fairways & Bluewater Boracay. Ms. Marcelo adds, “We keep the communication very open to our employees so they can freely express their thoughts on improving operations, processes, and performance. We are accessible to the employees as much as they are accessible to the guests. Their suggestions are especially important to the management team as they are the ones who directly interact with our guests. Improvements in operations, processes, and performance were certainly arduous and laborious but the employees were as relentless as the Management team in making groundbreaking changes that increase productivity. Collaboration with them is an essential tool in ensuring that the Management team is aware of what is happening on the ground, which becomes a valuable input in creating and implementing action plans that will eventually lead us to achieving success.”
The many years of arduous work from both the Management team and the employees on the ground is definitely paying-off. Fairways & Bluewater Boracay has been successfully transformed from a faintly spotted property to a highly visible tourist destination in the Philippines and in the world. General Manager Catherine Marcelo shares “We were trained by our Chairman to make sure that visions are executed in the highest level of quality possible, and that we monitor the small steps in order to keep ourselves at the top of our game if we want to achieve our everyday small wins. Our team remains steadfast and focused on delivering the best facilities and customer service to our guests despite the many challenges. The recognitions mentioned above are proof that we are on the right track “. The strong emphasis on guest satisfaction and stellar customer service is evident in the resort’s excellent guest review scores from TripAdvisor and major online booking sites like Booking.com, Agoda, and Hotels.com among others. TripAdvisor, the pre-eminent travel platform worldwide, conferred its 2023 Travellers’ Choice Award to the resort for its consistent excellent customer reviews and commitment to hospitality excellence, firmly placing the resort in the elite top 10% of all resorts in TripAdvisor worldwide. Other guest review awards received by the resort include the 2023 Booking.com Traveller Review Award (11th consecutive year), Agoda Customer Review Award (8th consecutive year) and Hotels.com Loved by Guests Award (6th consecutive year).
Fairways & Bluewater’s story is remarkably exceptional. Resilience and determination are evidently flowing in the veins of every member of the organization. “There is really no end to the journey of success because there is always something to improve on, and there is always something to achieve. Our non-traditional mindset, devotion for continuous improvement, and passion for excellence is our key to our continuing journey to providing an excellent vacation experience,” says Chairman Wilbur L. Chan.
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ADVT. .