The Philippines has been on my list for a while. In fact, when I set up the itinerary for my 2017 “Round the World” trip, the Philippines was one of the first additions. That itinerary changed, but my desire to visit this beautiful country did not.
When I imagined visiting Philippines, I imagined the place that currently has that “star power”—Palawan. As intriguing as that was, I love the challenge of finding some place new. A place we haven’t been bombarded with through images in travel mags and on social media, but is equally, if not more so, beautiful. I spent months perusing through just a portion of information and reviews of the visitable 7000 islands that make up the Philippines and their property offerings, and one place gave me pause: Amorita Resort on Panglao Island.
I booked it. I stayed for four nights and, spoiler alert: I fell head over heels in love.
Location
Amorita is on Panglao Island, which lies in the north Bohol Sea and is part of the Bohol province. The resort is a 40ish minute drive from the airport. However, a new (and closer) airport is scheduled to open soon. Although, Panglao is considered a separate island, it’s just a hop over a bridge from the larger Bohol island.
Perched on a rocky ledge, overlooking the Bohol Sea and the world famous Alona beach, Amorita’s location is the very definition of ideal. You are nestled away but also just steps from two beaches: Alona Beach:
and Amorita’s very own private beach:
Amorita Resort
Just imagine walking through a lush property soothed by the sounds of music, chirping birds, the swaying of palm trees and the ocean below, all while taking in the smells of ocean air and fresh frangipani. Just walking from point A to point B is a lovely experience at Amorita. It’s as if the property and the universe are working in unison to tell you: it’s okay; you can relax now.
It still surprises me that Amorita has 90 rooms. It doesn’t feel that way and it doesn’t look that way. They were at capacity my first couple of nights, but it never felt “busy”.
It helps that Amorita sits on quite a bit of property. Rooms and suites are spread through multiple buildings on one end of the property while stand-alone pool villas are on the other side. And, the property was recently renovated in colossal fashion that included renovating the pool villas and adding a new building with suites.
The term “barefoot luxury” gets thrown around a lot these days and it would be easy to sum up Amorita’s style that way. Amorita pulls from its environment to keep the feel natural and to allow guests to enjoy the beautiful area they are there for. Woven in are modern elements that create a beautiful, clean aesthetic, but still allows the surrounding environment to shine.
The property has two infinity pools. One shows you the vastness of the Bohol Sea. The other shows you the white sand of Alona Beach and just how many shades of blue you pass through as you venture out to sea.
The pool area facing Alona Beach always has music playing and is the perfect place to grab a cocktail and watch the sun slowly dip below the sea. And you can enjoy complimentary cocktails one night a week at the Manager’s Cocktail Party.
Amorita is very family friendly. I was there for Mother’s Day weekend and saw many families thoroughly enjoying their stay. There is a fun playground set for kids (when they’re not splashing around in the pool or sea), and bikes are available for guests to cruise around the property.
Accommodations
I was fortunate to stay in two rooms during my stay: A Junior Suite and a Garden Pool Villa. Both accommodations were well stocked: water and fresh fruit juice in the mini fridge and fresh fruit, cookies or other treats that were restocked daily. And, on Mother’s Day, a beautiful cupcake was delivered to my door.
Junior Suite
My Junior Suite was conveniently located in a building by the main pool and restaurant. I was surprised that despite its proximity to the main area, it was very quiet. The Junior Suite had a big, comfy bed, a sitting area, a mini fridge that was replenished daily with fresh squeezed juice, a nice bathroom and powder area and a small, lush outdoor sitting area.
Garden Pool Villa
My Garden Pool Villa was a large, stand-alone building and it was GORGEOUS. Recently renovated, everything inside was modern and cozy. It had large room with a king bed, a sitting area, a large desk and storage area, and a naturally lit, spacious bathroom with a large shower and ample counter space.
Sliding glass doors opened to a covered sitting area with an oversized lounger and my own infinity pool. All of this enclosed by perfectly manicured, lush greenery. It was bliss.
Every time I walked through that villa door, I felt like I was home.
Food & Dining
There are two main restaurants at Amorita. The main restaurant, Saffron, and the tapas bar, Tomar. Saffron offers a variety of meals for lunch and dinner and a great buffet, with anything you could want, for breakfast. I’m pretty sure I ate my body weight in fresh mango each morning and had the tuna nicoise salad once (sometimes maybe twice) a day.
Tomar has a fun, modern vibe and offers tapas and other Spanish treats, as well as an interesting selection of wines and whiskeys. I enjoyed lovely tapas paired with a nice glass of wine.
Spa
I had a spa treatment two out of my four nights. And, had I explored the spa offerings sooner, I would have went every night. On the first evening, I had a massage followed by a soothing milk bath. On the second evening, I had a facial and another bath. Both were the perfect way to end the day.
People
It’s not often that I dedicate a blurb for people, but you can’t talk about Amorita without mentioning the people who make the experience special.
I cannot express enough how well I was cared for at Amorita in every aspect, by every person. And there is nothing special about me. This is just how things work here. It’s the management. It’s the culture. Yes- I was traveling alone and felt like I was looked after a little extra because of that. But, I also feel that, based on my experiences with my Filipino friends in San Diego, that’s a big part of who Filipinos are: kind, caring and light hearted.
You will definitely meet Rob while dining at Saffron (please tell him hi from me!). I met him my first morning and he gave me a tour of the breakfast buffet, showed me the local options and taught me how to eat them. When I was the first one to the buffet in the mornings, he sat a cup of coffee down next to me while I took photos, because he quickly figured out I REALLY like coffee. Rumor has it, he’ll remember that fact about me upon my return.
You will also meet the GM, Noel. He’ll greet you with the brightest smile and want to know all about your stay. It’s not uncommon to have a GM of a nice hotel greet you at some point during your stay. But, I couldn’t help but laugh when I would see guests insisting he have a cocktail with them.
Amorita lends itself to so many different travel scenarios: time with family, a romantic getaway, a honeymoon or anniversary, a trip with friends. No matter what the occasion, there is an encouragement of togetherness. When I dream about my return trip, I imagine going with a big group of friends and family.
Click here to learn more about and book this true gem.
- For most of us, it’s a bit of a haul to get to the Philippines, but once you’re there, it’s very affordable.
- That being said, splurge on a pool villa. You will not regret it.
- Enjoy the spa. Stop by on your first day and set up appointments. They are open late, so spa time won’t impede on your other daily activities. And, those baths are soothing for your sun-kissed skin.
- There are plenty of activities on the island. Stop by reception and they will help you set anything up.
- Try Tomar – it’s a great experience! You need advanced reservations.
- If you can fly in and out of Cebu, I highly recommend it. If not, allow at least 3 hours when connecting in Manila for your onward flight out of the Philippines.
- I recommend a minimum of five days at Amorita.
- Amorita is part of One of Collection, a group that manages several properties throughout the Philippines. Check out their other properties for a “combo trip.”
