(As featured in Travel Update Philippines, Issue 65, Page 5)
Most tour operators cannot forget this legendary hotel in the early 80’s that had its own beachfront amid lush, manicured gardens that stood out in a cove past Boracay’s station one. The resort endured several changes of ownership without much fanfare until it was bought by Zesto Corporation and Zest Airways owner Alfredo Yao who chose Mövenpick to manage it. A delay of several months due to corporate concerns and the six-month closure of the whole island by the government because of ecological issues plagued its re-opening. Only when the Department of Natural Resources and Department of Tourism gave its final okay to environmentally compliant resorts did Mövenpick Boracay open its doors and has been welcoming luxury tourists ever since.
“The closure of the island enabled us to finish everything that wasn’t there when we opened the new brand the first time. We have always complied with environmental laws, in fact desalination is our next project,” revealed the resort’s General Manager André Brulhart.
Mövenpick is a brand known for its profile of luxury in over 80 properties across the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. Based in Switzerland, the chain was acquired by Accor in 2018. While Accor has its own luxury brand in Sofitel, and another newly acquired luxury brand — Raffles and Fairmont, the addition of Mövenpick enhances its appeal to luxury travelers.
Brulhart stated that Accor usually keeps the identity of the brands that they have acquired so Accor’s strong presence in Europe, Asia, and Australia makes it a wise decision to introduce the Mövenpick in the Philippines and Asia where they have minimal presence, so it runs both ways.
The ongoing Boracay push for sustainable tourism is a perfect fit for Mövenpick to showcase their brand of luxury to its guests starting with the privacy of having its own beachfront, offering fresh, local produce for that dining experience. Designated to cater to both the leisure and business elite, this opulent hotel sits in a three-hectare property and offers 312 rooms with lavish amenities, elegant design, de luxe bathrooms, and dramatic ocean views .
It is known to have the largest pool in Boracay at 3,300 sqm. The bar and restaurant outlets guarantee a memorable culinary experience whether enjoying a cocktail or two watching the sunset or Boracay’s famous fruit bats flying out of their cave, marveling at Chef Francesco’s 2-minute pizzas in their state-of-the-art Italian brick oven at Brezza, cheating on your diet by participating in its daily chocolate buffet, going Korean at Ssäm, or Filipino traditional cuisine at The Market.
Presently, a scenic short-cut to the resort will enable guests to avoid the traffic as a result of the ongoing road-widening construction in several places, but, for the observant eye, it provides pieces of the total picture of what Boracay would be after its rehabilitation: 7 wetland sites where people can appreciate nature, wider roads, cleaner environment, to complement the beach of an island that has been voted number one in the world.
Movenpick at sustainable Boracay, how luxurious can one be?