Thunderbird Resorts-Poro Point, La Union

In late December 2011, I was lucky enough to be treated to a year-ender getaway  for accompanying my friend Alice on her annual pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag in Manaoag, Pangasinan. 

We booked our room in Thunderbird Resorts in Poro Point, La Union just a few days before and we were told that the only available accommodation was a Deluxe Suite (P12,ooo for double occupacy plus P1,000 for extra person, inclusive of breakfast), which turned out just perfect for our group of three, instead of getting two separate rooms (although based on other blog accounts, the standard rooms are actually quite spacious too, especially the Deluxe VO Rooms).

The view of the main buildings of Thunderbird Resorts from the entrance.{Via}

Thunderbird in Poro Point is known for its unmistakably Santorini-inspired architecture.  The blue and white colors of the structures instantly greet the guests.  We checked in quickly at the main building and were asked to deposit P3,000 cash for incidental expenses.

The main building. {via}

After our check-in, we walked the short distance to the all-suite structure where our suite was located.   Guests billeted in this villa (which has 4 suites) get their own parking spaces with slots provided at the ground and basement levels.

Our suite was very, very spacious.  It had a living room with TV, a dining area, and a kitchen complete with microwave oven and a large refrigerator.  The couch in the living room had a pull-out sofa bed.

Aside from the spacious living area, the bedroom itself (with  a king size bed and another TV) and the adjoining bath area were really spacious. 

 

The view of the suites in our villa from the street

After settling in, I took a walk to the main resort area, where the pool and the walkway towards the coast was located.  And seeing the layout of the main building where the rooms were located made me appreciate more our own villa suite’s location, as it gives more privacy than the rooms in the main building. The balconies of the rooms in the main building open up to a semi-public area, such as event guests and day trippers (such as on the night we were there, there was a wedding reception and the guests could mill about in the area in front of the rooms’ balconies, which can freak some people out). 

Since Thunderbird is also developing private residences in the same area where the resort is located, there was a lot of construction going on in the vicinity (even near our villa) and the next day, there was even a golf tournament.  

Nevertheless, this really didn’t distract from the view and the overall atmosphere of the resort, especially when we were rewarded with beautiful and wide expanse of the South China Sea and the majestic red sunset that day.  

More posts to follow on the resort’s amenities and great views.  Thunderbird Resorts – Poro Point prides itself as a five-star hotel.  However, we had some glitches with the housekeeping.  When we asked for extra items like towels and bath stuff, it took time for them to deliver and they weren’t able to completely carry out our requests.  I don’t know if that’s because our villa was not so near the reception/housekeeping area as compared to the other rooms. Then again, there shouldn’t be any discrepancy in the  service, especially since we were billeted in a suite. But at the end of the day, we had a really pleasant stay in Thunderbird Resorts -Poro Point.  Our overall experience was quite good, and we were really able to relax and enjoy our stay after the long road trip.   

For me, the only real drawback of the resort is, of course, its accessibility.  The drive was really far—it was still a 3 hours’ drive away from Manaoag, Pangasinan.  So if you’ll be coming from Manila, it’s about 7 to 8 hours away via NLEX and SCTEX, which is really really a tedious drive just to go to a resort.  In fact, the only reason we thought of booking this resort was because we were “already in the area” due to our visit to the Virgin in Manaoag.

The airport in nearby San Fernando, La Union has opened.  However, it appears that there are no commercial flights plying the route from Manila to San Fernando. So, Thunderbird Resorts-Poro Point is a really good resort  for those who have other destinations in Northern Luzon, such as surfing in La Union, making the pilgrimage in Manaoag, or enjoying the cool weather of Baguio.  Otherwise, Thunderbird can be in danger of being a great resort in the middle of nowhere. That in itself is not so bad, unless you consider that you also need to endure 7 to 8 hours of travel by land to get there.  

If that won’t deter you from wanting to experience as much of Santorini as you can in this side of  Luzon, here’s more information on Thunderbird’s promos and rates for 2012 which are actually great rates, especially considering they’re still offering promo rates for the rest of the upcoming summer season (click to enlarge). Cheers! 🙂  

Thunderbird Resorts at Poro Point, La Union

For reservations and inquiries, call (+6372) 888 7777

Click here for map and directions