The Lighthouse Marina Subic Resort Review

It's another long weekend and since we didn't want to be stuck at home doing house chores, we decided to go to one of my favorite out-of-town destinations -- Subic! You might wonder why I love that place when in fact, there's nothing much to do there. Well, that's the beauty of it! If you are a first timer visiting Subic, you might want to go to those touristy places like Zoobic Safari, Ocean Adventure and a few more. Since I've visited Subic place countless times already, I am now after some R&R.
What I really like here is the environment and the city surroundings. Their beaches are nothing like the white beaches of Boracay. Their attractions aren't like the ones in Singapore or Tokyo. But this city itself is unique! Subic freeport is a very peaceful, disciplined and laid back town. It's where you can feel a little bit of America just 2 hours outside Manila. In short, Subic is the perfect getaway for an overnight or two.

I've been here a number of times already and I've stayed in a couple of places in the past. For this trip, we decided to stay in The Lighthouse Marina Resort. Located just a few minutes away from famous malls like Harbor Point and Duty Free shops, all those are just a 2-3 minute drive from here. Restaurants are also abundant in the area, as well as a convenience store just a few blocks around the corner.

Friendly guards greet you as you approach the hotel and since the parking is at the sandy rear part of the hotel, you can also opt to park along the street.

Welcome drinks are provided by the counter

Checking-in is a breeze. Just mention your name and present an ID. Since we arrived around lunch time and they were fully booked, we grabbed a bite first in the nearby mall. Don't worry because as soon as your room is ready, they will give you a call to inform you. Very very friendly and professional staff.

You will be given 1 key card containing almost all the necessary information you will need during your stay. It's contained in a small sleek cardboard envelope. It's handy and light so you can bring it with you all the time if you feel the need to do so. Inside it,
> Breakfast, afternoon cocktails, turndown service schedule
> Pool reminders/ Schedule
> Internet instructions
> Important reminders
> Parking area reminders
> Caring for our environment

The room
There are 4 kinds of rooms here. Aqua, Aqua terrace, Aqua veranda, Aqua suite. We took the basic "Aqua" room. Here's what you can expect:

Single King Size Bed

Welcome fruits by the desk

Balcony area with rattan furnitures

Hallway

Closet with vault, robes, slippers and hangers

Mini bar

Mini bar price list

Mini bar ref

Broadband internet, anyone?

Magazines

DVD Player

The loo and the glass encased shower

Hair dryer

And if you forget something..

Something to keep the kids quiet and busy

The room is very spacious as you can see. When we first entered the room, we were like, "wow". Just coming back from a recent trip in Europe, we were shocked on how huge their basic room was! From the door to the end of the room, it would take 16 normal steps. It almost has everything you will need for your weekend plus more!

On the bedside, there's an iPod dock w/ speakers, a Bible and a flashlight. There were no odors or stinky smells which matters a lot to me. There was a line of water though in the middle of the bathroom as we entered but it didn't  concern us much because it looked clean anyway. We just didn't step on it. Fruits were waiting for us (2 bananas and 1 green apple). What I love the most in this hotel is how they almost thought of everything already. The amenities is similar to what you would get in 5-star hotels but not even some of the 5-star hotels in Manila provides those service as per experience.

The resort

Main entrace - The Lighthouse Marina Resort in Subic

Looking for it was never an issue because the lighthouse is tall enough that you can see it from afar. Well, we actually used our car GPS so it wasn't really a problem. Below the actual lighthouse is a bar which you can go to and just chill.. a nice way to cap off the night. Sands Resto Grill is their in-house restaurant is where they serve breakfast, lunch, afternoon cocktails and dinner!

Afternoon cocktails is served from 4pm to 6pm

Mini Pizzas

Baked mussels

2-dish afternoon cocktails

By the way, if you're a guest here, breakfast buffet, afternoon cocktails, turndown service and complimentary nightcap drink service is for free! Basically, the afternoon cocktails is a 2-3 dish snack available around 4pm to 6pm. The turndown service is the housekeeping preparing your bed for sleeping. They will put a cookie or some chocolates in other places by your bedside or on top of your bed. The nightcap is something they also offer. You can request for hot chocolate or maybe tea from 7pm to 11pm. All these are included!

Pool area

Computers for rent

They also have a jacuzzi, pool, al fresco dining options, lounge (one in the ground floor and the other on the second level). They also have computers for rent. WiFi is not free throughout the hotel. You have to go near the bar to get signal. Username and password will be provided to you. Details of what you need to know will be given upon check-in.

One of the service I wasn't able to try was their 24-hour in-room massage service! I inquired and it was just like 800++ pesos for a whole body massage. I will have to confirm the rates because the price list is by the reception in the lobby area. Board games are also available for kids and kids-at-heart. For bookworms, there are some books available on the second level lounge area.

Sands Resto Bar

Breakfast buffet
Breakfast is available from 6am to 10am. No coupon will be provided so you need to state your room number upon entering the Sands Resto Grill located at the ground level. You can either to choose to sit and lookout the sea, watch tv or read the newspaper while eating breakfast. Another nice option would be to eat by the poolside.

Breakfast food choices was also good! Here's some of the food that day (Food served might differ from time to time):

Standard European cold breakfast and some cheeses

Desserts and fruits

Salad bar

Rice, vegetables and other viands

Hard boiled eggs, fish, fillet

Egg station

Fried chicken, beef tapa

Juice station

Cereal station w/ tea and coffee

Bread station

Soup and jams

Nothing to rave about the food because it was normal yummy hotel food. If I would compare this to my recent trip abroad, breakfast was more or less similar to the Novotel hotel we stayed while we were in London. Bottom line, they serve good hotel food here!

I admit that I was spoiled with my recent stay at the Lighthouse Marina resort. My Subic visit standards will be up a few notch higher because of this stay and I would definitely, definitely recommend you to stay here if you plan to visit Subic. This might not be one the the cheapest around Subic but being one of the best, if not the best hotel to stay in Subic, this is definitely worth it in terms of the service and luxury you will get. I was glad to have spent my precious weekend in that place. I will be back.

One more thing, they also do support environmental programs. Thumbs up! Here's some of them:
Coastal clean-up: http://subictimes.com/lighthouse-resorts-spearhead-subic-shore-it-up-international-coastal-cleanup-2012/
Earth Day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT624LHg8tc&feature=plcp
Earth Hour: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlxbcOSIQYo&feature=plcp

The Lighthouse Marina Resort Subic
Moonbay Marina Complex, Waterfront Road, CBD,
Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales, Philippines
Directions: How to go to Lighthouse Marina Resort in Subic

Telephone Numbers:
Trunk Line (Tel/Fax): (6347) 252-5000 or (6347) 252-7545
Toll Free Manila Number: (632)711-0019

Email: marketing@lighthousesubic.com
Website: http://www.lighthousesubic.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lighthousemarinaresort
Skype: lighthouse.subic