Pick-up at Tagbilaran Seaport
After our booking was confirmed, Des, the reservation officer reminded us to provide our arrival and departure details prior to our stay dates so she can arrange the free roundtrip transfers. I told her we will be coming from Cebu and once we were able to purchase our ferry tickets, I emailed again to inform her we will be arriving in Tagbilaran Seaport via Ocean Jet and ETA is 4:00 p.m. I also sent a text message as soon as we boarded the ferry. And sure enough, our service van was waiting for us at the seaport when we arrived.
Travel time from Tagbilaran port to the resort was more or less 30 minutes. Our friendly driver tried his best to be entertaining and informative as he gave us short briefs about certain landmarks in Tagbilaran City, Panglao Island and the resort, and even an insight into the daily lives of Boholanos as he drove us to our destination.
He also shared with us why they came up with South Palms as the name of the resort. 'South' because it's located in the southern part of Panglao Island and 'Palms' because the property has an abundance of palm trees.
Check-in
Upon entering the resort premises, I realized how big the property is, most of it is still undeveloped; the resort itself is still some meters away from the main gate.
 |
| South Palms Resort Panglao Main Gate |
When we finally reached the reception area, we were immediately greeted with smiles and warm welcome from the staff, as one offered us wet towels to freshen up ourselves with. They told us they'll take care of our luggage and ushered us to the check-in desk.
Check-in was quick. After the obligatory greetings, they asked for our IDs and the incidental deposit fee of P2000/night. After that, they gave our key card and whisked us away to our room. To get to our room, we need to pass in front of the restaurant but there was an on-going wedding reception, so they drove us to our room instead.
The "Room"
I breathed a silent "wow" when they opened the door to our room. Instantly, I noticed there's a living area with a view of the beach.
 |
| Living area also has a mini bar, refrigerator, complimentary bottled water and coffee/tea maker |
Then another door revealed the bedroom - it was fantastic.
This is where D spent his working hours, thanks to their speedy in-room Wi-Fi connection:
 |
| The writing desk and the 40" LED TV with many cable channels. |
Prior to booking, Des had already told us that they no longer have available rooms with king-size bed. So I just requested for the two double beds to be joined together. And they did just that.
This is the most comfortable bed I've been on. Sleeping here feels like sleeping on a bed of clouds.
 |
| We got 2 memory foam pillows and 2 regular ones, uber soft and fluffy blankets, an iPod dock on the left and the phone on the right. |
 |
| Provisions in the closet: 2 bathrobes, 2 pairs of rubber flipflops, 2 pairs of indoor slippers, iron and board, in-room safe, umbrella and flashlight (not seen in the picture) |
I opened the bathroom door to another surprise.
 |
| Spacious and spanking new bathroom |
 |
| Bathtub, I love! |
 |
| Glass-enclosed shower area and toilet |
 |
| Branded toiletries and other bathroom necessities. There's even a bathroom scale under the sink. |
It took me a while to realize that our room was upgraded to a beachfront villa. (Insert a very wide grin here.) I'm not sure why we got upgraded, but that was the coolest thing that happened to us on this trip.
The beach villa is just perfect. The design is simple yet elegant and very homey. Outside, it looks like a small modern-tropical bungalow covered with limestone tiles and thatched roof.
Inside, it's an inviting living space tastefully appointed with furniture and decors that showcase the Boholano's craftsmanship and creativity. And the best décor of all: the stunning view of the beach!
 |
| The view from our bedroom is absolutely picturesque! |
South Palms Resort Panglao's amenities are not yet complete. Currently, their main attraction is the infinity pool, located at the center of the resort and in front of the Oceanica Restaurant. There's also a Coast Pool Bar beside it if you fancy sipping cocktail drinks while lounging in one of their many colorful chairs.
There's another pool - the adult pool - located near our villa. This is where we spent most of our time swimming. The depth of the pool ranges from 3 feet to 5 1/2 feet. You can also order drinks from the nearby pool bar or have your meals served here.
There's a lifeguard on standby who will immediately hand you towels when you take a dip.
South Palms Resort has the longest beach in Panglao, which they lined with thatched shades and lounge chairs so guests can quickly take cover when they want to shield themselves from the sun, but still want to savor the fresh breeze of the ocean.
Another nice area in the resort is their mini man-made forest: a paved pathway connecting the Oceanica Restaurant to the adult pool that they outlined with trees, plants and stones.
Their spa is already open and I also noticed that they have function and conference rooms near the lobby. Plans to have a gym, tennis court and other amenities are already underway (according to our driver/concierge). When that happens, I won't be surprised if South Palms Resort becomes one, if not the leading beach holiday destination in Panglao.
I also like that they chose to develop the resort horizontally, building suites and villas that blend naturally with the surroundings. It truly has the look and feel of a tropical paradise.
 |
| The Resort at night |
The Food and Oceanica Restaurant
Oceanica Restaurant is the only restaurant inside the resort. You can choose to eat in the restaurant, which has the relaxing view of the infinity pool and Bolod Beach, or have your meals served in your room.
Half-board meals - breakfast and a choice of lunch or dinner - are already included in the accommodation. I thought that was practical and cost-effective. At least, it would save us the hassle of finding and deciding where to eat. But in case we're not satisfied with the in-house food, I was thinking we could always go out and eat in other resorts in the area.
But we found out there's no need for that really. The foods served in Oceanica Restaurant are nothing short of amazing. Every dish we ordered was delicious, reflecting the freshness of the ingredients and the skill of the Chef. In fact, the other highlight of our stay in South Palms Resort, aside from being upgraded to a beach villa, is the food.
Price is mid-range, regular fares are somewhere between Php350-Php500, while premium meats are Php900 and beyond. But with the taste and the big serving size, it's totally worth it.
 |
| Breakfast: Filipino (fried rice, danggit, 2 hard-boiled eggs) and American (ham, hashbrown, 2 omelets) with fresh fruits, choice of coffee, tea or choco and bottled water. |
 |
| Lunch: Fried Seafood Basket with Camote Chips and Dips, Surf and Turf, Kare-Kare and 2 cups of garlic rice. Not in the picture: Banana Split for dessert. |
 |
| Dinner: Prime Beef Burger with Camote Chips and Thai Chicken Salad plus Panna Cotta as complimentary dessert. |
On Sunday morning, we had buffet breakfast with a wide variety of choices:
 |
| Clockwise: Salad bar, Bread station with different spreads, cheeses and cold cuts, Cereal station, Fruits and cakes station |
 |
| CW: Pancakes with different toppings, Congee station, Noodle soup station |
 |
| Top: Sushi and maki station. Bottom: Filipino Breakfast station (fried rice with different viands such eggs, ham, different sausages, hotdog, etc) |
Service
Because the resort is new and still in their soft-opening phase, I expected a few glitches during our stay. There was a bit of confusion on how we will avail the meal inclusions. I asked the Front Desk and we were told to order straight from Oceanica. But staff in Oceanica would ask for meal coupons that were supposed to be given to us during check-in. But they were not.
The phone system is also not yet configured so I had to go through Front Desk to connect to the restaurant. Later, I just asked Oceanica for their direct line. I wish I had thought of that earlier.
Then there was a slight misstep during our first dinner, to which our driver and the duty manager had profusely apologized for. But they made up for it by giving us complimentary foods and by rendering us the best service possible, ensuring that our stay in the resort will be the most comfortable and enjoyable. And it was.
Staff are always smiling. They even checked up on us in the villa to ask if there's anything we need. Service is simply superb! Truly, the staff at South Palms Resort Panglao knows what true Boholano hospitality is.
Check-out
Checking out was a breezy as checking in. I called Front Desk at 11 a.m. to inform them that we'll be checking out in an hour. They asked if we need help with our bags and promptly sent someone at exactly 12 noon to assist us. At the reception desk, they had all our expenses tallied. They have credit card terminals so I chose to pay with a credit card instead and refund the full deposited amount. We will still be transferring to another hotel and having cash will be handy.
After payment, we were led to the service van waiting for us. During reservation, I had requested that instead of airport drop-off, we'd like to be transferred to Bohol Bee Farm. I didn't have to repeat the request because the Front Desk officer had already instructed the driver to drop us off at Bohol Bee Farm. I really appreciate that all the information and requests I made during reservation where duly noted and communicated to the staff at the resort. Efficient service = worry-free stay = happy guests.
The Verdict
Need I say more? We had the BEST beach holiday experience at South Palms Resort Panglao. To echo their slogan, come to South Palms Resort Panglao and discover the way a Bohol beach holiday should be.
Related Review: Why you should stay in Bolod Beach
South Palms Resort Panglao
Web: http://www.southpalmsresort.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SouthPalmsResortPanglao
Email: info@southpalmsresort.com
Toll Free: 1-800-1888-7777
Info: +63 38 502-8288
RSVN: +63 38 501-3088
Mobile: +639177167609
Panglao beach is one of the best here in the Philippines, I can even compare its beauty to Boracay..
ReplyDelete