Manila Standard Today
Travel
February 28, 2008
Now that the Holy Week and summer is just around the corner, Club Balai Isabel in Talisay, Batangas is getting more and more reservations. In fact, a pharmaceutical company has already blocked out one of their villas for a 90-day booking and they expect their 60-80% occupancy rate will increase in the next couple of months. But Club Balai Isabel would not stop building more villas and cottages to accommodate every one who wants a piece of nature as a sanctuary from workplace pressures and hurried city life that is just an hour drive from the big city.
Owner Nelson Terrible, who is a native of Talisay, saw the potential of the area for tourism because of its strategic location, overlooking the enchanting Taal Volcano, and bought the 10-hectare property in 2005 together with his partners. They built the condotels in 2007 and opened the same year. As a property developer in his first venture in resort industry, Terrible made Club Balai Isabel into a residential resort. Their company sells the villas mostly to immigrants who only go back to the Philippines for vacation, usually from November to February. During the times that the villas and houses are vacant, they lease it from the owners and use the rooms for accommodations in the resort.
Among the resorts accommodation facilities, in addition to residential houses, are two boutique style clusters Sampaguita Manor and Ylang-Ylang Villa. Sampaguita Manor has 6 hotel-type rooms nestled on a garden of different trees and ornamental plants. Staying on the balcony is relaxing enough with its view of green, wooden chairs and dimly lighted with Spanish style lamps. The rooms are neat and complete with facilities, including mini-refs and hot and cold shower. Meanwhile, Ylang-ylang Villa also offers six studio units furnished with kitchenette ideal for the whole family. The units also have a second floor with a single bed where you can tuck in the children after a full day’s play and recreation.
The Club House with its magnificent view of the lake and the Taal Volcano especially during good weather has two function rooms, Kasay-kasay and Kasili Halls. The ground floor serves as lobby for clients, which also has a restaurant and gift shop. Here the guests can spend the day swimming in the pool; readings books or just enjoy the beautiful view of the lake. For the more adventurous and sports minded, Club Balai Isabel also has the Balikatan Course which facilitates 5 different obstacles mostly used for company team buildings. Apart from swimming, the resort also has tennis, badminton and basketball courts, while for a more muscle challenging activity; guests can rent a kayak to go around the lake. Meanwhile, for those who opt for less physical acitivities, Club Balai Isabel also has packages for lake tours. Their 32 accredited bangkas which can accommodate 7 persons each are equipped with good quality life vests to ensure full safety of their guests.
Since the 400-meter shoreline is not recommended for swimming because of the murky and deep water, Club Balai Isabel put in the Mobideep, an inflatable swimming pool with separate pools of different depth. Its deepest pool which measures 21 feet is even used for scuba diving trainings.
But more is in store for Club Balai Isabel’s guest for 2008, as evident with the on-going construction works inside the resort. According to Terrible, they are building a 98-room condotel called Lakeshore Suites Cluster 1, 2 and 3 and targeting March 2008 to finish the first 66 rooms. These condominium units will be available for individual and corporate buyers and they are given options to lease out the units for hotel operations. The smallest unit measures 3,659 m2 while biggest is 5459 m2 and ranges from 2.5 to 11 million pesos.
Club Balai Isabel is also adding more facilities to the resort, including a recreation center equipped with videoke machine,a movie room, billiard tables, Wii and Play Station 3 rooms, internet Shop, Tea Lounge and a library for the use of their guests. Wi-fi will also be available in the public areas. Water sports will also be promoted in the area with the resort building facilities for skim and wake boarding.
Aside from the wellness center which will offer medical spa and traditional medical facility for tourists and guests, they will also open non-invasive therapies and executive check ups. Terrible is particularly excited about the opening of the Spa Suites, which guests can avail for P8,500 a night. Each of the eight huts have a queen-sized bed, private bathroom and a private Jacuzzi in a lush garden setting. The room can accommodate 2-8 persons. To add to the luxurious packages, Club Balai Isabel will soon offer the Taal Lake Cruise with their 20-passenger Cancun equipped with washroom and mini-bar which will go around the lake. The full completion of the project is expected in 2009.
“But our primary concern is the environment,” said Terrible at the end of the interview since nobody remembered to ask about their community projects. Since water shortage is among the biggest environmental problem that the country has to be faced in the coming years, Terrible cited that the water being used in the swimming pool as well as in Mobideep is all filtered lake water ideal for irrigation and safe for swimming. They also make sure that they are using low energy-consumption equipment in the resort.
Meanwhile, to encourage the same effort in environment protection and conservation from the community, the resort started a Solid Waste Management project. Residents of Talisay Batangas can avail of support from the resort, which can be load or financial backings in community projects if they are able to turn in a certain amount of recyclable materials to the resort. According to Terrible, this concerted effort will make people realize that nature and the lake should be protected to be able to retain their livelihood, especially fishing and tourism.
Travel
February 28, 2008
Now that the Holy Week and summer is just around the corner, Club Balai Isabel in Talisay, Batangas is getting more and more reservations. In fact, a pharmaceutical company has already blocked out one of their villas for a 90-day booking and they expect their 60-80% occupancy rate will increase in the next couple of months. But Club Balai Isabel would not stop building more villas and cottages to accommodate every one who wants a piece of nature as a sanctuary from workplace pressures and hurried city life that is just an hour drive from the big city.
Owner Nelson Terrible, who is a native of Talisay, saw the potential of the area for tourism because of its strategic location, overlooking the enchanting Taal Volcano, and bought the 10-hectare property in 2005 together with his partners. They built the condotels in 2007 and opened the same year. As a property developer in his first venture in resort industry, Terrible made Club Balai Isabel into a residential resort. Their company sells the villas mostly to immigrants who only go back to the Philippines for vacation, usually from November to February. During the times that the villas and houses are vacant, they lease it from the owners and use the rooms for accommodations in the resort.
Among the resorts accommodation facilities, in addition to residential houses, are two boutique style clusters Sampaguita Manor and Ylang-Ylang Villa. Sampaguita Manor has 6 hotel-type rooms nestled on a garden of different trees and ornamental plants. Staying on the balcony is relaxing enough with its view of green, wooden chairs and dimly lighted with Spanish style lamps. The rooms are neat and complete with facilities, including mini-refs and hot and cold shower. Meanwhile, Ylang-ylang Villa also offers six studio units furnished with kitchenette ideal for the whole family. The units also have a second floor with a single bed where you can tuck in the children after a full day’s play and recreation.
The Club House with its magnificent view of the lake and the Taal Volcano especially during good weather has two function rooms, Kasay-kasay and Kasili Halls. The ground floor serves as lobby for clients, which also has a restaurant and gift shop. Here the guests can spend the day swimming in the pool; readings books or just enjoy the beautiful view of the lake. For the more adventurous and sports minded, Club Balai Isabel also has the Balikatan Course which facilitates 5 different obstacles mostly used for company team buildings. Apart from swimming, the resort also has tennis, badminton and basketball courts, while for a more muscle challenging activity; guests can rent a kayak to go around the lake. Meanwhile, for those who opt for less physical acitivities, Club Balai Isabel also has packages for lake tours. Their 32 accredited bangkas which can accommodate 7 persons each are equipped with good quality life vests to ensure full safety of their guests.
Since the 400-meter shoreline is not recommended for swimming because of the murky and deep water, Club Balai Isabel put in the Mobideep, an inflatable swimming pool with separate pools of different depth. Its deepest pool which measures 21 feet is even used for scuba diving trainings.
But more is in store for Club Balai Isabel’s guest for 2008, as evident with the on-going construction works inside the resort. According to Terrible, they are building a 98-room condotel called Lakeshore Suites Cluster 1, 2 and 3 and targeting March 2008 to finish the first 66 rooms. These condominium units will be available for individual and corporate buyers and they are given options to lease out the units for hotel operations. The smallest unit measures 3,659 m2 while biggest is 5459 m2 and ranges from 2.5 to 11 million pesos.
Club Balai Isabel is also adding more facilities to the resort, including a recreation center equipped with videoke machine,a movie room, billiard tables, Wii and Play Station 3 rooms, internet Shop, Tea Lounge and a library for the use of their guests. Wi-fi will also be available in the public areas. Water sports will also be promoted in the area with the resort building facilities for skim and wake boarding.
Aside from the wellness center which will offer medical spa and traditional medical facility for tourists and guests, they will also open non-invasive therapies and executive check ups. Terrible is particularly excited about the opening of the Spa Suites, which guests can avail for P8,500 a night. Each of the eight huts have a queen-sized bed, private bathroom and a private Jacuzzi in a lush garden setting. The room can accommodate 2-8 persons. To add to the luxurious packages, Club Balai Isabel will soon offer the Taal Lake Cruise with their 20-passenger Cancun equipped with washroom and mini-bar which will go around the lake. The full completion of the project is expected in 2009.
“But our primary concern is the environment,” said Terrible at the end of the interview since nobody remembered to ask about their community projects. Since water shortage is among the biggest environmental problem that the country has to be faced in the coming years, Terrible cited that the water being used in the swimming pool as well as in Mobideep is all filtered lake water ideal for irrigation and safe for swimming. They also make sure that they are using low energy-consumption equipment in the resort.
Meanwhile, to encourage the same effort in environment protection and conservation from the community, the resort started a Solid Waste Management project. Residents of Talisay Batangas can avail of support from the resort, which can be load or financial backings in community projects if they are able to turn in a certain amount of recyclable materials to the resort. According to Terrible, this concerted effort will make people realize that nature and the lake should be protected to be able to retain their livelihood, especially fishing and tourism.
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