Privacy in their own pocket of paradise and fresh guest experiences have put El Nido Resorts’ top-end property Pangulasian island resort on the radar of luxury travelers worldwide. Many of them return to be reinvigorated by the views of limestone cliffs that dramatically change with the light and by the island’s house reef featuring marine life that’s among the most diverse in the world.
The island resort’s challenge is to constantly enhance the Pangulasian guest experience, according to Joey Bernardino, marketing director of Ten Knots Development Corporation, owner and developer of El Nido Resorts. To achieve this, facility upgrades like deck chairs that invite guests to linger and relax longer as well as equipment that process wastewater so that the island’s surrounding waters remain attractive to marine life are in order. For the next few months, Pangulasian will be closed for these types of renovation.
It will reopen in December its cogon villas with spacious high ceilings surrounded by lush greenery and other highly-rated amenities that carry a Filipino tropical theme. These plush structures will continue to be complemented by the island resorts’ unmatched attraction — an ivory beach that stretches for about a kilometer soothed by gentle waves owing to its location within a bay.
Pangulasian for years now has won a string of prestigious awards focusing on responsible and sustainable tourism. It has consistently been named one of the Top 50 Resorts in the World by the readers of Conde Nast Traveller, an acclaimed and multi-awarded travel magazine that is the bible of luxury travelers worldwide.
The Pacific Asia Travel Association, the leading travel group of the region, has also included it in its Best Branded Accommodation category of The Tourism Inspire Awards among many other awards.
“Size and ostentation are no longer the priority of high-end travelers who set world trends,” observes Bernardino. “They focus instead on nature-focused resorts now threatened by climate change and other environmental risks. They also single out resorts that adopt sustainable practices.” Sustainable tourism has been a trademark of El Nido Resorts for the past 40 years.
According to Javi Hernandez, Ten Knots president, many guests return to Pangulasian because they like to be left by themselves to enjoy nature. “Our goal was to keep densities low and to make guests feel they have the place mostly to themselves. Each villa has its own defined space to allow privacy and surrounded by natural landscaping. Villas are tucked behind trees. The canopy villas located on higher ground are on stilts but look like they are part of the landscape. From the shore, you see the trees and greenery first before you see the structures.”
For the next few months, the cogon roofs of the villas will be replaced and back-of-the-house facilities like the sewage treatment plant and desalination plant will be upgraded. These maintenance activities will ensure that guests continue to encounter paradise in Pangulasian for more years to come.