“It’s a view at once stunning and soothing, dramatic yet tranquil – a great vantage point for promenading and picture-taking, or, simply, a private spot for reflection and contemplation. Either way, this view is a balm for the tired urban soul.”

So says the 28-year old owner cum manager Ria Hernandez Cauton of Amorita Resort, the province of Bohol’s newest resort at the island of Panglao’s Alona Beach.

She wasn’t exaggerating, of course, since the resort boasts of 1.8 hectares of lushly landscaped gardens high on a windswept cliff overlooking, yes, Alona Beach, the Bohol Sea, and the islands beyond – “It is (an access) to everything that (these parts of Bohol’s Panglao island) has to offer, naturally, though also (man-made, as delivered by) Alona Beach’s famed must-visit venues,” elaborates Annie Convocar,
the resort’s director for operations and marketing.

Celebrating Nature

It is, therefore, understandable for Amorita to look after its grounds, and, by extension, the venues around it. In fact, right over the cliff housing Amorita’s villas is a marine sanctuary, as if belying the very existence of a recent development like Amorita itself. “It’s co-existence (of progress with the natural state of things), indeed,” says Convocar.

This synergy is why “we are very big on going, and then in staying green,” Convocar adds, as “we’re very conscious about our impact to what, in the first place, allows us to be here, and thrive here – the very best of nature.”

Internally, therefore, Amorita’s practices include the “conversion of all the resort’s rooms’ lighting system with energy-efficient ones, treatment
of used water for reuse, installation of energy-saving devices where needed, increased consciousness about recycling, and eco-awareness in selection of materials bought for use in the resort, among others,” Convocar says. “Seemingly small steps, but, altogether, impact the environment Amorita is in.”

Convocar adds: “This is the beauty of being an independent property, I suppose. We (are not bound by the) dictates (of franchise chains), so we can establish our own personality. And it is as a nature lover that we (find a niche).”

This may be true, too, considering that on a month-to-month basis for 2008, Amorita has been registering up to 75% average occupancy rate, which is “quite good for any resort,” Convocar says.

It helps, of course, that the province of Bohol, where Amorita is, is home to some of the country’s world-famous attractions, as the resort is “nestled in the center of Bohol’s ecotourism adventures,” including the Chocolate Hills, mounds of limestone formations resembling lumps of chocolate; Loboc River, frequented for its floating restaurants; Pamilacan island, where hundreds of dolphins reside, and then playfully splash in the water to delight tourists; sanctuaries for the tarsier, one of the world’s smallest primates; and numerous dive sites, such as around the Balicasag Island, home of the rare pygmy seahorse, or the Black Forest, which houses dark colored corals, among others.

“So much can be done is so small an island,” Convocar says. “This is why it is always nice, and quite easy at that, to sell the concept of the province.”

Product of Love

Amorita means “my little love” – and, it is often said, Amorita is, truly, a “product of labor of love by Hernandez and her cousin Marivic Hernandez del Pilar.” Interestingly, this is the family’s first foray in the travel and tourism industry, since the family is actually into the transport industry. Hernandez’s grandfather, Jose Hernandez Sr., founded Victory Liner 61 years ago, building it into one of the country’s largest bus companies. In fact, Hernandez managed the same business herself  and it was what she attributes to have taught her the importance of service delivery at all times.

“The bottom line is, you are still looking after the needs of guests, whether they are bus passengers or resort guests. There’s no substitute for good service,” says the Ateneo de Manila University graduate, with graduate degrees from the Asian Institute of Management and Ateneo Graduate School of Business.

When Amorita’s location was acquired in 2005, it was a completely undeveloped area, so that it took two years for it to be finished, and subsequently opened. It currently has 20 de luxe rooms, two sky suites, and 14 single- detached villas, charging from P8,280 to P14,440 per night of stay.

Adjacent to the infinity pool is the Saffron Restaurant, named after the glorious color of the sunset, best viewed while lounging in the same restaurant, which serve must tries that include an “amazing medley of flavours of Bohol’s products and ingredients, including Ube Mousse, Peanut Kiss Sans Rival, and Turon de Bohol.”

“Nothing is left to chance here, as every attention is given to every detail to guarantee (quality stay),” Convocar says. Seemingly proving this claim, the TripAdvisor.com once noted how Amorita climbed as the seventh mustvisit resort in the Philippines to number three in just one month. “What we do speaks for itself, I guess,” Convocar says.

Understandably, there are already plans to further develop Amorita, including the addition of rooms, particularly stand-alone villas; as well as the establishment of a spa village. All still “to continue pleasing our growing clientele,” Convocar says. For now, though, the focus is on keeping Amorita as it is, as “it doesn’t fail to catch the fancy of even the most jaded travellers,” Convocar says. “That view alone  is already worth it all, proving that in Amorita, you can have the best of both worlds, as you should.” “We want it to be a place where our guests can just let go and say, yes, life is beautiful here,” Cauton ends. And at Amorita, this is possible, indeed.

Amorita Resort is located in Bohol, which is 1 ½ hour away by plane from Metro Manila, or a two-hour ferry ride from the cities of Cebu or Dumaguete. The resort itself is only approximately 30 minutes away from the Bohol airport. For more information, call (+6338) 5029001 to 03, or visit amoritaresort.com.