A restful weekend in Binangonan

By Reinerio A. Alba, Contributor

11/15/2008

If one were to Google for interesting things to see in Binangonan, one would find the Vicente Manansala Historical Shrine or the house of National Artist Vicente Manansala in San Carlos Heights. During Lenten season, a visita iglesia or church visit is never complete without a stop at the St. Ursula Church and a participation in the giwang-giwang procession re-enacting the funeral of Jesus Christ on Good Friday. For trekkers, there is the 200-meter high mountain called Susong Dalaga in barangay Sapang, Talim Island. For golfers, there is the East Ridge Country Golf Club. And when one looks up East Ridge Country Golf Club again, one is likely to discover a resort called Thunderbird.

“Eastbay Resorts Inc. has taken over the operation of the 18-hole championship golf course that has 200 members, and now we have the Thunderbird Resorts here in Binangonan,” explains Ana Crizel Cruz, marketing services and PR manager.

Thunderbird Resorts, Cruz stresses, is the first casino and hotel in Southeast Asia, formally opening in Binangonan on April 11, 2005.

The resort in the barangay of Bilibiran opens to a vista of nearby spread of trees. Binangonan, after all, lies between the foot of Sierra Madre mountains and the northeastern part of Laguna de Bay. A swimming pool fronts the resort and seems to flow infinitely into the trees further below it.

Interestingly, if one were to stand in front of the hotel’s entrance, one would immediately notice the layout of the hotel replicating the Thunderbird iconic emblem, the line of rooms in both sides, opening up in perfect symmetry like that of the wings of the famed bird symbol of the native Americans. The emblem itself is a familiar design used on stamped jewelry by Indian artists.

The WiFi-zone hotel houses 43 big rooms including a presidential suite. Overnight stay rates start at P3,820 for a deluxe room, while the presidential suite room is priced at P13,820. Guests can take a peek of Fiesta Casino, which connects with the hotel, while walking through an area of the casino on the way to the casino-themed restaurant called Vegas Buffet. One long wall of said restaurant is painted with the Las Vegas panorama. The dining tables are decorated with playing cards under a glass top. Lunch is priced at P288, while dinner is at P388, with Vegas Buffet offering a range of selection from salads, main dishes and desserts.

Alain Richard is Thunderbird Resorts’ hospitality manager. Richard is a Canadian who has been in the country for just over a month. He said that he is positive about the performance of the resort and the casino and is happy to report that they have a lot of local clients at the moment.

“We are the only hotel casino resort with a 32-inch television in every room,” Richard points out. He also amused the members of the media with a bit of a story on his life as a singer in musicals in the hotels where he worked. These days, he is also busy earning his master’s degree in property management and making sure that the staff at the hotel is always in top form.

We further entertained ourselves at the Cabana Bar where a live band was performing. At the bar, Cruz said that hotel guests can watch famous artists in the country.

Eastbay, she added, is also set to complete their expansion plans during the first quarter of 2009. Cruz also talked about Thunderbird Resorts in Poro Point in San Fernando, La Union, that has 40 rooms and a nine-hole golf course boasting of its signature holes by the cliff. President Gloria Arroyo attended the inauguration ceremony of the hotel on May 27, 2008. Cruz clarified that 10 out of these 40 suites will be opened for vacation ownership.

“To date, Thunderbird Resorts Rizal and Fiesta Casinos in both Rizal and Poro Point have already surpassed management expectations as entry points into the Southeast Asia region, proving that each of the resort properties has tremendous opportunities for expansion,” Cruz happily reported.

Later in the night, we availed of the P600-per hour massage service in our rooms, a fitting cap to the day’s activities.

For reservations and inquiries, call 651-6888 or e-mail rizalreservations@thunderbird-asia.com.

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