*Updated April 20, 2023*
We woke up earlier than usual and proceeded right away to the breakfast area. Akira went straight to where the high chair was, grabbed it, and pushed it to our usual table. He parked it next to my chair and asked me to bring him up. Caloy, one of the staff, attended to our needs and in no time, brought our warm pancakes. Akira then drizzled it with syrup while telling Caloy that we are leaving soon. It was our ninth and last day at Ferra Hotel and Garden Suites and our son was telling everyone that we are transferring to our next accommodation and that he would miss everyone.
One of the guests couldn’t help but compliment his initiative. Our son, Akira, was born in September 2019 and he was just six months old when the series of lockdowns started because of the COVID-19 pandemic. I can still remember how scared he was growing up when we went beyond our house gate. He would tremble at the sight of the “outside world” and wouldn’t know how to act appropriately. That was a far cry from his first-ever plane ride at 34 months old. He was so happy to see the clouds up close and the tiny little islands on his window which he called “maps”.
It was my annual two-month school break when Christian and I decided to have a quick respite from the stresses of our daily lives, which, by the way, I try to lessen by playing supermarket games online during my daily commute to work. We would’ve wanted to have a backpacking trip around the country (or maybe abroad) like we used to do, but with the strict health protocols, it would be expensive and risky to do so as Akira is still unvaccinated from COVID-19.
Boracay was our first and only choice ‘coz hey, it’s one of the best islands in the world and it’s super convenient to have long-term travel with a toddler. We planned on staying there for twenty-two days and suffice it to say, we couldn’t be happier with our “island life” for a short period of time.
The new health protocols in traveling around the country made it somewhat challenging to go around but we pushed through with our plans. It was the end of July when we flew from Manila to Boracay via Cebu Pacific Air and his first-ever plane ride was a success.
Christian and I have been to Boracay a number of times and almost every time, we choose to stay at The Ferra Premier Hotel ‘coz we always feel at home there. This time around, we stayed at its sister hotel, the Ferra Hotel and Garden Suites.
After nine hours since we left our home in Malabon, we arrived at the hotel and were greeted by the gracious staff. We were treated with glasses of refreshing iced tea as we checked in. We were then ushered to our room in no time.
We booked a Garden Suite that was conveniently located at the ground level. I let Akira tap the keycard which opened our spacious room. He went straight to the glass sliding door on the far end of the room and then shrieked in excitement as he saw the outdoor shower area with a bathtub. He stayed there for a while, in awe of the view.
Our room is furnished with a huge bed that fits three of us comfortably. There’s also a workstation with an ergonomic chair, lamp, and a movable desk that extends to the wall underneath the huge TV. We basically used this spot to store some of our stuff for easier access. I love how clear the distinctions were in the different spaces in the room.
There’s also a wardrobe closet with a sliding door that connects to a kitchenette. There’s a mini fridge in there which Akira called a “baby ref”.
The bathroom is huge with a separate stall for the shower, which I loved. A rain shower and a telephone shower were both installed there. I also appreciate the fact that the stall has ample space for all of our toiletries and bath amenities. I hate it when you have no room for your personal stuff in the shower.
The lavatory is spacious as well with dramatic mood lighting, perfect for those who love to put on their make-up. Although there’s a lot of hanging area, I wish there’s a retractable clothesline in the bathroom or the garden area wherein we could hang our clothes to dry.
We lounged for a bit and although we planned to go out that night for dinner, our tired bods were glued to the comfy bed as we watched TV. We then surrendered to the comfy bed after finishing some sandwiches we brought.
We slept for twelve hours straight and woke up refreshed the next day.
➤CHECK DISCOUNTED TOURS IN BORACAY
Ferra Garden Suies used to offer buffet breakfasts for guests and non-guests alike before the pandemic. Now, they have set meals for guests in Brick & Basil, their in-house restaurant.
During our nine-day stay, we got to try their different fried rice or sinangag meals from the menu like longganisa, beef tapa, corned beef, tocino, and bacon. But my ultimate brekkie favorite, as well as Akira’s, is pancake—and boy did we eat so much during our stay.
Our TeamRH friends came along after a few days and stayed at Ferra Hotel and Garden Suites as well. We had a lovely dinner at the in-house bar and restaurant on their first night at the rooftop/pool area.
Christian and I already tried the classic yummy dishes at Ruf Resto Bar from its original location at Ferra Hotel Premier. The restobar transferred to its current location and still, their signature dishes such as the Nasi Goreng and Crispy Pata are the best.
The group had a celebratory dinner of some sort as it was our first trip outside the metro during the Pandemic. We chugged a few bottles of beer and carried on with our endless chitchats.
The revelry continued for three days and although we haven’t seen each other for quite some time, you’d feel like we’re actually neighbors who knew each other’s affairs ‘coz we needed not to fill in the gaps. That’s the kind of friendship that is worth keeping. And although some of us had some conflicts with each other in the past, we kind of learned to grow with it over the past eight years that we’ve been together. We planned on trying new activities in Boracay but we ended up just chillin' all day, every day.
The morning after our friends went back to Manila, Akira nonchalantly asked, “Asan na ang mga friends natin, Nanay?” (Where are our friends, Nanay?). I smiled back and tried to explain to him that they had to leave for work. For a two-year-old during that time, Akira seemed to get along very well with our friends—and up to now, he still sees them as “his friends” and not as his aunts and uncles.
For the rest of our stay at Ferra Hotel and Garden Suites, we continued to chill on our morning beach after breakfast—Bulabog Beach, which is just a five-minute walk from the hotel. We’ll then have a quick lunch somewhere and then go back to the hotel for Akira’s afternoon nap. We’ll then go to White Beach and spend the rest of the afternoon there.
For nine days, we called Ferra Hotel and Garden Suites our home in Boracay, and every time we came to their doorstep, there’s someone there who would ask you about our day or would play with Akira.
I dunno how they do it but I always feel the staff’s caring nature at both Ferra Hotels. It’s actually deeply rooted in their culture and not superficial—like they need to serve you or attend to you just because they are required to do so.
I could still remember my first ever breakfast at The Ferra Premier Hotel back in 2017 when a staff served me a cup of coffee with an imprint of the letter “C” on the mug (For “Carla”). I was stunned as to how well they know their guests even without ever formally introducing ourselves to them. That story still touches me now. It set the bar for personalized guest service. Christian and I still have those two mugs with us. We actually asked if we could buy them, but they actually gave them to us as souvenirs when we went back home.
I can name more than a few occasions where our Ferra family extended their love to us. There was this instance when we had some leftover food and we planned on having it for dinner. I then asked for a huge plate and a bowl from the kitchen without telling them why. On a hunch, maybe, the kitchen staff asked me if I wanted my food to be reheated. Isn’t that the sweetest?
I could mention the names of Akira’s “favorite” persons at Ferra Hotel and Garden Suites, but by doing so, I will definitely fail to recognize each and everyone’s effort in maintaining this kind of personalized customer service.
In my years of traveling, I’m not someone who’d expect or demand something that is over-the-top from any hotel staff, but simple gestures that you know come from the heart are always remarkable.
And that is truly why we always feel excited to go back to Boracay because we have a home that we can go back to any time.
APRIL 20, 2023 UPDATE
It was day two of our Boracay trip and although it was mentioned on the weather forecast that it would rain the whole weekend, it’s surprisingly sunny and bright. We were in the middle of our breakfast meal when I instinctively got the salt shaker. And while my friends and I were having a seemingly never-ending chitchat, I started to sprinkle salt on my fried eggs but I couldn’t. On my second try, I was surprised when Greg, one of the dining staff, was right in front of me handing me a new salt shaker. That is, indeed, the essence of personal service extraordinaire—only at Ferra Hotel and Garden Suites.
If you know me pretty well, you’d know that I only have a handful of friends and that my constant buddies are guys. But I have this set of girlfriends that I rarely see in the metro but we have this thing that we go to Boracay every five years since 2012. And so for the third time, My “Boracay friends” and I went back to our usual rendezvous.
During our first-ever Boracay trip, we stayed at a random house that we found while looking for a place on foot. It was around 50 meters from White Beach and we’re totally fine about the homestay at that time. It was on the second trip that we first stayed at Ferra Premier Hotel. We had so much fun and our Loft Room witnessed our endless late-night banters and chitchats over wine and whatever chips we had. This time around, we stayed at Ferra Hotel and Garden Suites—the sister hotel of the previous one.
I knew what to expect when we’re preparing for this trip because I’ve stayed at Ferra Hotel and Garden Suites a number of times that I consider it my home in Boracay. But I wasn’t prepared for the surprise they gave us when we arrived at the hotel. With almost half of their staff waiting at the façade with a huge banner, they yelled, “Welcome Home, Ms. Carla, Ms. Sheena, and Ms. Lovela!” I was speechless at first and then thanked everyone for their wonderful surprise.
One of the staff immediately took our bags and we were given each a refreshing cucumber lemonade drink. We checked in swiftly and then ushered to our room.
Our Suite Room for four days is located on the second level of the hotel. I appreciate that the AC was turned on already when we went inside. There’s a video presentation being shown on the TV that greeted the three of us and another banner inside the room that says, “Welcome Home!”
The suite was divided into two main rooms, the living area, and the bedroom.
The living area was complete with a TV that was on the wall. It’s equipped with local and international channels and there’s also a long wooden shelf underneath it.
There’s this homey vibe from the seating area because of the wooden furniture and the dimmed lights from the table and floor lamps. There’s also a kitchenette with coffee and tea-making facilities and a mini fridge.
The turquoise blackout curtains covered the glass windows which made it cozier. The native rug as well as a sungka set added a local touch to the room. A simple art piece was hung on the wall that added to the total look of it.
The door that leads to the bedroom provided privacy especially when you’re in a big group. The room had an accent wall of greyish-blue color which provided a great backdrop for the queen-sized bed. The signature comfy pillows of Ferra Hotel were there as well and the wooden theme from the living space echoed in this room. There’s another TV set in the room as well as a wooden shelf underneath it.
There’s this long bay window that can actually transform into a daybed. I parted the blackout curtains which revealed the glass windows as well.
The bathroom has a separate stall for the shower and bath amenities were also provided.
I told Sheena and Lovela that they could take the bed and I could stay on the daybed in the living area. They opposed it at first but I insisted because I’m more comfortable with having my own bed (I grew up not having to share my bed with anyone, not until I had a husband).
As much as we want to stay longer and rest, we decided to head out for some afternoon booze at a beachfront restaurant in Station 1 of the White Beach. We had so much fun that we ended up staying there until sundown.
We went back to Ferra Hotel and Garden Suites to freshen up before we go for a girls’ night out but we ended up having some wine and chips in our suite while watching some murder docuseries on TV. That’s all happening while we’re chatting about the latest chika in our lives as well as the occasional video calls from our kids. It was definitely a much more fun and relaxed way to spend our first night in Boracay.
Breakfast was included in our stay and we had to choose from classic Pinoy “silog” or fried rice meals which include longganisa, beef tapa, corned beef, and tocino. The Western breakfast sets include pancakes, toast, waffles, and fruit plates. All of which come with a choice of drink.
I saw familiar faces at Brick & Basil Restaurant like Caloy which is one of Akira’s favorites in Ferra Hotel. I even let the two of them speak through video calls in the morning. We could’ve asked for room service during our breakfast meals so as to stay in bed a little longer but we would miss the smiles and laughter from the dining staff in the morning.
One of the things I missed from my previous stays though was the breakfast buffet spread of Ferra Hotel Premier which featured a lot of my favorite foodstuff such as congee, danggit, and more. Hopefully, on our next visit, they could have it at Ferra Hotel and Garden Suites.
For the next three days, our huge suite room was our refuge and haven in Boracay. When we go back there after a day at the beach or after a night out, there will be someone who’d ask us how our day went or greet us with genuine smiles. It’s that kind of comfortable conversation that you would like to engage in with.
On our last day, we went to the rooftop pool after breakfast and spent our last few hours there. There were laughter and tears shared but ultimately, we had a totally relaxing time. Adulting is really hard but when you have like-minded people in your life then everything will be fine.
After my nth time staying at Ferra Hotel and Garden Suites, I can truly say that I look forward to the people that make this hotel my home in Boracay. It’s the feeling of having a place to go back to and people who’d openly welcome you back with open arms. We had so much fun that Lovela asked me to book flights for her family this coming July and she already secured their room at Ferra Hotel and Garden Suites—the same suite that we stayed in.
Ferra Hotel and Garden Suites (check for discounted rates here)
Road 1A, Sitio Bulabog, Boracay Island,
Aklan, Philippines
Contact Number: (+63) 917.680.9137
Email Address: ferrahotelandgardensuites@gmail.com
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