On the Philippine island of Boracay – famous as one of the word’s most popular beach destinations – nestled in the hills of the village of Bantud is a surprise. In keeping with its exceptional setting, it’s called Boracay Hills and for anyone who treasures top-quality tropical hospitality, it’s a small (10-room) boutique hotel not to be ignored.

White Beach is Boracay's most famous and popular sun-lovers' mecca

Recognised in 2005 (its first year of operation) by TripAdvisor as a Best Hidden Gem in Asia, Boracay Hills has now garnered new accolades, including a position on the Expedia Insider’s Select List – making it one of the top 1% of hotels in the world; in the Philippines, right up there with the Shangrila Makati and the Hyatt Hotel and Casino – and three big nods from Trivago.com: Best Hotel for Water Enthusiasts in the Philippines; number two Best Hotel in the Philippines, Visayas and in Boracay; and number five Best Hotel in Asia in the three-star category.

Boracay Hills fills the elegant house and gardens of the former Swiss Ambassador to the Philippines

Boracay Hills was originally the residence of the Swiss Ambassador to the Philippines, but has been lovingly remodeled as a private and quiet hideaway retreat by its new owners, the Clayton-Atancio family, including Helen and Cris Atanacio and Helen’s father, stepmother and sister, respectively Brian, Brigitte and Sue Clayton. Their efforts have turned a 3,000-square-metre tropical garden into a haven complete with a large pool, hammocks, loungers and spa area. In the main house, the 10 rooms, each one different from the others, quietly integrate modern amenities with local materials.

But don’t take our word for it. All of the recent awards are based purely on guest feedback and travel-agent choices. A quick gander at the hotel reviews on TripAdvisor tells the whole story. Of the 143 comments, of which 95% are positive (actually most are ‘excellent’), good value for money, superb service and a readiness to make visitors’ vacations perfect are constant refrains.

“Whilst the reason for all this success is the hard work and dedication we give to ensuring that our guests have an amazing stay, it’s also indicative of the power of Internet feedback for marketing,” commented Helen Atanacio, who is also the whl.travel local connection in the Philippines for Boracay, Cebu and Palawan. “This hotel has recieved these awards through the reviews its guests have made about it online and through its relationship with the travel agents concerned. It is a wonderful day when the traveller can place a hidden gem like our hotel at the forefront of hotels, alongside the mega brands like Shangrila, who usually eat up all the international awards and business.”

Ethan Gelber

For more than 20 years, Ethan Gelber has devoted himself to a somewhat baffling diversity of projects, most associated with writing/editing, cross-cultural communication and education, travel, bicycling and the arts. At present, he manages media and communications for the WHL Group, oversees The Travel Word (this very blog) and helped initiate the Local Travel Movement.

Other posts by Ethan:

• What is Tourism’s Biggest Threat to the Environment?
• Earth Hour 2012 – 8:30pm on Saturday 31 March 2012
• Why Aren’t More Bloggers Writing About Responsible Travel?

View a full list of posts by Ethan.
Read more about +Ethan

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This entry was posted on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 6:00 am and is filed under the following categories: