Hotel Review: Coast Boracay, Station 2
Boracay was my last stop on my three-week trip through the Philippines. It's the one island I had heard most about before I arrived in the Philippines. Not only because Boracay was chosen one of the Best Islands in the World of 2023, and that has to mean something, right?
Many travellers had told me, that this is where people hang out below tropical palm trees on beautiful stretches of pure white sandy beaches and where you find the biggest craziest parties in all of the Philippines at night.
Is that really what I found?
Getting to Boracay
Coming from Cebu by plane, the flight takes only 1 hour. However, mine was first delayed and then got cancelled altogether so I had to take a detour via Kalibo Airport which is another 2-hour curvy bus ride away from Boracay Island. This seems to happen quite frequently, delays are also common, so be prepared. You can also fly to Boracay from Manila in just under 1 hour.
Luckily, when I finally arrived at the Jettyport to get a boat over to Boracay, I had someone from my hotel Coast Boracay already waiting for me. The pickup and transfer are actually included in the stay, which is perfect so you have nothing to worry about when getting in so late as I did.
After another 10-minute boat ride and 15 minutes in the car and I arrived at my accommodation located at Station 2 right on the beachfront of Boracay Island's White Beach.
Checking in at Coast Boracay
I was a little overwhelmed by the warm welcome and the seamless check-in by the hotel staff at Coast Hotel because even though it was close to midnight everyone was excited to see me and I felt already quite sleepy from the long trip.
I would soon put my head down in one of the stylish minimalist Deluxe Rooms by New York-based interior designer Erik Richard Lopez. Of course, there is Wi-Fi and they even have Netflix in the room.
Finally, it was time for a cucumber facial mask (which was waiting for me in my room!) and some sleep! Oh and see the little welcome cheese midnight snack? It was gone in minutes!
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Waking up the next morning after a bit of a sleep-in, I pulled up the blinds to see that it was super sunny and the perfect day to fall right into the pool which is directly outside my room.
There are plenty of sun chairs and colourful pool towels already waiting. And the staff was serving up fresh pineapple juice and iced water all day long – can you believe it? I have not many times seen staff that is so attentive and always there when you need them, wow!
Well, but first: breakfast!
Breakfast at Coast Boracay
You may have guessed it already, breakfast is my favourite meal of the day!
Leaving my room to head to the breakfast buffet, I was greeted with warm hellos and good mornings from all of the staff I met on the way. Just so friendly!
And I was no less impressed by the variety of the buffet. From fresh cappuccino to banana waffles (or Jalapeño if you like to spice up your morning!) with real maple syrup to freshly cooked omelet, a variety of Asian-style food like noodles and rice, fresh fruit, apple crumble cake, hash browns (with curry ketchup haha my German readers will love this!) and lots of other things to put on toast such as basil cream cheese, real cheese and various jams.
As I finished and wanted to get up, I had one of the staff hand me a red rose and wish me a happy day. Simply like that. Say what? Has that ever happened to you in a hotel? Well, it hasn't happened to me before. First time!
And the second day? I found some old favourites and some new variations which was good as I like to mix it up. And then, as I sat down for breakfast, I was served a delicious pancake with my name on it, you can imagine, it surely made me smile!
Mission accomplished, Coast Boracay! One happy me.
The staff at Coast in general is truly incredible and all the four nights I stayed at the property I was always greeted by everyone. And even the otherwise rather grumpy-looking security guy you find in other places was super friendly, reserving me a sun chair and chatting along with me.
Service is really taken seriously here!
What to do in Boracay
So what is there actually to do on this tiny island you ask? If you're not hanging by the hotel pool then you most probably find yourself by the beach.
Luckily, Coast Boracay has its own private beach chairs and towels in the front row and there are always plenty of cold drinks served while lying in the sun.
And really, the view isn't too bad either!
The green-blue water is nice and warm and there are just small waves rolling onto White Beach, really perfect hang out and do nothing but enjoy, tan and watch pretty boats pass by. Oh and snap a pic or two.
And if you finally want to be more active, try one of the many watersports activities like stand-up paddling, parasailing, jet skiing, helmet diving, wakeboarding, cliff jumping, wind surfing or free diving. Do you want me to keep going? There are like so many things to do in and around the water, you name one, they probably have it in Boracay.
There are island hopping tours too and especially kite surfing is very popular. I wish I had tried but I chickened out as I thought I wouldn't be strong enough, maybe next time.
Of course, there are also plenty of offers for a massage on the beach, a henna tattoo or to get your hair braided prettily. If you feel like a bit of shopping, visit D'Mall, an open-air mall with plenty of different shops. I did find it very Asian though with just a few European favourites.
At the end of the day, one thing you definitely won't want to miss is the incredible sunset which you can watch anywhere from White Beach. Many people are headed to the beach then so you'll be lucky if you get a shot with no people in it. I almost made it!
Boracay Nightlife
Once the night kicks in, there is still plenty of stuff to do. All along the beach, you can find Shisha bars, live music, seafood buffets, fire shows and of course lots of souvenir stalls. There are some cool bars like Exit Bar or Epic Bar.
However, everyone who had told me Boracay was such a big party island, I have to say sorry, but it wasn't for me! To be honest, I didn't find the party until the very last night. And you really shouldn't party so hard when you have to get on a bus and plane ride the day after. Whoops, wasn't me!
I guess how crazy the party gets depends heavily on the night of the week and season and what crowd of people are visiting the island. If you are really in for some fun, don't miss the Boracay Pub Crawl, which is the perfect place to meet new people.
Coast Boracay – Final Words
Oh, definitely! I surely had a great time on the island which is to a great part definitely thanks to such a wonderful place I stayed at.
And the hotel staff at Coast Boracay who made me feel welcome, safe and just so easy to be lazy and enjoy the powdery beach.
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A big thank you to Coast Boracay for having me stay! All opinions and recommendations expressed in this post are my own.
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