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design trail: thunderbird’s the point residences

Out of the destination properties that I’ve come across in my work for home & shelter magazines (myhome, bluprint, condoliving), Thunderbird’s The Point Residences in La Union probably tops the list. Hello, you have a hotel, a golf course, a casino, a beach and the scenic view of Poro Point all within the community! And let’s not forget the beaches of La Union for those surfing enthusiasts! I’m not surprised that the first phase of this dream Greek Mediterranean village is almost sold out (or maybe already sold out by this time). Check out the photos of the property (below) that we took during our visit to La Union.

To know more about Point Residences, visit their site here. To read about df’s vacation in La Union click here and here.

Thunderbird is also hosting an online video contest right now entitled “Extraordinary”. Bring out your video cameras and think about the traits that makes you extraordinary because Thunderbird is giving away a vacation getaway + P100,000 for the grand prize! Deadline for submission of entries is on Feb. 28, 2011. See the contest mechanics here.

design trail: thunderbird resort, poro point

After seeing a TV feature on Thunderbird Resort Poro Point, La Union several years ago, I have always been intrigued by the setting that this Greek Mediterranean-inspired resort has to offer. With an architecture that features a low-laying cubical form, cerulean blue dome, whitewashed walls, and arched openings, the resort is reminiscent of the traditional structures built at the edge of the caldera in the volcanic island of Santorini in Greece.

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The design of the hotel’s lobby breaks from the plainness of the exterior and introduces more details through the rippled pattern at the reception counter, the geometric flower design of the tiled floor, and one of the almost-signature-image of Thunderbird Poro Point–the blue nude painting on the domed ceiling, which reminds me so much of a Matisse artwork.

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Our home for the two-night stay is this generously-spaced bedroom with two queen-sized beds and a balcony overlooking the sea. The bright orange accent wall gives the white-and-wengue room a punch of warm color.

The beds are super comfortable! They’re the firm spring mattress type with a pillowtop. It was only then that I realized how the additional layer of cushion makes a huge difference for a bed. Unfortunately, I forgot to lift the beddings to check for the brand of the mattress before we checked out. Or maybe that’s supposed to be a trade secret???

We also liked that there’s a lot of desk space. There’s enough room to accommodate the two of us working on our computers at the same time. Unfortunately, we found out that we have a difficult time working together because we’re tempted to chat and chat and chat, haha!

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The bathroom is also gorgeous. Finished in just one type of tile, the already spacious room looks even bigger. Add to that the frameless glass enclosure, white lavatory counter, and large lighted mirror that completed the clean, streamlined design.

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How we wish we had more lazy time in our room. Maybe next time with the rest of the geng!

View the rest of our photos in the picture gallery below.

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design trail: df girls visit la union!

A couple of weeks back, Lilli and I were lucky to be invited by Thunderbird Resorts Poro Point, together with other  bloggers, to visit La Union and experience the dreamy setting and warm hospitality of their Greek Mediterranean-themed resort hotel (above).

During our three days/two nights stay in La Union, Lilli and I got to experience several firsts—first time to be in the company of fellow bloggers and media people, first time to drive a golf cart, first time to have steak for merienda (which we thought was an early dinner, but we were so wrong), first time to get inside a casino AND its vip room (It was sooo exciting! Wished that ana, green guide, orange and the rest of ‘the geng’ were with us.), and first time to be actually working during a vacation (thank god for the resort’s wi-fi internet!).

Apart from the tour of the resort, our kind hosts (hi nica!) also took us on a city tour, stopping by San Juan for a quick surfing lesson (the df girls are no swimmers so we skipped the surfing part and simply watched the ones who participated, hehe),

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Ma-Cho Taosit Temple (below), Pindangan ruins, and ending the tour with a yummy snack of okoy and halo-halo in Halo-halo de Iloko.

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Tomorrow, we’ll share more pictures of the hotel plus our beautiful room. -ardel