MANILA, Philippines - Feel like going on a quiet getaway somewhere near the sea where no one can bother you? Then take a cue from stressed out city folk and foreigners who have been going to a quiet 5-star resort up north for some serious R & R the past few years.

View of the sea from the Thunderbird Resorts hotel in Poro Point, San Fernando, La Union

Located at the former Wallace Air Station, a US military base (the conversion of which was supervised by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority), the 65-hectare Thunderbird Resorts in Poro Point, San Fernando, La Union has been the secret hideaway of high-end locals, balikbayans, and foreigners since April 2006 when it first opened.

The resort sits on a cliff side on the peninsula of Poro Point, giving guests a picturesque view of South China Sea either from the 9-hole championship golf course or the beach club and hotel.

"Because of the location wherein you have the cliff and the sea, it was more appropriate to have a Greek theme," explained Shaun Thomsen, Senior Property Director of Thunderbird Resorts Poro Point. The white stucco-finished luxury resort, described as "the only 5-star hotel in the North," calls to mind seaside resorts in Santorini, Greece. It was designed by Angel Sueiro, a Spaniard who also designed Thunderbird's property in India.

According to Thomsen, market response has been good, and the occupancy rate has more than doubled since last year. Aside from balikbayans, foreigners, and locals with income to burn, companies have also been booking stays in the resort for their team-building activities.

Beach, golf, casino

The resort's main attractions are its beach, golf course, and casino.

It claims to have the only white sand beach in the area, where surfing is a common activity. Other towns adjacent to the resort, such as Bauang, Canaway, and San Juan, have greyish-black to black sand on its beaches.

Admittedly, the white sand area is small, but it is private, and is in a quiet cove away from the maddening crowd.

A quiet cove on the property features a private white sand beach.

 Guests who prefer the pool, on the other hand, do take a dip in the heated infinity pool overlooking the sea.

Heated infinity pool is a crowd favorite.

The all-weather golf course right now has only 9 holes, but it will be expanded to 18 holes in the future. Thomsen said they have been getting good compliments from guests for the par 36-course. "'You can't beat the view,' they say," Thomsen added. "Every hole has a view of the ocean."

The Vegas Casino located on the resort grounds is only 45% complete but expansion is also ongoing. The casino is open 24/7 and it is not unusual for people from Baguio and La Union to drive all the way to Thunderbird to unwind and play at gaming tables here.

"What makes our casino different is our customer service, which is more personal, and the ambience," said Thomsen, who was once a card dealer himself. "The casino here is more for entertainment and relaxation."

A full-service spa will be open in the future, but for now, in-house therapists can do massage for guests in the 36-room luxury hotel.

As for meals and drinks, the resort's Olives Mediterranean Restaurant, Santorini Lounge and Bar, Vegas Cafe, Cabana Bar, and The Pool Bar take care of guests' needs.

Quiet but full

Although Thunderbird hasn't gone all out in advertising the property, word about the resort has been going around high society.

The resort is fully booked during summer, said Thomsen, and during summer, they are already accepting reservations for Christmas. Come Christmas season, they are filling up reservations for the Holy Week break.

Thunderbird is currently selling private villas featuring Greek-inspired architecture in The Point, a residential property to be developed in the area. "If you purchase a lot and villa, you also get golf membership," said Thomsen.

The company is targeting city folks who want a seaside vacation home easily accessible from Metro Manila. Thunderbird is about 200 kilometers north of Manila, just 5-6 hours drive away from the nation's capital using the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the world-class Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) opened in 2008.

"Our overall strategy is to be in the developing parts of the world that have the most future," said Fabio Moretti, country manager of Thunderbird Resorts, in a statement.

"I think we'll have a lot of growth in the Philippines. Of all the countries we are in the world, it's going to be our highest growth market. So we plan on making significant additional investments here," Moretti added.

Thunderbird Resorts, Inc. is an international property developer of themed venues anchored by casinos. It has a property called Thunderbird Resorts-Rizal in Binangonan, for which it spent $22 million for the development of its first phase.

For its Poro Point luxury resort, the company poured in $28 million for its construction and operation for the first 3 years. An additional investment of $42 million is planned to cover the resort's second phase development.

Photos courtesy of Thunderbird Resorts Inc. and Bases Conversion Development Authority