When In Boracay, Stay At Hue Hotel—Your Hip And Safe Sanctuary At Station X

Do you remember the powdery white sand, the crystal blue waters, the hot but comforting sun licking your skin, the colorful banners of restaurants and stores lined up in the beachfront, and the sunny days and party nights that Boracay was known for?

It’s been more than a year since the lockdown and a bit more than that since Boracay closed down for rehabilitation, and finally, the island is open and back for local travelers to explore and enjoy.

With the support of the Department of Tourism (DOT), many establishments and hotels have begun to reopen, ready to welcome back tourists who have missed the island. And if you’re going back, you should definitely be staying at one of the safest, hippest, and most IG-worthy spot in the island: Hue Hotels and Resorts Boracay.

At First Glance

Hue Boracay is probably one of the most beautiful hotels you’ll ever lay your eyes on. The moment you step inside the property, the grand and beautiful pool area greets you, with the entirety of the hotel framing the view.

Surrounding the gorgeous circular pool are generous sunbeds—some partially submerged in the pool, some padded with cushions for poolside lounging. You’ll also appreciate that the majority of the pool area is covered in wooden flooring, so there is no worry of slipping when going in and out of the pool.

Even though the property is enclosed, with only one entrance and exit to monitor the coming and going of people, it feels as if it’s still located in nature because of the abundance of plants at every turn. This mimics the nature vibe you’ll get from the beach, and adds a layer of hominess to the place.

Even though the property is not located in the beachfront, Hue Boracay more than makes up for it with its gorgeous interiors and furnishing. Every nook and cranny is an Instagram-worthy spot, thanks to the beautiful work of CAZA Architects, who conceptualized the property.

“One thing that we’re very excited for you to see and experience during your stay are the carefully designed and intentional open spaces around you,” says Dexter Lee, one half of the Lee brothers who started Hue Boracay. And indeed, it’s not hard to get excited at every corner at Hue, especially since there are so many beautiful spots to enjoy and lounge in.

In fact, it’s more than just what meets the eye. In 2018, even before Boracay was closed down for rehabilitation, Hue received flying colors from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) team who inspected the resort. Built with the concept that puts eco-friendliness and sustainability at the center, Hue uses LED lights across the property; Low-E glass panels on windows, which reflects UV light and infrared energy to reduce electricity consumption; they have a water treatment plant that reuses 25% of treated waste water for the flushing of toilets; and water refilling plant that supplies the guests' complimentary drinking water, instead of the usual complimentary bottled water.

Even at night, Hue Boracay doesn’t need to work hard to look stunning. Colored lights bring the pool area to life, inviting you to get a cocktail by the pool to enjoy.

Top-Notch Facilities And Service

It’s tempting enough to stay outside because of Hue’s beautiful space, but wait until you get to your room. Hue’s guest rooms offer spacious and beautifully designed spaces, all equipped with ​international-standard guest amenities​ such as 40-inch LED TV​,​ a safety deposit box, hairdryer, vanity kit, complimentary shampoo, bath gel, lotion, slippers, dental and shaving kits, coffee, and tea.

The shower is also detached from the toilet, so you won’t have a problem using both at the same time. Instead of wasteful bottles of toiletries, the shower has a built-in compartment that houses 250-ml refillable shampoo, conditioner, and body soap bottles, enough even for long-term stay. This says a lot about Hue’s sustainability policies.

Open your windows and get a panoramic view of the pool area, and invite the warm Boracay sun inside the room.

You’ll also love that you can get connected anywhere you stay inside Hue Boracay. All guests get access to their fast Wi-Fi connection (and yes, it really was fast! We tested it and got a steady 9 mbps) throughout the property—whether you’re in your room, or you’re lounging in a random nook inside Station X.

When it comes to the staff and crew, there’s nothing but praise to be said about Hue Boracay. Operated by Hospitality Innovators, Inc., Hue Boracay offers top-notch service that makes you not want to leave.

Station X

The entire Hue Boracay compound is lovingly called Station X, inspired from the three stations of Boracay. Because what sets Hue Boracay apart is not just its astounding facilities and service, but also the amazing curation of shops they house.

More than just a hotel property, Station X is a modern and friendly lifestyle hub, home also to other local businesses that amplify your Hue Boracay experience. Dennis Lee, the other half of the Lee brothers, says, “Hue Hotel in Station X was born of our calling and our passion to empower people by providing opportunities that enable communities. [This is why] most of these restaurants were conceptualized for Station X.”

Inside the complex is a top-notch curation of restaurants that are sure to make your Boracay gastronomic experience memorable. There’s Little Wave, one of the island's first coffee-specialty shops, which serves gourmet coffee that will keep you up and about. If you’re craving for a cold treat sans the guilt, there’s Coco Mama, home of their vegan and lactose-free coconut ice cream.

You must also not miss Nonie’s, what was dubbed as the #1 restaurant in Boracay by Trip Advisor. It certainly lives up to its name, offering beautiful and delectable dishes that you will dream about. And from the creators of Nonie’s, there’s Little Taj—Boracay’s go-to place for authentic but friendly Indian cuisine.

Of course, nothing beats Pinoy food, and Hue proudly showcases this through La-ud, Hue Boracay’s flagship restaurant. Here is where you start your day with their complimentary breakfast buffet, and is home to the best local seafood harvested from the surrounding islands.

During our stay, we got to try their Filipino heritage spread, which showcased La-ud’s interpretation of specialties from all over the Philippines such as sinuglaw from Iloilo, chicken inasal from Bacolod, mango sago from Guimaras, and chicken binakol from Aklan.

For drinks, you don’t have to look far because Prisma serves up amazing cocktails and spirits. You can enjoy it at the rooftop cocktail area or along the swim-up bar as you lounge in the pool.

Check out the gallery below for a virtual tour of Hue Boracay.

Keeping Hue Safe

With the pandemic still in full swing and the vaccine rolling out slower than expected, many people are still on the fence when it comes to tourism. But with many restaurants and businesses reopening in a bid to restart the economy and help those affected by the pandemic back on their feet, its really time to start the tourism ball rolling again—with the utmost safety of business owners, employees, and travelers, of course.

In October last year, Boracay reopened to domestic tourists, encouraging safe local travel to help the island locals recover from the effects of the months-long lockdown and rehabilitation. “What could be a better way to herald the revival of Philippine tourism than the reopening of the world-renowned Boracay Island?” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said in a statement.

Five months after the island has reopened, more hotels and establishments have secured the necessary requirements by DOT and are implementing health protocols to encourage travelers that they can travel back to the island with peace of mind.

Hue Boracay, for example, is adhering to strict health and safety guidelines set by the DOT so they can start offering a pleasant and safe stay to their guests. Before arrival, Hue Boracay requires all guests to comply with their Covid-19 pre-arrival health declaration forms. Disinfecting mats are located at the entrance and temperature check is conducted upon entry.

For your peace of mind, Hue’s staff will also take care of disinfecting all your luggage upon arrival.

Currently operating at limited occupancy to give enough space for social distancing, Hue Hotels conducts regular disinfection and cleaning of all public areas. Face masks are also required to be worn at all times, except for when swimming or eating at the restaurant.  

Alcohol dispensers are located conveniently throughout the whole hotel to encourage frequent disinfection.

Currently, spa services are put on hold.

All bookings come with a complimentary breakfast buffet at La-ud, and they have decided to keep this experience for guests. However, to prevent cross-contamination, guests are not allowed to handle utensils in the buffet area. There are staff stationed to serve the food on your plate.

The hotel room experience is also a bit different than before. All rooms are sanitized and disinfected before the guests arrive, and housecleaning will only come in if requested. On top of the usual complimentaries, each room comes with a care kit complete with a disinfectant spray, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, plastic gloves, and face masks.

It’s also worth mentioning that Hue Boracay has partnered with Lysol, a leading brand of cleaning and disinfectant products, to strengthen their internal protocols. This means that all staff are trained based on Lysol’s extensive research and development, to ensure that all rooms, common areas, high-touch points, and the back of the house are sanitized to standards. On top of frequent disinfection, Hue Boracay uses UV light machines and ULV fogging machines as prescribed by Lysol.

It’s easy to forget social distancing measures and health protocols when you’re in paradise, but Hue Hotels makes things easier and simpler. Just make sure that you’re doing your end—staying masked all the time and practicing good hygiene—to make sure you, your loved ones, and others are protected during your vacation.

Ongoing Offers

Going to Boracay now can be breathtaking, especially since it hasn’t been this peaceful and uncrowded in years. However, because of the health and safety protocols, the requirements can be quite a bit taxing to people who don’t like to mix leisure with paper work.

To make your vacation as hassle-free as possible, Hue Boracay has an ongoing promotion that covers your trip from Manila to Boracay and back. For just 10,600 pesos, you can enjoy a 3-days and 2-nights stay at Hue for 2 people, inclusive of the required RT-PCR test, set breakfast, roundtrip land and boat transfers, and discounts at La-ud, Nonie’s, and Prisma. Book until May 31 to avail of this promotion and stay until June 30.

Please recheck travel restrictions before you book or travel to Boracay as they are subject to change. 

For more information and bookings, visit www.boracay.thehuehotel.com.