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Pico Sands Hotel in Pico De Loro Offers Luxury Resort Village Experience

I always thought that the Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club was a luxury resort that was only accessible for its exclusive members and guests. That is why I was really excited when The Hungry Kat was invited for a whirlwind three-day two-night vacation at Pico Sands Hotel to experience all the amenities and activities that are actually available to the public. Pico de Loro is a 40-hectare luxury residential resort village located inside the coastal community of Pico de Loro Cove at Hamilo Coast in Nasugbu, Batangas. It is just two hours away from Manila so it is the perfect spot for those looking for a relaxing trip without having to fly or drive too far away from the city.

Pico Sands Hotel is a tropical contemporary seven-story hotel that offers spacious rooms equipped with modern amenities and captivating views of the lush mountains and tranquil lagoon inside Pico de Loro. The hotel is open to the public so guests can easily stay here and enjoy all the activities offered at Pico de Loro without having to be a member or owner of one of the condominiums in Pico de Loro.

We arrived early in the morning to check in at the lobby of Pico Sands Hotel. The scenic drive through the mountains of Nasugbu, Batangas was actually quite refreshing. Free wifi is available throughout the hotel and the resort so you won't have any problems posting photos.

Our lovely Corner Deluxe Lagoon View Room on the fifth floor comes with 39 square meters of rejuvenating space. It has a king-sized bed and a veranda overlooking the picturesque lagoon which provides a serene backdrop.

A fresh fruit platter served as a welcome amenity for our stay. Coffee and tea making facilities are also provided as well as a minibar with some free snacks. The spacious bathroom comes with a rainshower and is complete with toiletry sets.

What I really love about the Corner Deluxe room is that they have a longer balcony that stretches all the way to the other side of the room so you have more space to enjoy the scenery below. We could hear the birds chirping and playing around our balcony.

Since we arrived early, we were able to freshen up before heading for our first lunch at Pico Restaurant which is located at the ground floor. Pico Restaurant is a scenic dining spot that offers Filipino and continental dishes.

Our special menu consisted of sustainable and gastronomic dishes prepared by Pico de Loro Executive Chef Charles Marindoque, Jr. Chef Charles believes in sustainably sourcing ingredients from nearby local farmers and from Pico de Loro's own gardens.

We began with the tasty Pinoy Trio Starters. These enticing appetizers had crispy shell topped with Kilawin Tanigue, Crispy Chicken Sisig, and Ensalada with Salted Egg.

Next was the Sinigang na Bangus sa Miso which had milkfish in tamarind broth with yellow miso and local vegetables.

Our main course was this beautiful plate of Crispy Pork Kare Kare with vegetables, Chicken Inasal Roll in soy calamansi sauce, and a cup of Puso Rice. The pork and chicken was sourced from local Batangas farmers which helps the community. I loved the deconstructed kare kare as well as the soy calamansi sauce used for dipping the chicken inasal.

We then had this Special Halo Halo in Buko Shell to cap off our lunch at Pico Restaurant. The halo halo ingredients and the crushed ice were served inside the buco shell which is a unique way of presenting this classic Filipino dessert.

Those looking for more drinks can head to The Pico Bar located just across Pico Restaurant which serves a wide range of beverages including power juices, cocktails, liquors, and signature fruit and mojito blends.

After that heavy lunch, we decided to walk around the resort to burn some calories away. Right at the center of this residential enclave is a four-hectare man-made saltwater lagoon, surrounded by lush greenery and stunning landscapes. There's a big fountain here too as well as koi fish swimming in some areas of the lagoon.

Just a few steps away from the Pico Sands Hotel is the Pico de Loro Country Club, an exclusive leisure club found within Pico de Loro Cove. Hotel guests get access to Pico de Loro Country Club for two adults and two kids per room. Each guest will be given a colored wrist band which means they can enter and use the facilities at the Country Club.

The giant infinity pools offer a great venue for families with its outstretched views of the lagoon. There's also a gym and fitness center for health buffs who wish to work out during their vacation.

There are many other energizing activities at the country club with its wide selection of sports facilities and indoor recreational amenities. You can have fun playing table tennis, basketball, volleyball, squash, tennis, and other sports. These come with respective fees and rental rates.

Guests with children should definitely Club Pico with its children's play area and many fun activities for the kiddos.

As for us, we decided to spend our afternoon at the Bowling and Billiards Center. They have a six-lane bowling alley where you can have fun at very affordable rates compared to those found in the malls. Billiards is another option for families and barkadas. They also offer darts and a snack bar here.

We were actually supposed to go an a Sunset Cruise that afternoon but because of the uncooperative waves, we had to postpone it for another day. The wines and charcuterie board that were supposed to accompany us during the cruise ended up at the bowling alley instead, but we surely didn't mind sipping on our wine glasses while bowling.

For those looking for the beach itself, Pico Beach is a leisurely 10-minute walk away located at the end of the resort village. A complimentary shuttle service is also available to transport guests to the beach and around Pico de Loro Cove.

Pico Beach boasts of a 1.5-kilometer stretch of white sand beach with Mt. Pico de Loro at the background. The panoramic views offer a refreshing escape from the busy city life.

You can find the Pico de Loro Beach Club right along the beach. While hotel guests have access to the Country Club, the Beach Club facilities are only available exclusively to Pico De Loro members and their accompanied guests. This beachfront recreational club houses other specialty restaurants like the Reef Bar, Pool bar, Sun Coral Café, the Arribada Lounge, the alfresco Brisa bar, and a view deck to fit important functions and fun get-togethers.

Aside from its three swimming pools, the Pico de Loro Beach Club also offers water activities such as jet skis, banana boats, kayaks, paddleboards and more.

Due to the weather, our planned dinner by the beach at the Reef Bar had to be moved inside to the Sun Coral Cafe. We still enjoyed the Reef Bar's menu of casual meals and grilled dishes. The Burritos come with your choice of filling from Beef Tapa, Pork Sisig, or Chicken Inasal. They also arrive Naked or Rolled depending on your preference.

They also serve tacos on a soft tortilla or a hard taco shell. The Al Pastor comes with pineapple-achiote flavored pork, while the Barbacoa Beef has braised spicy beef. They also brought out the Quesadilla de Carmen and the Country-Style Barbecue Chicken Quesadilla. For dessert, the Banana Empanada is served with Vanilla ice cream and was a delightful end to our first day at Pico de Loro. There's a lot more in store for us on our second day and you can read all about it on the next article.