Club Morocco - Subic

What a grand place!

This is not inside the freeport but is at the very end of the long coastal town of Subic. If you know White Rock Resort, well Club Morocco is way farther up the road. This place is some 30-minutes drive from the naval base. While on the main road (the national highway), you take a left turn at some clearly marked intersection to a road that leads to the resort. You will notice though that ads or signs about (or leading to the) club is very sparse along Subic. Thus, don't hesitate to ask around.

And don't worry, like anywhere else in the country, people here speak English. In fact, there are a lot of foreigners who live in the town of Subic (probably the ex-servicemen who found their wives and settled here)!

There are two approaches to the resort and it is better if you pass through the hills. Just watch out for the signs leading there. The upland route is concrete and will give you a good panorama of the bay and the islands beyond, while the lowland route is a gravel road.

Be advised though that if you are an earth-concious fellow, the way that leads to club morocco might get into your nerves. Very obvious that the erosion left and right were/are caused by the cutting down of trees in favor of the concrete roads and the upcoming high-end subdivision being marketed by the owners. This, after all is a property being developed by the Sta. Lucia Realtors! You will surely pass by a portion of the concrete road high up on a hill where about a third of the two-way street is already gone as it went down the cliff together with the earth that it was laden on.

Anyway, since development is not quite done in the area, let's give them a chance to put in place a nice communnity. As for now, let us hope the hills won't come tumbling down to the club-house when the rains start in June!

A quick casual interview with the club-house crew reveals that indeed, during the rainy season, water would actually rush down to the main building from up the hills and it naturally drags a lot of earth down to the parking lots! Also learned that the plan is to build a high-end resort-town with the club-house as the central focal point. As of this last visit, lots there are running at P3,000 per square meter or even higher! And by the way, if you look around, yes, there are already a scattering of new luxury houses built in the area!

Why I said this is a GRAND PLACE!

The club-house, betterstill called 'the hotel' is such a fine work of art and architecture that the common visitor will be really awestruck! Start with the exterior as you enter, you will immediately notice the mediterranean style building, gates and shrubbery. The main entrance door is nothing grandiose. To the left is the front desk while to the right is the realty office. But facing you is a grand wooden staircase that after one landing will divide back into two separate stairs going to the second floor! Very neat place to do a pictorial!

If you go way past the staircase, you enter the main lobby that opens into the main porch overlooking the pool, some greeneries and the ocean right up front! Oh this lobby is not ordinary! The walls are painted with vivid colors of underwater marine life while the ceiling (which is about the height of the building) although way high up is painted also a dominant blue but the objects you see are the stars, moon and other astrological whatever!

Other than those attractive wall & ceiling paintings, the area has a minimalist tone. Just the couches and center tables, a grand flower arrangement in the middle and some gigantic vases near the stairs.

To the right of the fine lobby lounge, you enter a glass door and behold are table-tennis sets, billiards and a bowling alley! To the left is the dining area beautifully illuminated by sunlight just outside of the wide windows. This dining area actually divides into two or three separate function rooms when necessary. The total effect, a very cozy dining salon where white, beige, cream, maroon and brown dominate!

The swimming pool! Oh its kinda diffrent amongst what you commonly see. Yes, it is some kind of an attempt to be like an infinity pool but i know it is not! The view (since the pool is on ground level) is naturally the beach first then the sea! But the pool is definitely a fine place to wade in. It is rather long and irregular in shape. Plus the tiles (floor to all sides) are navy-blue in color! It has 6 feet at its deepest end and of course at the other end is the area for little tykes!

The cottages or cabañas are actually not the common types that you would see in a resort. These are duplex bungalows with the finest of amenities. Its just like Punta Fuego! There are about 3 or four of them (i think 3) so that should make it at least 6 beach-front 5-star airconditioned bungalow accommodation! I was told the rates at the executive suites (3) and these beach-front cottages are just the same while the "deluxe" rooms are cheaper. Then again, you have to be a member (or have to be endorsed by a member) to come into this little-big hideaway!

The beach?! Nothing grand. In fact, in many an area, it is either strewn with those green algae mosses or other remnants of plants or trees. But that makes the place interestingly unassuming!

Oh the crew! Nothing really fabulous about their service BUT I did not notice or even sense any kind of a downside which just means they are either professionally trained or just a plain collection of truly commendable service-oriented souls. Very friendly! You tend to be at home hanging out or interacting with them just a few moments from arrival.

So, if you don't really give a hoot about that obviously quickly eroding surroundings... this is such a fine pick!

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