Golden Sunset Resort: fun for the whole family

The Golden Sunset Resort opened only in January of this year but we’ve heard so much buzz about this place already. Maybe it’s because the owner is no less than the mega-hairdresser Ricky Reyes who is known hereabouts as a savvy marketer and public relations person.

When the invitation came, I just couldn’t resist going to this place. Another factor is that I haven’t been to Calatagan, Batangas where the resort is located. Arriving there, I wasn’t disappointed. The resort was huge and the centerpiece was the beautifully-designed water park which reminded me of another favorite, the Fontana resort in Clark, Pampanga.

The Golden Sunset water park had a couple of slides, umbrella- and waterfall-like structures steadily cascading streams of cool water. They looked so inviting that I was badly enticed to take a dip in the pool on that humid summer day.

The resort was designed and masterplanned by Mader Ricky herself. It has more than 50 rooms constructed in the style of those Spanish casitas, a vast fishpond surrounded by a winding bamboo bridge, three restaurants and a number of other spaces for mounting cultural shows and doing a number of sports activities.

My son whom I brought along for the trip enjoyed playing billiards and fishing for the first time. He was actually very thrilled to catch a couple of fishes! The swimming pools are also only four feet deep so the kiddies are sure to have a fun time.

It was good that Mader Ricky (in red bandanna) was at the resort herself overseeing everything. It’s my first time to see this hairstyling legend who was so friendly and animated in real life. I just sat there amazed that she has such a good hand in business.

Just a few notes:The cultural show by the Terpsichore One Dance Company is excellent. It’s highly recommended to be shown to your balikbayan relatives and foreigner friends.

The rooms are okay but the quality of the beds need to be improved. There is also no cable TV and toiletry kit, only soap.

Service at the spa needs to be overhauled asap. The massage promised one hour but the attendant named Arlene Hernandez only gave me 40 minutes. When I told her about this, she just gave me the classic deadma reaction. Huh??! Also my appointment was at 9 p.m. and they only serviced moi (and my other companions) one hour later. Another mortal sin, if you ask me.

Hopefully, the resort will be even prettier when we come back. Save for the lousy service at the spa, Golden Sunset is really one fun place to romp and let your hair down with the whole family.

Golden Sunset has this website. Some of the pages are still under construction.

And oh, I almost forgot to tell you: if you’re into romantic sunsets, the sunset in this area was really one-of-a-kind and beautiful. Hence the name….