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Fly to Boracay for less – we accomplished that by paying $18 total for three (3) round trip tickets from Manila
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Use points vs cash – We had dozens of properties to choose from but as a content creator with access to miles and points, we decided on finding a property where we could easily use our points. We were tempted to book properties out of pocket but it would cost us much more.
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Stay at properties with hotel loyalty program – You see, Boracay is not exactly flooded with Hyatts, Hiltons, IHGs….but I learned that Marriott has a property here, and it’s the Four Points by Sheraton Boracay. More on that later.
Getting to Boracay
For many of us, you will most likely fly from Manila (MNL). I I suggest checking the nearest airport close to you and see if there’s a direct flight to and from Boracay. We chose to fly out of MNL and we booked with Air Asia. There were other choices – such as Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines.
The airport that’s closest to Boracay Island is MPH (Godofredo P. Ramos Airport). There is another airport in Kalibo, Aklan however, but it will take you over 1-2 hours of a private transfer to get from Kalibo to the port in Caticlan.
Airport transfers made easy via Klook and Southwest Transfers
Trust me on this, you want to keep your arrival and departure away from hassle. Pre-book your airport transfer. This is what to expect. You see, getting to your hotel in Boracay will require quite a few modes of transportation:
- Fly to Caticlan Airport (MPH), or Kalibo International Airport (KLO). MPH would be the easiest airport to fly in to. KLO arrivals/departure will take you nearly two hours of a car ride before you get to the port to Boracay.
- From the airport, a car ride (most likely a shuttle service) takes you to the jetty port
- Caticlan Jetty Port – this where you will board a boat to Boracay Jetty Port. Boracay Island is but a short boat ride, just 10 minutes.
- Shuttle transfer to your hotel
We prebooked with Klook
Once we arrived at MPH airport, we were led to a Southwest Tour booth just outside of the terminal, and we were given 3 stickers (one for each passenger). We placed the stickers on our shirts and then we were led to a Southwest Tours van. From the van, we were driven to the port in Caticlan, a short 5-minute ride. From there, those of us with stickers were led to another desk to check in for our boat ride. This all happened rather quickly. No hassle, no wait. I’d say this was due to to the fact that we didn’t have to purchase any tickets on that day. Everything was prearranged.
Within minutes, we boarded our boat for Boracay Island, a short 10-minute boat ride to the port in Boracay Island. Once we arrived on the island, we boarded another shuttle van which took us directly to our hotel. It was seamlesss, but could be troublesome for first-timers. That’s what this experience was….easy, painless.
On the day we departed Boracay to fly back to Manila, we simply did everything in reverse…again, all very painless. We did not have to deal with any other booths or signing of papers or inspections. It was a wise choice to pre-book our airport transfers.
I checked directly with our hotel and it was going to cost around $31 USD per person for an airport transfer van ride from MPH airport to the port in Caticlan, to a boat ride to Boracay port, and then another van ride to your hotel. We opted to use Klook, you have an option for a one-way airport transfer or round trip. It was under $15 per person one way.
Location, location, location – the stations of Boracay
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Station Zero – an exclusive area if you just wanna get away from it all
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Station One – The most laid-back area of White Beach. This is home to luxury resorts, good restaurants, and Wheelies Rock. It’s considered the upscale section of Boracay. Not a whole lot of beachfront vendors unlike Station 2.
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Station Two – The most popular station is Station 2, think of it as the heart of Boracay Island, bustling with restaurants, shops, and beachfront properties. Due to its popularity, many would choose to book this station since you’re in the heart of it all. This is where the action takes place.
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Station Three – The quietest and most laid-back area of Boracay, more affordable accommodations.
We chose Station One – Four Points by Sheraton Boracay
- Marriott – Four Points by Sheraton Boracay
- Wyndham – Microtel by Wyndham Boracay
- Choice Hotels – Discovery Suites Boracay (I wanna try this next)
These properties are all located in Station One which is tucked away from the crowd, and that’s what we wanted. Having said that, for this visit, we chose Four Points by Sheraton Boracay.
How we booked Four Points by Sheraton Boracay
The month of January was somewhat of a mid to high season. The rates for the nights that we booked charged us 42,000 points per night. Fortunately, Nancy and I each have a credit card with Marriott which gave each of us two Free Night Awards up to 35,000 value. This means that we were short 7,000 points per night to get us to the required 42,000. Not to worry, we do have existing points with our Marriott accounts and we easily made up the difference and booked us a Superior Room.
We got upgraded
On the day that we checked in, we were advised that we were upgraded to a higher floor with views of the pool to a Deluxe Room with two beds.
On our 2nd night, we were also given the option to move to the top floor room with a King Bed, rollaway bed and bathtub. Of course, we accepted both offers so we could share with our followers how these rooms looked.
Other than the # of beds, the main difference between these two rooms was the inclusion of a bathtub in the king room. Our room with two beds only had an enclosed shower. Both rooms offered views of the pool down below. The room on the 7th floor also had distant views of the ocean.
Breakfast buffet was included
Nancy and I have status with Marriott. She’s Silver Elite and I am Gold Elite. I really wasn’t expecting any upgrades or breakfast, but at check-in we were told that our bookings included the buffet breakfast worth ₱1,453 or roughly $24 USD. Well, alrighty then! I did not argue. Breakfast was served for 6am to 10am. It has your typical array of local selections plus international flare with a noodle/congee station, pancakes, egg station, desserts and pastries. The chefs behind the counter prepared scrumptious pancakes, omelettes, fried eggs, and served the broth for the chicken and beef noodle soups. There were fruit juices, coffee, hot chocolate, tea…..exactly what I would expect for a breakfast buffet. There was also a bar at the restaurant that was just outside of the front desk area.
The breakfast hours were packed with guests. So I’m guessing many have opted to add a breakfast with their bookings. During lunch and dinner, I didn’t really see a whole lot of action at the restaurant. On the nights we were there, there was a live lounge singer, and perhaps two to three other dinner party guests, again, it didn’t seem packed. So my guess is many of the guests, like us, opted to dine elsewhere on the island where there was a plethora of choices.
The pool area
The Four Points pool was the main attraction on this property. It’s hard to miss. It’s right in the heart of the property. There was a kiddie section, an adult section, and there was also a lower level lap pool with swim up access to the units below. There was also a bar by the pool.
Free shuttle to and from Station 2
The Four Points by Sherato Boracay offers a free shuttle that takes you to/from the hotel to Station 2. From the hotel,The dropoff is at Jollibee right off the main road. We used this shuttle quite a bit as it could take over a half hour just to walk towards the main area of Station 2. It was very convenient to have this transportation option. If I am not mistaken, the shuttle runs every hour.
There’s another option which is the E-Trike, and the one that we took costs about 150Php and we had the E-Trike service all to ourselves.
It’s not beachfront but…
Four Points Sheraton Boracay is not a beachfront property. I knew that going in. From the property, it was about a 5-minute walk down to the beach. I probably passed by 2-3 houses, and made a left towards the beach. There was a small store right as you enter the beach where you could buy drinks and snacks.
Anything beyond that is the beach. Remember this is Station One meaning there are no major street vendors unlike Station Two. You will have access to Station Two by turning left from the property. I’d say it could take 20-30 minutes of casual stroll to get to the main strip of Station Two if you are looking for more action. We did that on our first day, we walked towards Station Two. We passed by quite a few boutique resorts and lots of stores, bars, and restaurants as we got closer to the heart of Station Two.
What I liked and didn’t like about the Four Points
- When I think of Boracay, I like having direct access to the beach, this property was about a 5 minute walk to the beach
- The Four Points was well-kept, but it also gave me a feeling that it was too well-kept, squeaky clean. When you go inside the property, There was a no beach vibes when you enter the property. I might get criticized for saying this, but it almost looked like a clean hospital. And no….there is nothing wrong with hospitals. It was bright and airy, butto me, there could’ve been an opportunity to add more character to the property that would match the idea of vacationing in Boracay. Perhaps adding more creative touch that matches the culture of the people of Boracay.
Would I stay here again? Would I recommend this place?
The answer is YES, especially to those who are in the miles and points game. For me, however, let’s just say that I’ve crossed this one off of my Boracay bucket list, and will entertain the idea of staying at another property.