LAOAG CITY – If there’s something that the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos did right during his 20 years in power, it would probably be the construction of the only 5-star resort in Northern Luzon: The Fort Ilocandia Resort Casino/Golf and Country Club.
Because of the presence of this worldclass tourism facility plus the city’s various historical and nature attractions, Laoag International Airport today draws 18 international flights a week, much more than its closest rival: The Cebu International Airport.
Tourists who come to Laoag are mostly Chinese from Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Taiwan and Manila.
Fort Ilocandia was constructed just to accommodate the invited guests at the wedding of Irene, daughter of the late strong man. It was conceived in 1980 and first opened its doors in 1983.
The Fort Ilocandia wasn’t quite what I’d imagine it to be: An ordinary resort so to speak. Everything I saw from the moment I stepped down from the coaster quite amazed me. It was definitely not an ordinary hotel for its wide lobby and large chandeliers hanging from its glass ceiling reminded me of the grandeur of the Grand Dame of Asia: The Manila Hotel.
The main building houses the lobby, a number of restaurants, shopping arcade, casino, discotheque, and a glass-topped atrium where you can relax as you sip your favorite drinks, tea or coffee.
If you love Asian cuisines, Lucky House and Golden Pavilion are the best places for you. It offers the finest Cantonese dishes you can find plus delicious dishes from Korea, Japan and Taiwan.
You can also have a drink with your beloved one or friends at Sunset Bar which is located at the beachside after which you can dine in a Spanish Restaurant, or CoCo Lobster where you can enjoy authentic Filipino cuisine.
After your dinner, you can visit the Casino Filipino at the second floor. It is open 24 hours a day with multi-lingual attendants. The gaming area includes more VIP game rooms to satisfy your appetite for thrill.
Or, you may proceed to Passion Night Club and Karaoke where glamorous shows are held every night. There are VIP rooms where you can show your singing prowess or none of it, and have a fun and relaxing time.
Hotel facilities include an Olympic-sized swimming pool, seven function rooms, video arcade, tennis court, badminton court, gym and sauna, driving range, golf course, paintball, beach volleyball, jet ski, sea donut, wind glides, sailing boat, bodyboard and pool toys.
You may also indulge in various recreational activities such as wind sailing, archery, shooting, horseback riding, wind gliding/wind surfing, canoeing, open sea fishing, snorkel diving, scuba diving, and rafting, among others.
The hotel’s red brick facade and roofs beautifully contrast with white round windows. Clearly, it’s inspired by the architecture of the colonial Spanish or Spanish Moroccan style.
There is an impressive and immense fountain and well-maintained gardens and flowering plants-lined walkways.
The rooms that spread out in four other two-storey buildings include 233 standard rooms; 25 deluxe rooms; eight junior suites; and two presidential suites. All of them have aircon units, cable tv, telephones, and a bathroom with hot water.
The resort also has a world-class 18-hole golf course with international standards and a perfect design to challenge one’s playing skills. The golf course, with thousands of trees built along Lake Paoay was designed by PGA champion, Gary Player for the late President Marcos. It measures 6,518 yards from the blue tee with a par of 72. Added hazards are the century-old fruit bearing trees and man-made ponds and lake.
The hotel is sprawled over 77 hectares of land at the middle of sand dunes, prime forests, and two kilometers of fine sandy beach facing the South China Sea. It is situated on the northwestern tip of Luzon island in Ilocos Norte. Laoag City and Laoag International Airport are accessible by a 10-minute ride from the hotel.
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