A perfect getaway, experience Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park

February 28, 2016

A perfect getaway, experience Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park

Summer is here. Planning to experience everything you want in a getaway, fun, food trip, relaxing.

Get the most out of your summer, just a few minutes outside Manila, enjoy your day or overnight stay with fun and relaxing activities. Have fun in one place that provides plenty of opportunities for outdoor adventure.

Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park is the perfect destination for an easy escape, whether for a quick day tour or an overnight stay. Conveniently located 15 minutes from the Mall of Asia, Island Cove allows you to get away from the madness of the metro without having to go too far.

Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park was once known as Pulo ni Burunggoy. My father built it in the early 70s and opened it on June 12, 1976 as Covelandia Island Resort. From 1976 until 1985, Covelandia Island Resort was highly recognized in the Philippines. Its reputation for excellent service and deluxe facilities made it a very popular tourist destination. The economic downturn of the 1980s did not spare Covelandia, it closed for 12 years. Then the island was redeveloped and reopened its doors to the public on October 11, 1997. Its new name was Island Cove. In 2003, an animal sanctuary called Animal Island was added to the island’s attractions. It is home to different species of reptiles, mammals, and birds. In 2005, Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park was ISO 9001:2000 certified and accredited by the Department of Tourism as a triple “A” resort.

The Fishing Village provides quite a dining experience. It is a Filipino-themed restaurant with 21 bamboo huts atop the water facing Manila Bay. It has spectacular views of the Manila and Makati skylines. Diners can go fishing and may have their catch cooked. You can order Filipino favorites from the menu including dishes that are unique to Cavite, famous for the freshest mussels and oysters.

Guests can go fishing and may have their catch cooked or can order Filipino favorites from the menu including dishes that are unique to Cavite. We recommend the Pinoy Boodle Feast.

Top recommendations are the Pinoy Boodle Feast and their new Lechon sa Pugon which their chefs prepare with much passion. Slow-cooked in their brick oven for 2.5 to 3 hours, it comes out less sinful because a lot of the oil and fat drip out.

The skin is very crunchy while the meat is moist and tender. With all the secret ingredients, their Lechon sa Pugon is noticeably more flavorful than those cooked the traditional way.

Sangley Point features western-style cuisine and must-try items are the baked baby back ribs, Wagyu burgers, and their home made bacon barbecue. iCafe offers coffee, shakes, quick meals and sweet treats. Recently added to its menu are sisig buns and adobo buns.

Bayside KTV serves pica-pica such as baked oysters and mussels.

There is something for every member of the family at the Island. You can even bring the family dog, because yes, Island Cove is pet-friendly, allowing guests with dogs to enjoy the facilities.

Aside from dining at the restaurants, you can spend hours at the Oceania Swim and Splash Park. They have a 350-square meter kid-friendly splash park to Oceania. The splashers and sprayers were imported from Australia. Safety is of paramount importance so they installed colorful, water safe rubber flooring (EPDM) to minimize the possibility of accidents. The main pools of the Oceania Swim and Splash Park retain the 4 giant slides and giant inflatables. The whole water complex spans over 3,000 square meters and their splash park is the biggest in Mega Manila. It is also notable that all their lifeguards are certified in standard first aid and basic life support by the Philippine National Red Cross.

They have just added a new playground for the kids. It is called the King Crawler.

It was designed by the Dutch company, Carve. The original King Crawler was developed when the city council of Purmerend, in the Netherlands, invited Carve to design a new schoolyard area. This vertical urban play structure combines several functions including different types of play and climbing opportunities. The brightly colored ribbon-like platforms stand out as if they are floating between the muted posts and wire mesh walls. The whimsical design of the King Crawler lends itself to enhancing any architectural landscape. The King Crawler complies with the American and Canadian playground safety standards.

You can also visit the Island Cove Wildlife Sanctuary which is home to different species of reptiles, mammals and birds. Aside from feeding crocodiles and monkeys, you can take photos of ostriches, Bengal tigers, Philippine deer, and a 15-foot python. If you want more thrill, their Adventure Zone has one of the largest paintball arenas in the country and an airsoft game site. You can try their Island Cove Maze Challenge too. Their other outdoor facilities include a basketball court, a tennis court, a 1.4-kilometer jogging path, several playgrounds for children and a giant chess set. Bikes are available for rent.

If you prefer to stay indoors, they have billiard and table tennis tables and a game room with Wii, Playstation 3 and Xbox consoles.

If you like to work out, you can visit their full service gym.

For those who like to sing, the Bayside KTV would be perfect. It has nine private rooms that can seat groups of 2 to 30. Each of its unique rooms has up-to-date equipment that plays more than 3,000 songs in Chinese, English, Korean, Japanese and Filipino.

For those seeking relaxation and stress relief, the Island Spa is for you. It offers various western and oriental massage treatments.

Island Cove has accommodations that serve guests and clients of every need and budget. They have recently finished major renovation of their accommodation facilities.

Gilbert C. Remulla showing us an old aerial view photo of Covelandia Island Resort.

According to Managing Director Gilbert Remulla, the rooms are now more in tune with the times with USB charging ports, wi-fi internet connectivity, flat screen TVs, and modern bathrooms, while still maintaining a Mediterranean feel.

They are particularly proud of their premier de luxe and family de luxe rooms, as well as the junior suites and villas. Family de luxe room occupants get 30% off on kiddie meals.

If you book the premier de luxe room, you will receive complimentary assorted pastries and you won’t be charged separately for the contents of the minibar, you can consume everything that’s there!

The junior suites and villas are very spacious and will be much appreciated by groups. Aside from a jacuzzi and pool in the hotel complex exclusive to checked in guests, some sports and recreation facilities are also available to them for free.

Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park is a great place for events, socials and conferences. They have 2 main ballrooms that can fit between 300 to 500 people, 10 air-conditioned function and meeting rooms (including an air-conditioned tent), various non-airconditioned pavilions and function areas. Island Cove is capable of catering and organizing events for as many as 14,000 persons. They have a concert park where they hold concerts from time to time.

They’ve had David Pomeranz, Sharon Cuneta, Side A Band, Sarah Geronimo, Vice Ganda, Daniel Padilla, Rico J. Puno, Marco Sison, Randy Santiago, Louie Heredia, Chad Borja, Nonoy Zuniga, Sitti Navarro, Jed Madela, The Company, Bamboo, Ely Buendia, Aiza Seguerra, Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano, Regine Velasquez, Spongecola, and Cueshe. They have also hosted wellness events, food festivals, dog shows and sporting activities. And have served as venue to TV shows such as ASAP, Umagang Kay Ganda and Unang Hirit. Movies and soap operas have frequently used Island Cove for their out-of-studio location shoots as well.