Estrellas de Mendoza Playa Resort, Laiya, San Juan, Batangas

One of the more expensive beach resorts in Laiya Beach in San Juan, Batangas, Estrellas de Mendoza playa Resort has probably the most number of hotel rooms in the area that can accommodate big company summer outings and even conventions, more than the more expensive Acuatico Beach Resort who also has its own infinity pool.

Tutubi first visited Laiya Beach in 2005, at Laiya Cocogrove, on the other end of the long beach where La Luz is located, the rocky part of the beach yet teeming with corals and fishes good for snorkeling and newbie dive site. This second visit is at the upscale Estrellas de Mendoza Playa Resort which is inside a seaside condominium development.

(Note: there are three photos here, one's taken by Nikki (Nikon D80), another by Ipe (iPhone 4S) and the other by Flare (Cherry Mobile Flare, can you guess which picture was taken by which camera?)

Images of Estrellas de Mendoza Playa Resort:

The infinity pool, cabanas, beach front view from the hotel rool

Review: Estrellas de Mendoza Playa Resort

Facility/Amenities: Relatively new beach resort, nice infinity pool with ever-present lifeguards, spacious parking lot, the main hotel building has a picturesque fountain. The beachfront has brownish slightly coarse sand, the coastline extends about 50 meters during low tide. Beach is safe and shallow for kids/toddlers to play (but of course should always be guarded and have vests for safety)

the placid infinity pool early morning makes a good reflecting pool with some cabanas

Rooms: hotel room high-rise building has an elevator with glass window facing the infinity pool, beach and the sea. Includes one queen size bed and a double size bed. There's a 32" LCD TV and cable TV (note: remote control has low battery in Tutubi's room and erratic cable TV reception. it was promptly replaced. The erratic TV signal was caused by a missing antenna plug, it was "repaired" temporarily by splicing the co-axial cable. Tutubi later found this out that he used the whistle in oen fo his backpack to hold the cable to the jack thereby fixing the TV signal). The bathroom has a nice shower head, the toilet with bidet (nice, they really cater to Filipinos who uses "tabo" to wash their arse). No bathtubs in this expensive room though

the hotel room with a queen size bead and a double size one

Food: serves Filipino food (which should be) in all buffet at the restaurant. Sample menu prices are comparable to
many 5 star hotels in Manila. There are not so good dishes mostly beef. Stand-outs are roast chicken (very tasty), sinampalukang manok (chicken and tamarind sour soup, something Tutubi usually doesn't eat). There are soups, simple desserts, bottomless juice/coffee/ice tea but no salad station

Room Rates:
Superior Room (high-rise hotel, with 1 queen size bed and 1 double size bed): PhP6,000.00
Cabana (poolside, 2 rooms, each with 1 queen size bed and 1 double size bed): PhP16,000.00

Day tour rate/Entrance fee: PhP1,500.00

Watersports/other rates/prices:
Banana Boat: PhP1,500.00/five persons
Jetski rental: PhP4,500.00/hour (now this is expensive, make this cheaper so more people will try)
Bamboo raft rental: PhP300.00/hour
Boat rental (snorkeling, island-hopping): PhP1,500.00 (ten persons) this, again is expensive considering the area was very near the resort and the shore

Estrellas de Mendoza
Contact Number: +63.2.819.6050

How to get there:

Refer to this post on how to get to Laiya, for the best route for private vehicles or bus commute way. Click the following link for a list of Beach Resorts in Laiya

Tutubi is not in any way affiliated with Estrellas de Mendoza nor received freebies of any kind for this review. Please get in touch with Estrellas de Mendoza by visiting their official website or calling their telephone number for reservation, inquiries, parties (wedding debut, et al), summer outing, team building, room rates, promos, discounts.