Affordable Luxury at Zuzuni Boutique Hotel in Boracay

Oftentimes, paradise comes with an exorbitant price, but at Zuzuni Boutique Hotel in Boracay, it takes an altogether new meaning. Our usual notion evokes imageries of pristine beaches, endless horizons, and plush accoutrements that, more often than not, also translate to hefty price tags, but at Zuzuni, all these is attainable without breaking the bank.



You can be in a luxurious 5-star hotel with a hundred other tourists, or you can be in a humble 14-room hotel and enjoy a sumptuous breakfast in bed, or be in an adjoining balcony offering a striking view of White Beach. Zuzuni opts to present you the latter—the kind of understated luxury that’s not easy to get.

Situated at a prime beachfront location in Station 1, Zuzuni is a Mediterranean-inspired boutique hotel offering guests a different kind of Boracay experience. It prides itself for its highly personalized service and its intimate treatment to its guests, two merits that entice travelers like me to stay longer … or to come back. Entering Zuzuni was like being invited by a longtime friend into his home—a cozy bed awaits, a fantastic meal is being prepared, and everything is set to give you the most pleasant stay ever. Read on to find out more of my experience at Zuzuni.


The Rooms

Zuzuni is “little insect” in Greek, and true enough, this tiny hotel is as modest and whimsical as its namesake. The hotel has 14 rooms, with categories ranging from Standard to Premiere Beachfront, all distributed among its 4 floors, some with sea view and some without.

We got to stay in a Beachfront Room with Balcony (PhP4,800++/night), which has a Queen-size bed, a 39” LED cable TV, a mini-ref, a cabinet, an en suite bathroom, and a private balcony. The room is small but not cramped, with just enough space for two, and it makes efficient use of the fixtures and the white, tan, and grey-blue color palette to make the room seem bigger than it really is.

The Queen-size bed has a soft duvet and a pressure-relieving, extremely comfortable senso-memory mattress. Pillows of varying sizes are provided, which I love and need to emphasize here because I can’t sleep with a shortage of pillows—I need two for my head, one propped between my legs, and one for hugging!

Walk into the bathroom and you will find a handheld shower, a toilet with bidet, a sink, and complimentary toiletries. The soaps and shampoos are especially made for Zuzuni. There are enough towels as well.

The cabinet has ample space for clothes and small bags, and it comes equipped with a safety deposit box as well. Underneath is the mini-ref with complimentary bottled water. A few drawers are also installed.

Directly in front of the bed is the TV, and to the left, is an entire wall of windows. Sheer curtains and drapes frame the windows, giving us the option to let some light seep through, or swathe the room in darkness.

The private balcony offers a breathtaking view of the beach. Sit on the wooden benches as you drink a beer and enjoy the sunset, or lean over the rail and watch as tourists and locals mingle below on the white sand. I couldn’t decide whether to admire the scene, or be in the scene.

With a comfy bed and a superb veranda (and fast Wifi!), Zuzuni made it hard for me to go out and revel in Boracay’s sun, sand and sea.

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Dining

Cozina Spanish Restaurant was being renovated during our stay, so there was no other option for breakfast except in-room. But who’s complaining?

Guests can select from a lineup of plated breakfast sets—Spanish, Continental, or Filipino, served with coffee, tea, or fruit juice. The Tomato Cheese Sandwich had seared mozzarella, caramelized onions, and slices of fresh tomatoes, all squeezed into a ciabatta bread. The flavors were simple but delicious, reminding me of favorites like margherita pizza and tomato-and-herb pasta.

Waffles are also being served with a side of fresh fruits—a good option for those craving for something “American”. I enjoyed the sweet apples and orange slices served with my thick slab of waffle.

Cozina sells local beers at 2 bottles for PhP90 during Happy Hour (5:00PM – 8:00PM) so make sure you grab a lounge chair in front of the hotel and avail of this promo while waiting for the famed Boracay sunset. This is probably the place where you could get cheapest beer among all the shops along the shore.

When we visited Boracay in November last year, my friends dined at Cozina while I was still sleeping and told me the food was really good. Too bad I wasn’t able to try more dishes in my recent trip, but I’ll definitely come back once the restaurant is fully restored.


Location

Zuzuni sits at the bow of Station 1 (if you’re coming from Station 2), a short walk from D Mall and other establishments like Army Navy and Epic. It’s right between the more upscale hotels in Station 1, and the bustling spots in Station 2, so whether you’re looking for a quiet time or an easy access to the nightlife happenings, Zuzuni is an ideal spot to stay in.


Service

What I noticed about the staff at Zuzuni is that everyone was friendly—from the receptionist, to the cashier, to the hotel manager. Our stay was not only pleasant because of the beautiful room, but also because of the warm people who actually faces you when you talk, if you know what I mean. It’s also worthy to note that there’s somebody in the front desk 24/7, so when we randomly decided to dip into the sea at 4:00 in the morning, a Zuzuni staff sat there ready with towels for our shivering, sneezing bodies.


Zuzuni: Affordable Luxury

To some, paradise may mean “5-star”, but in truth, it may simply take the form of a comfortable bed, a cheerful set of four walls, a relaxing space to enjoy life’s priceless joys—like watching the sunset, or gazing out into nature, thinking of nothing, just the eyes doing all the work. The great thing about Zuzuni is that it gives you these basic stuff, these fundamentals of luxury. There’s luxury in terms of conveniences and comforts, but there’s also the luxury of privacy, and of time—time to enjoy simple things with no preposterous costs. I highly recommend Zuzuni for a laid-back, delightful Boracay experience, and I can’t wait to get back!


Criteria
Facilities
Service
Dining
Ambience
Location
TOTAL
Rating
4/5
4/5
3/5
5/5
4/5
4.0
Comments
The rooms were small but efficiently designed.
Staff members were friendly and warm. 24/7 front desk.
Breakfast was good, although I'd love to try a full meal at Cozina.
I loved the beachfront location and the cheery feel of the hotel.
Wedged between Station 1 and Station 2. Near D'Mall and other food establishments.
An affordable, cozy beachfront accommodation in Station 1, Boracay.

Points for improvement:
  • Provide more lounge chairs in Zuzuni's beachfront area


~*~
Zuzuni Boutique Hotel
Boat Station 1, White Beach, Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan
+63908.862.0031/ +63917.324.9051 / +6336.288.4477
zuzuniboracay@gmail.com


Have you stayed at Zuzuni or dined at Cozina? How was your experience?

My stay was sponsored by Zuzuni Boracay. All opinions, however, are my own.

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