After opening their seventh resort in Boracay last year, the Henann Group of Resorts is turning its attention to Bohol, and the eight-hectare plot of land they’re developing there.
“We got a property in 2012, and initially planned to build on Libaong Beach,” says Alfons Chusuey, president of the Henann Group of Resorts.
But then they got a prime plot of land along Alona Beach, and plans changed.
In 2015 they opened Henann Resort Alona Beach on Panglao Island, the biggest resort in Bohol with 400 rooms, tiered infinity pools and a world-class spa situated along a pristine strip of white-sand beach.
Last year they opened a second resort within the same sprawling complex: Henann Tawala, done up in Henann’s signature style of 210 rooms overlooking an inner courtyard of bright-blue swimming pools, with four types of rooms — Premier and Premier with Pool Access; Deluxe and Deluxe with Pool Access.
But we’re getting a bit ahead of our story. After a PAL flight of a little over an hour from Manila, we landed in Tagbilaran and were immediately impressed by the new airport, which is clean, modern, has baggage conveyor belts (unlike Caticlan airport), and bespeaks a progressive city welcoming to tourists.
Henann Tawala Resort is very close by — a mere 10-minute ride from the airport — and so much easier to get to than other island destinations that require a plane, vehicle and boat to access.
We entered a gate off Hontanosas/National Road and found ourselves in the middle of a sunny, expansive property dominated by the two resorts.
“This is the first big complex because we have the big land here,” says Chusuey. “In Boracay, we can only go as big as the land. If we only foresaw the potential of Boracay, we would have built more there. It’s better to get the big land right away.”
At eight hectares, this land seems pretty big, but the complex has been built in such a way that Henann Alona Beach is just a five-minute walk away from Henann Tawala.
After our welcome juice drink in the lobby, we settled into our Premier Room with Pool Access, which was the height of comfort, beautifully decorated in a chevron wall pattern with a king-size bed, bathtub separated from the room by a glass partition (a romantic touch for couples; you can lower the blind if you’re feeling more demure), and that prized balcony leading to the pool.
We were amazed to see so many Korean guests frolicking in Tawala’s four pools. You might think you’re in K-town: the destination is so attractive to waves of Koreans, almost all decked out in black rash guards and black caps, you can believe the claim that three to four flights come straight from Korea to Bohol every day.
According to Chusuey, Koreans make up 60 percent of the clientele, but to our eyes, it seems more like 80 to 90 percent.
Henann Tawala’s main dining outlet is Orchard Café, where we had our breakfast and lunch buffets. We are fans of Henann’s breakfast buffet, which has every possible favorite you can think of, from noodle soup to pancakes, congee to omelets, kimchi to champorado.
For lunch you can opt for buffet or a la carte. If you choose the latter, we recommend the six-cheese pizza, truffle shrimp Carbonara, seafood binakol served in a coconut shell, and Vietnamese caramel pork. Other options are beef con salpicado, Cajun shrimp with chorizo and crispy beef kaldereta.
Alona beach is a great place to have dinner, and a chance to try Boholano specialties catered by the resort like chicken halang-halang soup, langka salad, calamay turon with peanut, and ube binignit, a creamy and comforting dessert porridge. The ube is really next level in Bohol, and you have to bring it home with you in polvoron or piaya form.
No resort stay is complete without a good massage, and Kai Spa, located at Henann Alona Beach, touts itself as a “stress-free zone” as soon as you step on its entrance bridge.
The 90-minute Kai Signature Massage focuses on a total sensorial experience: after a shower, hot tub and sauna, settle into a couple’s room as the masseuses gently strike gongs; facedown, you’re breathing in an “herbal inhalation” of roses, mint leaves, ginger, eucalyptus and essential oils. Heated thermal pads are placed on your back, legs and stomach during treatment to aid relaxation. Face up, fresh thin cucumber slices are placed on your eyes, very relaxing. After consulting you on your preferred treatment areas, the pressure is calming, focused. Afterward, they gently wipe off all the massage oils with towels: a nice finishing touch.
In between the two resorts is Henann’s 1,000-capacity convention center — the largest MICE space in Bohol at present, according to Chusuey.
Yet they’re not quite finished building on their expansive Bohol property. In addition to the 610 existing rooms, Alfons points out an additional 237 rooms will soon be constructed right next door.
“Eventually we want to build a semi-township here, maybe,” he said. “We learned that it’s better to put the hotel along a well-established beach, where there are a lot of other establishments beside it.”
After that, Henann has properties in Mactan, Cebu, Siargao, Puerto Princesa and Palawan. They’re looking to develop a property in Coron on Malcapuya Island. (“It’s about 40 minutes by speedboat from the Coron mainland. It’s like Maldives-style.”)
Also, there’s a luxury resort underway on an 11,000-sqm property in Boracay. Since Henann’s resorts already seem to offer five-star service at affordable rates, we ask what will make the Boracay resort even more luxurious?
“Well, we would have bigger rooms. All suites. It would also be upgraded with three sky villas on top, which is not our (usual) style,” he says.
All three Chusuey siblings handle the day-to-day business of their dad, Dr. Henry Chusuey, who started the Henann Resort Group 25 years ago.
“We’re three; I’m the eldest,” notes Alfons. “Karl does the marketing and sales in Manila. Christina is the youngest, based in Iloilo at the headquarters. I always say that I build and spend the money; Karl sells the product; and Christina checks on us.”
Based in Bohol, Alfons typically visits the properties daily in semi-workout clothes (“more like a scarecrow to all my staff, so that they don’t get complacent”) and says he has few hobbies (“a little basketball”). While the pandemic was a bit of a hit for the industry, Alfons says, “You can only sulk at the situation for so long. We’ve adjusted to going back to what we were before,” noting they’re near full occupancy.
As we sit and enjoy our cocktails on our room’s verandah, overlooking a pool flocking with guests, Henann’s philosophy does seem to prove that old movie (and business) adage: “If you build it, they will come.”
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Henann Tawala Resort is located in Tawala, Panglao Island, Bohol, inside the Henann Complex beside the convention center. For more info or to book a room, go to https://henann.com/henanntawala/ .