Saffire Beach Resort and Glamping — Hotel in Pagudpud

When: Feb 2 to 4, 2024 Group: Two families with 6 pax total (4 adults, 2 kids) Rooms: 1 Queen and 1 Double

Our first trip for the year and first time in Pagudpud (and Ilocos, in general). Setting foot in Saffire made the loooonngg drive from Manila totally worth it for several reasons. Also, this is going to be long as I wanna make sure I cover everything. It's the least I could do to show our appreciation for our wonderful stay.

Beach - We were the only guest during the first half of our stay, so we had the entire resort all to ourselves for the most part. The beach was deserted - just the way we like it. Crystal clear waters, pristine shores, clean surroundings. The only con, which isn't the resort's fault, is that the beach front is more of a reef. So it'll be hard for children especially to swim since it's a bit rocky. (I recommend going to the main Saud Beach for swimming.) Other than that, it was perfect.

Facilities - The resort has only been open for a little over a month when we visited, so everything is new and still missing a few cosmetic details (like landscaping, etc). BUT they have everything you need. Pool is decent-sized and perfect for kids (not deep at all) and surrounded by lounge chairs with a perfect view of the beach. They have an outdoor shower for a quick rinse before and after swimming. A grill if you want to cook your own lunch/dinner. Ample parking space. A roofdeck where they serve meals (you can also opt to eat poolside). A gazebo, hammocks, foldable beach chairs you can carry around if you wanna sit closer to the water.

Rooms - The Standard Queen and Double rooms were a bit on the smaller side, but I'm not gonna deduct points for that because although they were a bit cramped (especially the bathrooms), the rooms come with everything you need. Complete toiletries (shampoos, soaps, bath gels, oral care, fresh towels, etc), complementary coffee and water, electric kettle, TV with Netflix, enough pillows and blankets, CLOSET SPACE (I can't stress enough how happy I was with this), good AC.

Side note: Shower doesn't have heater yet, which the resort manager informed us about beforehand. They're still in the process of installing them.

Hospitality - The resort staff are great! Super helpful with everything, friendly, and accommodating. They even offered to go with us to the wet market to buy meat for our dinner. They also set up the grill for us and cooked additional items we bought for our breakfast. I'd like to mention that Beth, the resort manager, and specially Kuya PJ were both exceptional at making sure we were comfortable.

Food - Saffire doesn't have a restaurant or room service, but they do have complementary breakfast. Although breakfast options are limited (silog with either longganisa or daing na bangus), they were delicious! There are restaurants close by, but you can also opt to eat at Saffire. They have a kitchen that can prepare Filipino dishes like sinigang (which we ordered and enjoyed), bagnet, adobo, etc. Ask about what fresh catch they have for the day, and they can also cook it to your preference (fried or as sinigang/tinola). On our first night, they had dalagang bukid, which we also ordered for dinner. Order the food a few hours before you intend to have your dinner, so they can have everything set up right on the dot.

Location - Saffire is a few minutes away from the main beach. It's a little secluded, which is a big plus for us since we're not big fans of crowds. Driving to the resort from the main barangay road, you make a left turn in a narrow dirt road flanked by grass, trees, and grazing goats and cows on either side. Very quaint and picturesque. There are low hills at the back of the resort with windmills. Postcard vibes, honestly.

As you can already tell, we had a great experience at Saffire and would love to go back. As soon as we muster enough determination to drive 12 hours from...

Nestled in between Saud and Blue Lagoon is this quaint Sitio with a unique barrio charm with lots of beach front communes and establishments in between local houses and vacant lots sprawling with coconut trees and giant windmills. The place has its own road going to its beach hideaway vibe. The rooms are clean,big and has a modern vibe. We loved the wide spaces fit for bonding with the family. The sunsets are also spectacular and the beach front is as private as you can find. White sand, windmills, mountains and coconut trees invite you to relax in their hammocks and lounge in their cabana. Breakfast is simple no fuss Filipino food served by courteous and friendly local staff. They have a rooftop resto where you can eat your meals and avail of their in house menu. The pool is definitely a plus point. And the kids loved to swim, definitely made some fun memories here with the lil ones. We might suggest that other visitors observe the pool rules and dress appropriately for swimming as there was no attendant or staff making sure of this. Overall we had a great stay! Family friendly and worth the privacy and relaxing...

This place was a pleasant surprise for our family; truly a hidden gem! It has the best panoramic view of the Bangui Windmill farm by the beach which I think is a standout amongst other beachfront resorts that we have been to. The place is new so the facilities & amenities are in prestine condition. The staffs are accommodating and made sure we had the best time during our stay; food was great too! We also opted to grill and cook our own food by the beach on our second day which was a great bonding experience for our family! We definitely had so much fun as the place has gazebos, swings, perfect glamping location, and has great ambience for people who wants to relax and chill. If you are looking for a place away from the city noise and enjoy breathtaking views, this resort is the best...