Davao Insular Hotel

The Insular Hotel was opened by the Ayala Group in the late sixties as the top-notch hotel in Davao City.  The Intercontinental Group provided management for a good 20 years, and in the late eighties, the Century chain took over.  After a year of labor problems, the hotel was sold to the Waterfront Group which operates the hotel at the moment.  With only 160 rooms spread over 8 hectares of land, the hotel has a resort-like feel to it.  The only drawback, however, is that being close to the Sasa wharf (2 kilometers away), the beach is not available for swimming.

Vicky's family has spent many memorable times at the hotel, celebrating birthdays and other affairs.  Until the Marco Polo Davao was built, the Insular was probably the most sought-after reception location for weddings and other parties.  The pool area is located at the center of the hotel complex (4 buildings that form a U around the pool) and is an ideal place to lounge around on lazy Sundays.

I transferred hotel from Pinnacle to the Insular as I had scheduled a meeting on Monday morning.  The rest of my friends left Sunday afternoon, so I was able to have some rest and relaxation that night.  The pizza I had for dinner at Pizzaiolo restaurant was crispy and well flavored, and the staff were very hospitable.  Room nights go for around P3,500 on the average; the rooms are spacious but admittedly, showing signs of age.