Maria Paz Royale Garden Resort

My family didn’t initially have any plans for the Holy Week because my mom was supposed to undergo a minor surgery. It was good news for everybody when the doctor told her that the surgery was no longer necessary. But it was barely a week away from Holy Week which only means that all the good resorts are already fully-booked.

My mom had a lot of requirements in choosing a place to stay which made it more difficult for me to find any. It should not be very far from Manila so she freaked out when I suggested we go to Bataan which is only a 3-hour drive from Manila! She wants a resort that allows food and drinks. And she does not want to stay in a beach fearing that a tidal wave might kill us. I began thinking that there is a greater risk that I might die of heart attack each time she calls me at the office asking if I already got a place.

We were just supposed to go back to Splash Mountain, our Holy Week destination last year, when my dad remembered a place that our neighbor recommended. My mom called and got us a reservation in Maria Paz Royale Garden Resort.

It’s nestled in San Pablo City, Laguna which is approximately a two-hour drive from Manila. But because of the traffic at SLEX, it took us 2 ½ hours to reach the place.

I initially had doubts because there were very few online reviews and the cost of the room was inexpensive. But all my hopes were raised when I saw a giant billboard at the resort’s entrance saying that Maria Paz was awarded as one of the best resorts in Laguna, First Place if I’m not mistaken. And I just fell in love at first sight with the place.

We were greeted by their very friendly security guard. My mom talked to one of the staff who then led us to our room. As a tradition, we leave Manila on Holy Wednesday because people usually start flocking the beaches/resorts on Maundy Thursday. And because the place wasn't crowded, we were allowed to have an earlier check-in time since the room was already available. Yipee!

We got one of the terrasa rooms which can house 4 guests. The air-conditioned room has queen-size and double-deck beds and an extra mattress. They have a cable TV which has more channels than the other resorts I’ve been to. The bathroom was really clean with a hot shower and basic toiletries like soap and tissue papers. It has a sink and a dining table. It does not have a refrigerator but the staff allowed us to put our frozen goods in their sari-sari store’s ref. I think the room only costs less than Php3000. Nice deal huh? :)



My brother, Boyet and I immediately surveyed the place. I was so happy with all the trees and flowers that are so scarce in the city.














All of us fell asleep after lunch. I know it’s very unlikely of me to fall asleep on a trip because I am the type of person who wants to make the most out of my vacation. But the room was so cozy and all of us really felt at home.

Maria Paz has two pools: a 3 1/2 ft. kiddie pool and a 4 - 5 ½ ft. adult pool. There is a huge space near our room and we heard that another pool is soon to be put up there.





There are lifeguards at the pool side even if there are only two people swimming: me and my mom hehe! The lifeguards kept on reminding the children to stay out of the adult pool when they are not accompanied by an adult.

It was a good decision to have a dip in the late afternoon because right after we went out of the pool, people started to come in for night swimming. The place has been transformed into a party place with all the people laughing just having a good time. Videoke machines are everywhere so the singing prowess of my dad and my brother were both put to a test.

I really had a hard time sleeping because there was a snoring contest among my mom, dad and Boyet. Do I need to say who won?! But in spite of that, I really had a sound sleep.

We all woke up early the next morning. The place was entirely different compared to the other night. All I could hear were the birds chirping and the swaying leaves of the trees. I had a few rounds of jogging in front of the terrasa then my mom challenged me for a badminton match.


The people are very nice and friendly. They even waved us goodbye when we left the resort. My mom and dad told us that they had the privilege to talk to the owner and my mom said that she’s super nice. The best things really come from simple things. :)

Maria Paz Royale Garden Resort
Sta. Filomena San Pablo City Laguna, Philippines
Telephone Nos.
(6349) 562-6488
(6349) 800-2537
Mobile 0917-8160882 / 0910-8356792 / 0917-4362511
Website: http://mariapazresort.com.ph