Guam Hotel Options

Given the advance notice of our friends on the geographical size of the island, we decided to book in a nicer resort in Guam. This way we would have the hotel amenities to enjoy in case we run out of activities to do.  And a week after our trip, I must say that was a pretty smart move.

 

We had a rough criteria of the hotel that we're looking for. We wanted a hotel that has access to the beach (Tumon Bay) and located along Pale San Vitores Rd in Tamuning - this is where most of the action happens.  That way we would be pretty much walking distance to the duty-free shops and restaurants. 

 

So after some research, we narrowed our choices down to the following based on reviews and ratings.

1. Hyatt Regency Guam

• We stayed at the Hyatt Regency and do not regret it one bit. The hotel is beautiful. A few of the toilet fixtures have seen better days but it's still relatively good compared to most 4-star hotels I have stayed in. The hotel has a nice beach front and the pool area is perfect for the kids. Lots of slides and waterfalls. Truly felt brought me back to our vacation in Hawaii last year.

2. Hilton Guam Resort & Spa

• Hilton was recommended to us by a friend who knew someone who stayed there already. The hotel is located very near the Duty Free shops. Definitely walking-distance. At around P7,000 (USD 150), it is probably the best priced hotel with access to Tumon Bay in the area.  Although we eventually decided on Hyatt since activity and pool area was perfect for the kids.

3.  Outrigger Guam Beach Resort

• The photo below will show you how centrally located Outrigger Guam Beach Resort is. The shops and restaurants are practically housed in its lobby! While that does seem very attractive, we decided not to book with them since the hotel does not have direct access to the beach. This was pretty important for us since the kids wanted to enjoy both the beach and the pool on a daily basis. But if you are after the nightlife and the shopping, then this hotel is definitely for you.

4.  Dusit Thani Guam Resort

• Dusit is the newest resort to open in Tumon Bay. It is located right behind Outrigger Resort which makes the located just as perfect. What's even better is that it has direct access to the beach. So you get the best of both worlds as far as shopping and swimming are concerned. The only problem with Dusit is that unless you find a promo, it's quite pricey. But if money is not an issue, I highly recommend that you stay at Dusit.

So there's the rundown of our top hotel choices in Guam. Do post a comment when you get to visit. I'd love to hear your feedback!
 

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How to Enjoy Six Days in Guam

You know how people usually say they need a vacation from a vacation? I feel that way after almost every trip. I want packed schedules and productive days. This goes for both weekends, holidays and vacations. This is totally opposite to my husband who prefers to wake up late and lounge around during vacation. He always tells me that's how vacations should be.

 

Last week, we found ourselves booked for a 6-day vacation in Guam. Prior to the trip, friends have been telling us that 6 days in Guam might be too long since the place is pretty small. As soon as we arrived, we knew they were right. We can practically see our hotel from the airport. No kidding. It was indeed quite compact.

 

One thing we discovered about our family during the trip is that we are pretty much 'plug and play'. You put us anywhere and we can create a packed schedule. We do not run out of things to do.

• Shopping during the day - we don't really care if we go back to the same shop over and over again. We enjoy trying different clothes, sneaking to get more testers of the yummy chocolate macadamia, and road testing various perfumes. Never mind that we don't really get to buy a lot of things. Window shopping is free and fun.

• Late afternoons at the pool and  beach - the resort we stayed in has really nice pools. All of us took turn going down the water slides - every one from my 66-year old dad to my 5-year old daughter. On some occasions, we end our afternoon dip in the Jacuzzi. We would play word games where everyone (again, from grandparents to kids) can participate.
  

  
• Nice dinners and stroll down the boulevard - we spent one evening enjoying a sit-down dinner + show at the Sand Castle (which was an awesome acrobatic and magic show, by the way) and the rest of the evenings visiting nice restaurants and walking down the main street. We would stop for ice cream or visit the Godiva chocolate for free hazelnut coffee. Easy breezy evenings.

• Movie and late night snacks - this is something we do even at home in Manila. We spend late evenings watching a nice movie, drinking tea/coffee while enjoying cookies, chips and mixed nuts. We came to Guam prepared with a moved-packed external hard drive. We did movie marathons in the hotel rooms until late at night.

One very noteworthy thing about our vacation in Guam is that we got to wake up relatively late most of the time. On our last day, we woke up at 10:30am. It was my first time in probably 10 years to get 10 hours of sleep and not be woken up by my alarm or the kids. I just woke up on my own. It was uh-ma-zing! I felt very relaxed the entire day and keep on dreaming back to that morning even after our trip.

 

I was chatting with Dens last night and told him I miss that 10-hour sleep in Guam. He reminded me of his concept of a vacation. And I must say I am almost convinced. For the first time in a long time, I did not need a vacation from my vacation. It was easy and relaxing. No hectic schedule.  No rushing to meet an appointment.  We just go by our own pace and enjoy. I guess there is value in booking a vacation in a small island.  You will not be tempted to over-schedule. And once in a while, you will get that vacation that you truly need.

 

 

 

 

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