One of the clubhouses at Peninsula de Punta Fuego. (Photo by PRANZ KAENO BILLONES)

When the residential resort called Peninsula de Punta Fuego in Nasugbu, Batangas was still being developed, its builders hoped to create a community that echoed the stylish Mediterranean enclaves in Europe.  The architects stipulated that lot buyers must adopt the Mediterranean style of architecture when they started building their houses. After all, most of the lots are situated on cliffs overlooking the sea.

Most of the residents heeded the advice of Landco Pacific, which developed this real estate project. Other homeowners chose to express their own peculiar tastes in design. Those who haven’t built their homes yet, or simply acquired memberships to the country club called Club Punta Fuego, have the option of booking a room at the club's hotel dubbed the Casitas. The guestrooms are housed in cabanas whose architecture remains faithful to the Mediterranean doctrine of Landco. They quickly became some of the most coveted guest rooms in the province of Batangas. They were always almost fully booked on weekends.

To remedy the situation, the management of Club Punta Fuego decided to build more suites within the clubhouse’s premises. Instead of building new structures, they converted a building that once housed the spa. The result is a set of new rooms that come with their own private balconies that offer a glorious view of the South China Sea. The building itself look majestic. The architecture is understated yet unmistakably Mediterranean. Exteriors are painted in white yet the overall effect is dramatic as it happens to be nestled on a higher spot of the Club’s property. Its simplicity is misleading – the building seems to have been designed to accommodate the club’s very special guests.

The interiors are decidedly less traditional in terms of Mediterranean themes. The design looks more like a minimalist approach to the mandated designs of Punta Fuego. As with the exteriors, the interiors are clean, uncluttered and more functional. This approach imparts a more spacious room, which it actually is. The biggest room in the building can accommodate an entire family. A loft contains two extra beds and a smaller bathroom (as compared with the bathrooms of the original rooms of the Casitas). The rooms may be simpler but they’re more elegant and modern. They’re also more accessible to the club’s facilities. The tennis courts, the infinity pool, the fine-dining restaurant and the rest of the amenities are just a short walk away. This beats having to take the chauffer-driven golf cart to dinner.

For further details, visit www.landcopacific.com.