Astoria Current

Astoria Current gives you a resort base on Boracay Island with the practical comforts expected after a day in the water: air conditioning, Wi-Fi, a fridge in selected rooms, a restaurant, a bar, pools and a spa. It is a sizeable property, with 120 rooms and a broad choice of accommodation rather than one narrowly defined room style.

English is spoken by the hotel team, which keeps the useful conversations simple when you are arranging a transfer, asking about dinner or sorting out the morning's plans. The mood is resort-based and easy to use: beach access for the sea, a rooftop bar for the evening, and enough on site to keep a non-diving companion occupied without turning every hour into an organised activity.

You are in Station 3, on Boracay Island in the Philippines, at Sitio Mangayad, Barangay Manoc Manoc. The resort has direct access to a white-sand beach, so the sea is part of the immediate setting rather than something you reach by arranging transport.

Boracay's centre is about 2 km away. Boat Station 3, Talipapa Market and Tulubhan Beach are among the nearby places to explore, giving you a choice between staying close to the resort and heading out for a look around the island. The location suits a stay where the beach is at the door but the busier parts of Boracay remain within reach.

The room choice is unusually wide. You can keep things simple with a single room, choose a double with either a double bed or twin beds, or look at larger categories for three to six guests. Family rooms, suites, apartments, villas and cottages are also part of the accommodation mix, which gives travelling groups more room to manoeuvre than the usual one-bed-or-two-beds routine. Private bathrooms are available across the listed categories.

For a couple, a double room with a sea, pool or other stated view is the obvious way to make the room part of the holiday rather than just a place to drop a bag. If the priority is recovering properly between dives, focus on the better-equipped standard, superior or deluxe categories: selected rooms have air conditioning, blackout blinds, a fridge, a safe, television, Wi-Fi, a hairdryer, tea-making facilities and a microwave. That is a useful combination when you return warm, salty and ready for cold water, a shower and a quiet hour.

Room facilities vary considerably by category, so the room card matters here. Some simpler options list little beyond a private bathroom, while selected doubles and larger rooms add the practical kit. Bathrobes, slippers, toiletries and towels appear in several of the more fully equipped categories. The choice is less about finding one universally perfect room than matching the category to the way you travel: compact for a solo stay, twin beds for friends, a view for a couple, or a larger layout when the room has to accommodate a whole group.

Breakfast is available as a buffet, with a restaurant on site for the main meal rather than a daily search for somewhere to sit down. Room service is also available, which is handy when your energy has gone on a longer trip than planned and dinner in proper clothes feels like an ambitious project.

There is one named bar: Stratos, a rooftop bar specialising in cocktails. That gives the evening a clear destination after the shower, whether you want a drink above the resort or simply somewhere to mark the end of the day. The hotel also has a bar listed among its facilities, while the rooftop venue provides the distinctive part of the drinks offer.

Check the meal details attached to your chosen room before booking; the buffet, restaurant and room service are the useful building blocks, not a promise that every booking carries the same dining plan.

The resort gives you several ways to occupy the hours when you are not diving, eating or sitting at the bar. There is an outdoor pool and an indoor pool, along with a children's pool, so a mixed group can split up without everyone needing the same plan. A sun terrace and garden provide the slower option when even a gentle excursion feels like too much effort.

For the body rather than the view, there is a gym and fitness equipment, plus a spa and massage service. That combination works well for a couple travelling on different rhythms: one can take a swim or use the gym while the other books time for a treatment, then both can regroup without leaving the property.

Island-hopping excursions are available for a day away from the resort. It is a straightforward choice for a non-diving day, or for a companion who wants to see more of Boracay while you keep the next dive-free morning intact.

Check-in runs from 14:00 until midnight, and check-out is at 12:00. Airport transfers are available through the hotel, with transfer services and a shuttle option to arrange before arrival. That is worth sorting early on an island stay, particularly when luggage, flight times and boat connections all have an opinion of their own.

The practical services cover luggage storage, concierge assistance, wake-up calls, laundry and dry cleaning. Wi-Fi is available, and selected rooms add a desk, telephone and safe. Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, China UnionPay and cash are accepted payment methods.

Accessibility is built into the property, with a lift, wheelchair-accessible facilities and an accessible restaurant. The resort also has a conference room, while families have access to family-room options and child-focused facilities. English is spoken by the hotel team, which is useful from the first transfer conversation through to the final check-out.