“Great Staff, hardware not great”
The staff were genuinely excellent—friendly, motivated, and super helpful. The transfer to Boracay and back was outstanding: perfectly organized, seamless, and they used Coast’s own speedboat instead of the crowded regular boats, which felt like a premium service. On the downside, the hardware left a lot to be desired. Coast feels like a mix of a decent mid‑range hotel and a highway motel right on the beach. The rooms are tiny, with almost the entire front made of glass facing the corridor, so you’re basically living in a shop window. As a solo traveller that didn’t bother me too much, but I wonder how couples manage with such little privacy. Closing the blinds turns the room into a tiny dark space, the AC blows straight into your face, and exterior lighting seeps in through the curtains—bring an eye mask. Soundproofing is terrible: TVs above, below, left, and right, people outside, plus a strong echo from the pool inside the U‑shaped building. Noise persisted well into the night, so I had to use earplugs to sleep. I also kept seeing guests using the pool in regular clothes. The bathroom wasn’t particularly clean, and there was no kettle. Breakfast was below two‑star level: very limited, oversalted dishes, terrible bread pudding, and even the cappuccino cost extra. The contrast is clear at the beach: the guy looking after the loungers is incredibly friendly and helpful, but the loungers themselves are worn out, sagging, partly broken, and not especially clean. Great people and an outstanding transfer service, but mediocre hardware. Coast is basically a basic mid‑range hotel, far from what its price and ratings suggest. In the end, it’s a motel at the beach.
DrA month ago