“It was convenient to stay at a place with a dive shop (not associated with the actual hotel anyway so you can dive with”
The dive shop with an office in the hotel – Apo Dive – was fantastic! I did several shore dives around Dauin, including reef and muck dives, and they organized the Apo Island day trip. The instructors were professional, super friendly, and helped me spot frogfish in the muck :) The hotel restaurant’s food was good, though vegetarian options were limited. Portions were huge – I asked for half portions and they gave me the same price as a full portion. I don’t normally write negative reviews, but there were too many issues to ignore. Communication with staff was difficult and required repeated requests to get things done (e.g., arranging a tricycle or car, sorting out the bill). I had to change rooms because the shower in my room wasn’t working. I asked for this several times after a day of diving before it was fixed. Initially they wanted to move me to a parking‑lot room, a downgrade from my sea‑view room, with no price adjustment. The next room had a serious ant infestation above the bed, and dozens of dead ants fell onto the bed. I moved the bed away from the wall and slept with my head on the opposite side. When I reported this, the staff acted unaware and offered only to call housekeeping. I learned that other guests had been moved out of that room the same day because of the ants. Water pressure in the new room was very low and sometimes stopped; I removed the shower head to try to increase flow, but it still dribbled. Electricity and internet cut out occasionally. Another guest was trying to work remotely but struggled with the connection. The power to the water heater kept switching, so the shower temperature was inconsistent. For two of the four days, large groups rented the restaurant and pool for all‑day parties, so hotel guests couldn’t eat at the restaurant – I took my lunch to my room. During those parties, the relaxed atmosphere vanished, and you couldn’t enjoy the beach view or read quietly, so keep that in mind.
Laura·2 years ago