I was told to visit Bohol so I did some research and chose to stay in the Alona Beach area. This…read moreproperty had excellent reviews on TripAdvisor and Booking.com, so I took a chance and stayed here.
I was weirded out by the booking process, which required submitting half the total cost of the stay via wire transfer or PayPal, which is something scammers do. Even more disturbing was that I messaged them via booking.com to accept that they recieved the deposit thru PayPal and they did not respond. In the US, this is discouraging for travelers since it is common practice to use credit cards since they are safer for the consumer. Luckily, it was not a scam and I was able to check in with no problem. It's worth noting that this property is cash only in every regard. They only accept cash, which means you need to bring a big wad of pesos with you. The bill on checkout is also paid via cash, as is the restaurant tab or any expenses you may incur. They should probably look into accepting at least Mastercard or Visa, since no credit card especially when reserving is a dealbreaker for cautious people.
The resort is very small but very nice, with only a few bungalows. That meant we didn't really see many other guests for the duration of our stay. There is an onsite restaurant and a small but nice pool. There is a laundry service (3rd party, but handled by the property). They are also able to help you arrange tours and rides to and from the airport. They also rent motorbikes, if you are so inclined. I think the best way to describe this resort is, for private people who want to be left alone.
The room itself was half of a duplex, with a nice bathroom and functional design. The air conditioner worked wonderfully, and I was able to have many nights of good sleep. The property itself is nicely maintained.
We ate at the restaurant quite a bit, for breakfast and for dinner. The food is excellent quality and the prices are fair for the area.
My only reservations about this property were that
1- It can be difficult to find, especially if you are unfamiliar with the area. Even some drivers had no idea where it was (across the FilOil gas station).
2- It's at the end of a dirt road, and the road can be difficult to walk especially when it rains
3- The property has some strange rules, but they're obviously in place because some guests did something crazy and made a need for the rules. I personally had no problem with the rules, because I have common courtesy, but I can see some people getting offended by them.
4- Only handsoap and shampoo (had to ask) for toiletries. The only resort out of 5 I stayed in during my trip with incomplete amenities. The front desk person told me that they're having an issue with the vendor regarding it, so it was unavailable.