stay away.. unless you want mad service (Michelle)
Arrived at hotel only to be informed that room was not available and yes it take 6-7 hrs to transit from Cebu and I was really tired already.
I wanted king bed room with balcony and a standard twin was given instead. Reception (Michelle) was rude and blame everything to Hotel.com was not empathetic of situation at all. A pair of ladies from Italy experienced the same thing.
Toilet flush did not work, I had to wait 2 days before they had someone come fix it. When you need to go, you go. So I did. And you can imagine how bad it stank.
You will need to have the staff call a motorbike if you want to get to Bounty and Logon Beaches where all the action is. It is quite peaceful and relaxing considering it's not in a central location. The free breakfast that is served each morning is cooked to order and very fresh and tasty. The resort has a nice private beach at the bottom of the hill and they do book island tours for you at the best island prices. The staff are all friendly and helpful with any questions you might have.
The Good:
cool, funky design style and decor - very peaceful and private setting/grounds - delicious breakfast (I didn’t eat anything else there so can’t speak to their lunch/dinner but if the nice woman named Fry cooks them, then sure to be good).
The Bad:
Somewhat dated and worn rooms/decor - not very comfy mattress - weak AirCon - the entrance and grounds have steep hills which get you sweating just walking around the resort.
The Ugly:
“No WiFi in any rooms” (just reception/resto area) even though online booking sites indicated “free WiFi in all rooms” and a major reason I booked here rather than a more convenient place near/on the main beach - location is nice but isolated and a long, hot walk to the main beach (where all the bars, resto’s, activities, people and activities are - walking home at night through pitch black narrow alley ways lined with rusty barbed-wire was downright dangerous.
During check-in they tried putting me in a regular room rather than the “sea View Cottage I booked. After insisting I booked a different room they showed it to me but had just painted the ceiling, so had overpowering chemical smell. Why, as they knew I was coming ahead of time?
When upset about no WiFi in rooms and told them it’s stated on the booking sites, their reply was “sorry but our booking agent is in Cebu”!
If you are a couple or honeymooning and want some peace & quiet privacy it’s fine - as long as you don’t care about having WiFi in your room.
The Mangrove is an amazing place to stay and relax at. They have several cottages on their own private beach, and if you get sunburn from swimming all day they grow aloe vera on the premise that you can pluck. In addition, the air-condition in the room was cold and there was a clothesline outside my room so that I could dry my wet clothes. Management and the staff are very friendly, and the Mangrove has the best fruit shakes I've had in the Philippines. I will definitely be coming back.
The place is nice and the location by the private beach is nice. Surprisingly good food, and also cheaper than the rest of the island. Friendly and helpful staff.
Very underrated hotel!
Es la 1era vez que me voy de un hotel perdiendo lo pagado. La habitacion era tan pequeña q solo cabia la cama. Esta delante d una "playa" con agua negra suciedad. El hotel esta en una montañita alejada del centro d la isla. Estar en la isla d Malapascua en las Filipinas y no poder bañarte en la playa de tu hotel. Nos fuimos sin alojarnos y perdiendo nuestro dinero.