Hoyohoy Villas — Hotel in Bantayan Island

The resort is one of the few on Bantayan Island with a pool. The lovely pool was a definite plus for us, given that there were jellyfish in some beach areas around Bantayan during our stay (did not see any at all on Hoyohoy beach, but did see some near Kota Beach, got stung on Paradise beach) and we could always fully relax in the pool without worry. Our room was very comfortable, and we slept great. Enjoyed the outdoor shower a lot. It is a far walk from Santa Fe downtown, but so were the other few hotels with pools (easy trike ride - 30 pesos/person).||We paid a high price for this hotel, compared to other hotels on Bantayan. While this is NOT the hotel's fault, when we booked through Hotels.com, the extra persons fees were confusing and it turned out we paid 49,000 pesos/night for the room plus another 40,000 for extra person fees (we were 2 adults, 2 kids), for a total just under 100,000 pesos/night. We did not actually realize the pricing increase for the extra person fees until we extended for a third night directly with the hotel (staff had a clear price list - this was not a bait and switch issue). At this point, we were too comfortable to move hotels and our next choice (Anika Beach Resort - had a good pool) was not available anyway. For the top dollar (for this island) price, the hotel did not have the expected facilities/service. For example, there was a broken pane of glass in one of the veranda doors on our cottage (not extremely noticeable, but still...), old style TV (not flat panel), noisier air conditioning. The service was friendly but relaxed to the point of being lackadaisical (for example a group had a special event under a gazebo, the staff did not take away the temporary mattresses provided, just stacked them on their sides for the rest of the days we were there), which affected the view of all the cottages out to the beachfront. While we overall enjoyed our stay, next time I would plan ahead before staying on Bantayan to reserve Anika Beach Resort (with pool) or Kota Beach Resort (very nice, close to Santa Fe town but no pool) and use the money saved to splurge on meals and activities. Note: We traveled in June 2018 and Bantayan was the only destination where we ran into difficulties with short notice reservations for hotels. If you want a mid-high range hotel on Bantayan - recommend...

The resort is located within an earshot of the ferry terminal. With baggage in tow, it's simply too far to walk under the unrelenting heat. Fortunately it's only five minutes ride on a pedicab. You can forget about a van shuttle service, this resort doesn't have any. The rooms are nice and clean, well furnished. A skylight above the shower lends it an ultra modern look allowing natural light to filter through and brighten the bathroom. Hot water shower came in fast and furious and without any interruption. That was the good and now here comes the bad and the ugly. On the afternoon of my second day, I had the urge to sit out and relax on the beach. To my dismay, the locals were happily stretched out taking their afternoon siestas on the resorts very own lounge chairs. I brought this issue up with the front desk lady on duty. She responded by giving me a smile and an empty stare. The resort fronts what is arguably the ugliest stretch of beach on this side of paradise. If swimming on an idyllic white sand beach rates high on your itinerary, this place is not for you. I once asked the bar for a small bucket of ice only to discover upon checkout that they billed me for it. There are much better beaches to be had on this island. Please be well advised that there are well over two dozen mature fruit bearing coconut trees widely scattered around resort grounds. A safety hazard posed by falling coconuts is real and give paused for concern. I wanted to give this resort a fair shake but somehow it failed to stacked up against its less opulent cousins in the...

Location: Very close to the port area, but quite far from the center of Sta Fe. There are trikes, yes, but if you want to save up on cash, walking to get your needs from Sta Fe center might take a lot of your energy and time.

Service: It's the people working in the resort that should take credit for the points. They were very accommodating with the inquiries and our needs.

Rooms: Room was very spacious. Artsy, I might say. Mattress was great. TV is nicely (unusually, though) placed on a "painting stand." The furniture in the room and on the ground floor were very unique and on par with the theme. The bathroom, though, need major reconstruction. Water supply needs more pressure. Showerheads and tub need replacing. Mirror need upgrading. The villa in itself looks dilapidated, and they shouldn't use the "botique hotel" card as an excuse to not make upgrades. The accents could be antique but the main commodoties should be modernized.

Amenities: Pool didn't seem to be usable. The beach front could also use some cleaning or maintenance. There were exposed wires on the ground by the beach too.

Food: Food was good and affordable. Huge portions too.

Tip: Book directly. Free breakfast, even when advertised on third-party sites, are not inclyded in the package (at leastwhen you book via Agoda). They almost charged us for our breakfast then I reminded them I booked directly. Make sure you ask the inclusives of the ₱4,000 villa/day you...