Lakawon Island Resort — Hotel in Cadiz

Paying up to 100 euros per night for the "luxury" of a private bathroom is a joke. Opt for the 50 euro option, and you'll be sharing your bathroom breaks with 20 strangers. This place looks like a relic from the past, desperately in need of a time machine to bring it into the present. Activities? Almost non-existent. Food items? Scarcer than a good review for this dump. Cleanliness? Let's just say "unfinished" is a generous description.

The staff? Rigid and poorly trained, despite there being twice the number of personnel you'd find in a European resort, paradoxically working at half the speed. Their website, online services, and phone numbers? Absolute chaos. Digitalization hasn't yet fully reached them—we booked our rooms through Facebook Messenger. Arriving at the dock before the island, you're met with the same poverty you see everywhere, even though you have to pay a boat fee and an entrance fee to the island. The dock looks about as developed as the local boats used by weekend fishing enthusiasts. Pathetic.

Arriving at our rooms, we came across termites and ants. While I understand this is a different climate than Europe, there are ways to get rid of this. We stayed at an Airbnb for a fraction of this price, and it had no issues. The hint? Closing gaps and finishing construction properly. You won't be living with insects if you actually try.

A small portion of the island seems half-finished; the rest is full of dirt, garbage, and ongoing construction. Reading similar reviews, I see others share my sentiment: you're paying Western resort prices for this disaster. Buildings have hanging wires, and even the road is covered in moss and dirt. I’m sitting by the restaurant right now, with about 8 people staring at us, yet we've been waiting an hour for our meal.

They claim it's a luxurious stay and boast about having a spa. Maybe they're just anticipating their business growth over the next 10 years and are pre-advertising it because, for now, there's absolutely nothing to see!

We didn’t venture to the extreme part of the island; it looks like there's a true jungle waiting for us there. Again, these exorbitant prices can’t cover those expenses? Do not—and I repeat, do not—trust the review pics and ads; those are taken in the best possible light. The moment you leave the front beach area and venture onto the island, it is full of garbage.

Keeping the sentiment of the mainland, they also have stray dogs and cats—a nice addition for whoever likes furry friends. And the floating restaurant? Well, it was indeed floating—floating away from the resort and idling in the ocean. Good job on the marketing scheme; we fell for it!

Looking back at the view from our 100-euro suite, we can clearly see a beach of garbage and dirt. This place is shaping up to be completely deplorable.

Venturing up the island, we discovered the staff quarters—a true testament to the management's generosity. Apparently, 100 euros a night isn’t enough to provide them with decent living conditions. Their solution? Snorting glue. Can’t blame them; I’d want to escape reality too if I were them.

Yes, it's an island with a beach, but don't expect the management to have put any effort into making it enjoyable. It's as if they think a beach alone justifies the price. Spoiler: it doesn't.

Management, if you see this, YOU are the embodiment of the problem these places suffer from and the reason why countries like this will never live up to higher...

This place is phenomenal!

I'm going straight into the review.

ROOMS -

I was blown away by the rooms, they were seriously top-notch. the modern amenities, and the way everything was thoughtfully designed to make you feel relaxed. The cleanliness was Fair enough, and the layout was really spacious for the more bigger suiteds. One of my favorite. Overall, the rooms were a highlight of my stay and really made me feel pampered. +3.5 points.

SERVICE -

The service was brilliant! the staff were friendly, attentive, and went above and beyond to make sure I had everything I needed. They were super responsive to my requests and cook food AMAZINGLY! The Burgers were literally oozing juice, And the Inasal? DON'T EVEN SAY A WORD ABOUT THE CHICKEN BEING BAD, I WAS EATING A PHENOMENAL PIECE OF INASAL, IT'S WONDERFUL! I was really impressed by how welcoming and helpful everyone was it made my stay feel truly special. Whether I needed help with something or just had a question, the staff were always happy to assist. They really made me feel at home. +3 points.

THE VIEW -

"The view was absolutely breathtaking! I couldn't believe my eyes when looking at the mountain, The scenery was stunning. Whether I was watching the sunrise, enjoying the afternoon light, or taking in the stars at night, the view was always incredible. It added an extra layer of magic to my stay and made every moment feel special. I found myself gazing out the window again and again, just to take it all in. It was truly unforgettable." +.3 points.

BATHROOMS -

The Bathroom is amazing too! It was sleek, modern, and impeccably clean. I loved the fairly spacious layout, the rainfall showerhead, and the high-end amenities. It felt like a spa retreat every time I stepped inside. The attention to detail was impressive. It was the perfect place to unwind and refresh after a long day. I particularly appreciated the Guest amenities e.g. Overall, the bathroom was anothet highlight of my stay, But for smaller rooms like Pearls Place, The Bathrooms are public shared. it's not really too pleasing becauss the smell of Urine emitted off the toilets, Yuck! +0.0

Here's an overall review:

Overall, my stay was exceptional! The rooms were nice, the service was impeccable, and the view was breathtaking. Every detail was thoughtfully considered, making my experience truly unforgettable. I'd highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a comfortable and memorable stay. It exceeded my expectations in every way, and I'll definitely be back!

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING AND BRILLIANT STAY!

10/10 Points earned from my Review.

Small Concerns : Low tide when swimming around sunset...

Booked a junior suite at the resort for 2, adults and 2 kids, age 6 and 8. The suite would even be rated a standard room by normal hotel standards. Around 15 sq.m. + a very smelly toilet/bath. Accoring to the resort, it is normal that 2 kids can share a 80cm madress on the floor, eventhough that the 'suite' is booked for 4 pax.. An other way to say 'you are on an island, and there is not anywhere else to go, so we do not give a damn'. The food in the restuarent is at best very bad. Local food in a buffet style, filled with flies and standing out in room temperatur all day long. The floating bar offers a 'a la carte' however 8 out 10 items on the menu is not available and the kitchen stops cooking the last 2 options 3 hours before the closes, the day we were there. Under the above concept 'you are on an island, and there is not anywhere else to go, so we do not give a damn' Price wise, roughly 3x prices of negros occ. We spend around php 17.000 for 26 hours on the island. Everything seems very unorganized, staff can not find bookings, what is paid for in booking and repeatedly says, that is not paid. We had to ask multiple times for receipts which the staff was reluctant to give, so we ended up paying twice for multiple things. So after around 3 hours and with receipts and booking confirmation in hand, then the staff reconized that we were charged twice for multiple thing. However a refund could not be made, company policy, only voucher is given. Needless to say, paying with this voucher was a pain in the ass. Buying an ice cream or a beer took between 30 to 60 min. - why, because 'you are on an island, and there is not anywhere else to go, so we do not give a damn'. As an European with 20 years of 100+ days of travel per year, I am normally very understanding with the limitations there can be in an island or in the Philippines in general, however i think that Lakawon Island resort is perhaps the worst place I have ever been. It is front start to end designed to be a money trap, so the owner and fund his comtinue constructions on the island. Nothing works at even mediocre level. I can not recommend enough NOT going to Lakawon Island. If it was possible to give 0 or less stars, then this resort deserves that

As always, if management feels wrongly judged or reviewed. Then management is welcome...