Caliraya Ecoville Recreation and Farm Resort — Hotel in Cavinti

Found this upon searching for a pet-friendly place around Lake Caliraya at around 6pm, after having really late lunch, when a previous booking for two nights in another resort did not push through because it was under construction and we weren't informed beforehand, and we thought that we were going to be homeless for the night, since our pet is a rooster and he is not usually welcome in most places. Before booking, we asked the contact listed in their Facebook account whether they will allow rooster in their rooms, and even if she was off that day (we later found out), she replied right away. Although the room is dated, it has the amenities for a comfortable stay (it also looked like they have renovated their toilet/shower rooms and installed air-conditioning, as the room looked like it was previously ventilated with windows and probably an electric fan). The hot shower is working (important at Lake Caliraya) and the pressure is great; they have a bidet in the toilet, and they provide the needed toiletries (shampoo with conditioner, soap, roll of tissue paper, and towels for two). The blankets provided are enough for the cold nights near the lake. The room, although a bit dark at night, has big windows to let light in at daytime, and a terrace to hangout in while having breakfast. The resort is huge, my rooster walked on the green delightfully. The staff are accommodating, and most are friendly. They offer a lot of amenities, including kayak, paddle kayak, soft/toy archery, billiards (only some of the amenities we saw there). There are chickens and turtles near the restaurant area, and we also saw black piglets on the way out of the resort. The resident dogs weren't menacing, and they did not seem to mind our rooster. The place is gated, which adds a layer of security. All in all, the place is great; keep in mind that the amount that you pay for (room rate) also includes, not just breakfast, but also access to a vast activity area that you might want to utilize, like walking around...

Caliraya Ecoville is situated in Cavinti Road,  Lumban, Laguna. Total travel time from Makati to Caliraya Ecoville is more or less 3 hours without traffic and stopovers.🙂

We booked 2 rooms, 1 dormitory type and 1 trio room.  The dormitory type room has a capacity of  6 double deck bed with a bath towel and a super comfy blanket each, 1 table and 1 chair, equipped with shower and heater and cool Air Conditioning unit.  We had a little difficulty locating our room because it does not have a number nevertheless along the corridor they provided a water dispenser free for the guests to use.

As for the trio room, it's perfect for a small family of 4(parents and 2 kids). It has 1 queen bed, 1 single bed, tv with remote(I'm not sure if it has cable though), it has a shower and water heater.

Caliraya Ecoville is a perfect place for family bonding, they have a kiddie and adult pool, basketball court, fishing, kayak, fish spa, biking, trekking, harvesting at the veggie farm they also offer Kubo rooms and tents(please check prices at the reception counter). The in house restaurant serves breakfast,  lunch and dinner. Breakfast is served around 7:30 am and late dinner is accepted around 9:00-10: 00 pm (depending on the season). The breakfast we had is not as super tasty but the serving was huge per person.

A little disclaimer, this is based on our small chats with some of the staff. The place is estimated with a land area of 25 hectares. The 2 buildings which house the 5  dormitory rooms and 20 hotel rooms were built in the late '70s. They renovated the place 2 years ago. They have been operating for more or less 1 year under new management. It is currently managed by 12 employees. So, please be a little more patient and understanding🙂.

All in all,  this place still deserves...

Misleading Booking & Poor Maintenance

I booked a standard double room with aircon and private CR a week in advance, but when I arrived, I was asked if I was “aware” that what I booked was just a kubo. That felt misleading, because clearly, I booked a proper room. Good thing I insisted, and we were able to check in to the correct room.

The room itself was understandably old, but still okay. However, I would strongly suggest major repairs and improvements, especially since the property is continuously generating income.

The biggest issue was that early the next morning, the power went out in our room—including the CR, which made it very difficult to move around. Despite reporting it multiple times, it took about an hour before someone came to check, and unfortunately, they couldn’t fix it. We ended up transferring to another room, which was also quite old.

Another disappointment: no more free breakfast. Last year, when I booked via Agoda, even if we stayed in a kubo, we were still provided breakfast (though not the best quality). Now, they’ve removed it altogether, which makes the stay feel less worth it.

Overall, it was a disappointing experience. The place has potential, but without proper upkeep and better service, it feels like a missed...