La Natura Resort — Hotel in Coron

We stayed 3 nights in this beautiful resort.We used their restaurant services on a daily bases.The food was good. The restaurant personnel (tall guy, didn't get his name) was very pleasant and professional. However, we have to share our biggest disappointment and experience with airport pickup up and the rest of the stay managed by Giselle, the resort manager. Although we inquired but never confirmed airport pickup, Giselle was kind enough to send a driver for us. The driver offered us a private ride or shared ride. Private ride was expensive ($40), and shared ride was reasonable ($15), but he said we would have to wait for other flights to arrive so he could fill up the van. This meant to wait another 2 3 hours. We tralveled with another couple that was staying in different resort, we agreed to share a ride with them and leave the airport immediately. But the driver that was sent to us, without prior confirmation, would not allow any other option but him. We were going to other drivers asking for a ride, but he would follow us and, in their language, talk with anyone whom we would approach. He was harasing us and telling, "You can only reach La Natura with me. No one will take you. " And indeed, everyone said they dont want to upset him. We tried 3 times calling Giselle, and we sent a message to call us back it was an emergency, but she never answered. Being in a foreign country in this situation, I could only think of calling police and I said to driver I will. Hearing this, he finally allowed another guy to take us, but he accepted to take us to the town, not to resort directly! From there, after having quick lunch and refreshment, we took a tricycle to resirt. When we reached the resort, we met Giselle, who said she was not aware of anything. Why didn't she reply to our missed phone calls for the 2h that passed? She said she didn't see the phone. If she sent the driver to pick us up and we didn't show up at the property for the next 2 hours, wouldn't that raise the question of where we are?! This makes me questioning: Is it the truth she was not aware of what was happening. However, this phone number was the only one left as a property contact. However, she apologized and agreed that this was not appropriate and said that this happened in the past and the driver was given a warning. Is a warning really enough even after 1 time happened for all the stress and inconvenience caused to us and to other guests before us? We do believe that sharing this experience will help you to make sure it doesn't happen to you. We have no way of finding out if management will continue using this driver services, as Giselle said they won't, bit if happens to you it means that management is ignorant and doesn't care about their own guests. After this, for the next 3 days, we never got the answer and feedback on what happened and how Giselle handled the situation. Despite the beautiful nature and resort itself, we would not recommend anyone to come as the managers' approach to any unpredictable issue left very bitter taste in our mouth, making our stay not...

AT FIRST GLANCE: a small paradise resort, surrounded by nature. AT SECOND GLANCE: things look a little different, here is why …

1. Take earplugs with you The adjoining neighbors keep dogs and roosters that cause incredible commotion at night. We were always deprived of sleep.

2. Uninvited visitors Surrounded by nature, you have to expect mosquitoes and other insects. Nevertheless, my girlfriend was not delighted when a giant cockroach crawled across her chest in the middle of the (already sleepless) night. Every other day we eliminated one of these oversized fellows.

3. Distance to the city The distance in km seems reasonable, but the roads are extremely rough and muddy. You can only get to town very slowly by tricycle for 150 php each way. Every short trip must be planned in advance and generates additional costs.

4. High Humidity / No AC Since there is no air conditioning, there is no way to counteract the high humidity in that area. Towels, clothes and bathing suits cannot dry properly. Even bed sheets and toilet paper feel uncomfortably damp. A brand new children’s tablet got broke since we had it resting on a table for 3 days, the display got moist.

5. Blackouts The electricity was down two days in a row for several hours. When asked about it, we were only told there was a blackout. Only in the evening after the blackout was over we have learned on renewed demand that there is a generator. We only had to ask more often, then they would have turned on the power for us.

6. No telephone reception / Poor internet

7. Don’t book tours through LaNatura They recommend a provider that charges more than 100% more than countless travel agencies downtown that offer the same tours.

8. Unhelpful management Because of the above reasons, after 3 nights we asked the managing couple to be allowed to change hotels early. They did admit that the above points were true and brashly told us they can’t do anything about it and we were free to leave at any time, but the total money for the remaining nights would be withheld – that would be "LaNatura Policy".

POSITIVE THINGS The hotel staff is incredibly friendly and helpful (unlike the hotel management). The swimming pool area is nicely arranged. The rooms are clean.

OUR CONCLUSION ABOUT „LA NATURA“ The place does not offer the paradisiacal tranquility and comfort it claims in the photos. We found places much quieter and more accessible from the city with 5-star-service for almost the same cost.

OUR GENERAL ADVICE FOR CORON The island-hopping-tours are definitely worth a visit! But don’t plan more than 3 days in Coron – 2 days for trips, 1 for relaxation in between. Once you’ve done Tour „A“ and „B“, you’ve seen it all. DownTown is a typical tourist place – rather boring and cultureless, the food is mediocre at best and everything...

My experience was so bad that I am actually making a review.

There are way too many cons to this supposed "resort".

Their price is the same as their competition, yet their facility and service is equivalent to a motel with a bar.

-Beddings were moist smelled of mildew. Fresh orange juice = faucet water + Tang. -Towels are grease stained and itchy. -Window locks are on the outside. -Food and drink prices are 2x of other hotels -Free Wifi is limited to the lobby only & available from 9AM to 10PM (Management says it can't offer wifi to the rooms due to provider, but if they simply moved their router all guests would be able to access). -Roads are dangerous, local drivers may refuse to go to location.(not even their own private road has been taken care of) -The pool has gross mildew on the bottom. I doubt they even use chlorine. No AC in a tropic country Chickens roam the premises Plumbing is faulty. -There is nothing to do there.

Surface level this place is good for taking a few pictures. That's pretty much it.

Have you ever dreaded going back to your "resort". Have you ever lived in a rich man's garage in their backyard. Have you ever been told there's wifi, but only in their lobby? Have you ever been offered a towel that has obviously been used as a dish rag? Have you ever placed "a do not disturb" tag on you door only to have it flung opened during intimacy? This is the place to go.

THE ONLY RESORT IT SHOULD BE IS YOUR...