Bohol Shores — Hotel in Dauis

We went on our Honeymoon and the pictures look idyllic and perfect to have our own private mini villa with our own little pool. After being told by our travel agent that the hotel would be picking us up from the harbour port, no one was there. We managed to call the hotel from a local's phone and they didn't have anything under our name despite telling our agent they run a free shuttle service to and from the ferry port and Panglao airport! Having read reviews on here, it seems they do provide this service but for some reason didn't help us. We asked many a time ahead of our honeymoon whether they could do anything extra special for us. In the end, I ending up paying £60 as a surprise for my wife for them to decorate the room and add a bottle of prosecco - which was way more money than what it was worth. Despite the staff being nice and the welcome with a shell necklace and a drink was a nice touch, we assumed this was for all guests and we wasn't made to feel more special despite our occasion. The villa was nice however the bathroom was a bit out of place and needed to be re vamped to match the ambience of the room. We had to get maintenance to fix the cold shower temperature. The first day's breakfast was awful - no buffet - which we can only assume was because we were the only guests staying at the hotel (which was alarm bells in itself) A few things they didn't have available off the menu, as well as a few cocktail choices later on that day. The buffet was then open every day there after, however the food selection wasn't that great - most things you wouldn't eat for breakfast but more lunch/dinner. The heaters always turned off so the food went cold quickly and we never saw any staff restocking food - so it must have just been sat out from 6am-10am. The pictures online don't really resemble what it looks like at present and are pretty misleading. The decking area is broken and off bounds. The pool bar was never in use and looked abandoned. The other outdoor seating area near the decking area was also not in use and we found staff would just hang out there when on their break. The whole reception area and bar area needs a total revamp. Even though there were staff gardening most days, the pathway that you walk down to the villas were quite over grown and you could no longer see the paving stones like you can in the photos. No entertainment during the day or evening. There isn't really much nearby the resort - the bee farm was nice to kill an hour or so and only a 10/15min walk away. We felt the life was at Alona Beach day and night - which was a 15/20min ride away. The room's safe seemed a bit silly as it was just a lockable box that anyone could just take from the room and upon reading other reviews, is the same key for every safe! Also, the doors never closed properly and bugs and other creatures were able to get in easily. I was eaten alive most days. We had to resort to putting towels rolled up on the door to stop things coming in. We stayed at another hotel for the last three nights (Fox & Firefly Cottages) and they were a lot more hospitable and went out of there way to make our stay with them...

I'm surprise to read quite a few negative reviews here about this hotel. Unfortunately, it pulled their ratings down as well. Too bad as this hotel really did a great job for us. ||First off, the staff was friendly and super accommodating! This is a last minute overnight booking for us. We were supposed to stay with a family but since our flight got delayed, we had to book here for the meantime. The late night airport transfer (airport pick-up) was the most convenient, as well as very helpful. The driver even offered to take us grocery shopping if needed. I mean, our flight arrived 1030pm via Korea (with 10hours layover) so both my teen son and I were exhausted. It's good to know we have someone reliable and friendly waiting for us. Despite the late night check-in, the staffs were smiling, cheerful and gave us a welcome lei necklace or shell necklace. It's my teen son's first time in Bohol, so he was happy at this unexpected welcome experience. Furthermore, our booking included a dinner for 2 but since we missed that due to our flight delay and will be checking out the next day, the staff changed that to 2 free lunch instead. That's another convenience for us, since our family will pick us up after lunch the next day. ||Our room and bathroom was clean and comfortable - 2 double beds, strong shower pressure, cold a/c and our room included a welcome water bottles for us, which again is an add on convenience for us (esp. arriving super late at night). With a teen in tow, WiFi is important. No issues on that as their WiFi was pretty strong. The hotel itself is situated in the quiet side of Pangloa, which is a plus for us exhausted travelers. We slept and rested very well that night after a nice hot shower. ||The next day, my teen was excited to look around the hotel property. The pool area was clean, huge and nicely decorated. It has that island feel to it. Unfortunately, it rained and there's a lightning/thunder alert hence he was unable to swim in the pool. However, we had fun strolling around the property. It has a welcoming vibe to it. We ate at their restaurant for lunch, even invited family over. ||Over all, a convenient, relaxing- stress free and comfortable overnight stay here. Will we stay here again?...

The cliffside resort is vast, dotted with numerous villas that surround a pool that is equally expansive, all of which overlook the sea. Anywhere in the pool, the depth might be too shallow for swimmers though. On one side of the resort is a four-storey building that houses the regular rooms which are just okay—basically clean, well-kept, good enough to sleep in. The room's airconditioning unit tends to be loud, the bed a bit stiff and rigid, and the decors and aesthetics a bit ordinary, nothing really unique to Bohol. Considering the resort's name or branding, we expected a more apparent local flavor.

The food and other dishes from the menu are tasty, kudos to the chef, but they are just too pricey. The packed food items like chips and other drinks sold inside the resort are costly as well, just like the room rates. Especially the room rates. The resort's pricing is not really competitive and the rates are as expensive as those from major beach-front hotels in Panglao but without many of the amenities, features, and special activities offered by said hotels. In short, it feels like it is not worth the peso paid. In fact, when you enter this gated resort, it feels like you are not entering a resort because the lobby (which is adjacent to a grim open-parking space) is so plain. It has no character, no special design that makes you think you have reached a pricey resort.

Many of the potted plants around the resort also look dying, their leaves burnt and limp, their soil cracking and extremely dry. The whole place is just overgrown with weeds. These wild, non-ornamental plants could be beautiful, but the grounds just look sad and neglected.

To close this with a positive note, the staff are kind, alert, and truly accommodating. I hope they get a salary raise soon, especially in these...