Ipil Suites — Hotel in El Nido

This is my first time giving out a negative review as this hotel needs to be called out!! my experience with them was HORRIBLE future guests should be made aware! And it’s not cheapest hotel around there’s a certain minimum you would expect… upon arrival I am suggested tours and I finally registered for Tour A @ 1600 PHP$ all inc except for mask and kayak rental which is common for guided tours as it’s optional activities. After walking around town I realized the same tour A is offered everywhere else @1200 PHP$ but I figured I’ll let it be as it’s my responsibility to shop before registering.

When getting into my room #302 on 3rd floor I realize the wifi isn’t working nor anywhere else in the building, reception informs me they’re working on it with the internet provider.. I need wifi internet for work purposes as I’m unable to on an LTE connection but I figured I’ll let it slip if it’s for a day… now when inspecting the room I see a swarm of ants/termites on the door frame of the entrance door INSIDE MY ROOM! now I’ve traveled all over the Philippines and I'm aware things like this can happen but this is DISGUSTING! I mean how can a housekeeper miss this HUGE patch of bugs it’s right in your face?!?!? At this point I figured this room doesn’t need a housekeeper but rather an EXTERMINATOR! I keep my cool and I make sure to leave my shoes and luggage far away from the entrance door. 2nd day comes along and wifi still isnt working so I subsequently ask for a refund as I’m unable to work but the hotel refuses. So I then ask for some type of compensation or a discount but its also politely refused... at this point I am pissed and inform them ahead of time that they leave me no other choice but to leave a negative review coupled with the bug infestation in my room. 3rd day comes along same story always telling me they are working with the internet provider…

Now comes checking out time and the same lady @ reception that I registered for the tour presents me the tour bill and I notice an extra 200$ PHP for lunch charges…She had the audacity to claim she mentioned it upon registration… at this point I felt scammed and refused to pay! on a 8 hour tour lunch is not an option and all the other tours had it included @ 1200$ PHP. There are far better options around this hotel DOESN’T CARE about their guests and will overcharge you for a service that they advertise but not offering, nor will they compensate. Btw no elevator, no tv service, AC is facing the bed so it’s blowing in your face all night, mold buildup around the bathroom window,...

Overall I give this hotel 3 stars. Pros: Main thing it has going for it is the location. The beach and tour loading area is at most a 2 minute walk behind the hotel. Conveniently located near tour agency’s, restaurants, laundry services and pretty much most everything that you would need.

Service was good. Staff was quick to reply with any requests. We got to the hotel early and were a large group with multiple room reservations. The staff was very accommodating in making rooms available to use for early check in with a reasonable per hour fee.

WiFi was good. There was router on every floor with a different WiFi connection for every floor. No issues with connection or speed.

Cons: I agree with some of the other reviews. The building is very run down, and could use a lot of updating. We had 2 rooms, unfortunately we were not on the same floor but not a big deal. The door to one of the rooms had multiple places that had been eaten through by termites. There was also a huge gap between the door and the frame making it possible for the mosquitos to come in. My sons’ had multiple bug bites the first night. Staff sprayed the room for us and we fixed the gap by placing towels on top of the door to cover the gap.

No elevator. Our room was on the top (4th) floor. It got old and tiring going between floors.

Breakfast buffet. You need to like traditional Filipino food for it to be worth it. First day offering was Vienna sausage, corned beef, Kankong, and garlic fried rice. Second day offering: garlic fried rice, bitter melon with egg, Filipino hot dog, and sardines in some kind of sauce. There is a made to order egg station, and toast and pan de sal was offered daily.

Overall, it met expectations for the price...

One of the WORST hotels that we've ever stayed in. Notified the hotel ahead of time that we had several senior citizens with us and were not told that there is NO ELEVATOR and all our rooms were booked on the FOURTH FLOOR. No AC except in the rooms - the "AC" in the dining area was mediocre at best because one side is open to the elements. A few unfortunate members of our group (over TWENTY people) could not make the hike up four flights of stairs and had to be moved to an even WORSE and smellier location across the street (and we were charged MORE for smaller, worse rooms)! Staff were NOT knowledgeable about tours or what was at different locations. There were ants and spiders in the rooms. We had to sleep with the bathroom door closed because the stink coming up from the toilet smelled so bad and made me gag. Some rooms did not have AC (or the AC didn't work properly) and we had to switch rooms. Several rooms did not have hot water - on the second day several rooms didn't have ANY water!!! We asked the hotel staff if we could be moved to a nicer (but smaller) house called the waterfront which was owned by the same people. We said some of us were willing to sleep on the floor and pay MORE just to get out of that horrible hotel. The Manila office was supposed to call back to let us know and we never heard back from anyone. Wifi was only available in the front lobby and was so SLOW it was basically pointless. Also, their towels were damp. They were marked with SHARPIE as belonging to Ipil Suites. When new towels were requested, they were also damp, and we received different colors (maybe they were from home?!) Shampoo and conditioner were so watery and in unmarked containers - so beware. DO NOT...