Isla Amara Boutique Resort — Hotel in El Nido

Isla Amara

I don’t usually write reviews but after staying at this hotel I wanted to share my experience as it was particularly bad! Upon arrival we we were not greeted in a friendly manner. We checked in were treated like an inconvenience by the three young men on reception.

When we got to our room (107) we could see that it had twin beds, but we had booked a double. We advised the front desk politely, and were told it was because they are fully booked, and to ‘Just put the 2 beds together’, and felt dismissed by them.

We then discovered that the sliding patio door was stuck open, and could not be closed, because the latch was broken. There was construction work going on next to where our room was, so there was a constant loud drilling noise (which was even louder given that the door didn’t close). We went back to the front desk to advise them of our concerns. The receptionist advised us once again that the hotel was fully booked but they would get somebody from maintenance to take a look at the door. A gentleman called Bryon came to look at the door, he was polite and apologetic. He advised that the issue with the door could not be resolved and he would inform reception. I went back to reception and advised that I would not be staying in that room , as the patio door did not lock, it was on the ground floor, and therefore didn’t feel my belongings would be safe. The gentleman on reception, once again, said that there was nothing he could do, and looked at me blankly. At which point I advised we would not be staying here without a room that could be locked. I asked if there was a manger I could speak to , and he said that she was away on holiday.

He then explained that there was one other option; a family room that was available, but it would cost more. I explained that I would not be paying any extra money , as I wasn’t requesting a larger room , merely the double room that I booked, and one where my belongings would be secure.

After going back and forth with him for 10 - 15 minutes he then called his manager to ask her how to resolve the situation. Following the conversation he said that we could move to the family room with no additional fee, but to give them an hour to prepare the room for us. To which I said thank you and was grateful for the issue to be resolved.

We then moved to the family room (206). This room was much larger but as soon as we checked in it become clear that this room was not ready for guests to stay in, and appeared that it hasn’t been used yet.

The bathroom smelt of sewage, and there was a lot of mould on the ceiling.

The air conditioning unit worked intermittently,

The bed sheets were stained an orange colour and the sofa was covered in purple stains. The floor was dusty, which appeared to be due to ongoing building works that had taken place.

By this point we were so frustrated with how we’d been treated by the staff more than anything else, so we just accepted it for what it was.

The breakfast at the hotel was very basic. The service was poor, we were never greeted by staff , plates and cutlery weren’t cleared away in a timely manner , so when we got there most tables had dirty plates in them. This was the case throughout our stay.

Apart from that pleasant interaction with Bryon (the maintenance man) all staff were so unprofessional unwelcoming though out our 4 day stay.

Whenever we asked reception if they could order a tricycle into town they were always on there phones and looked at us like we were inconveniencing them.

The hotel certainly looks the part, the reception and pool area look chic and modern. However we felt like we couldn’t enjoy this because of the attitude of the staff.

The staff didn’t have any manners whatsoever, not only do they need retraining , but being taught how to say please and thank you would be a start!

We felt a huge sense of relief when...

I Held Off Writing This in 2023 - But After Being Ignored, I’m Adding to the Many Reviews on Isla Amara’s Poor Service.

I stayed at Isla Amara for 7 nights from late December 2022 to early January 2023. The location is excellent, just a short walk to the beach, shops, and cafes—but the management and service were deeply disappointing.

I initially chose not to post a review out of kindness, hoping the team would take our private feedback seriously. However, after two emails (in 2023 and again in 2025) and a LinkedIn message to the current manager, all of which were ignored, I feel compelled to share our experience publicly and add to the growing list of concerns raised by other guests.

After our stay, I sent a detailed email outlining both the positive and negative aspects. I never received a response. Hoping to give the resort another chance, I followed up in June 2025 to inquire about bringing my entire family for a future trip, again, no reply.

I even messaged the current manager, Dean Russell de Jesus, on LinkedIn on May 3, 2025. The message was seen but never acknowledged. I followed up June 12, 2025, via email and and never received a response. This lack of basic courtesy says everything about how Isla Amara handles feedback.

Pros: ✅ Location – Better than other resorts we've tried in the area. Closer to cafes/restaurants. ✅ Spacious Family Suite – Comfortable, with space to work ✅ Some Helpful Staff – Shoutout to Lea from housekeeping and the front desk team who assisted when our daughter fell ill ✅ Modem Provided – Helped us stay connected for work

Cons (based on our stay and recent reviews): ❌ The basic rooms are quite small — manageable for a short 3-day stay, but there’s barely any closet space for clothes. ❌ Poor Communication - Management remains unresponsive to emails and messages ❌ Wi-Fi – No functioning Wi-Fi in rooms despite prior confirmation ❌ Towels & Linens – Guests were told the laundromat didn’t deliver, which is a management issue ❌ Staff Attitude & Training – Many staff seemed untrained or disinterested; one loudly cursed in front of guests ❌ Breakfast – Bland and repetitive. If you're charging over $150+/night, the least you can do is serve decent eggs—and maybe skip the dried fish every single day. ❌ No Hospitality Presence – During our entire 8-day peak season stay, there was no visible management. The former manager, Marion, was nowhere to be seen. Whenever an issue came up, it was the admin staff, Grace, who had to face us—always apologetic, but openly admitting she wasn’t trained for hospitality. That says it all. ❌ Facilities – Reviews as of 2025 still report issues with water, pool cleanliness, and towel shortages

We genuinely wanted Isla Amara to succeed; it has so much potential. But after two years, multiple detailed letters, and being completely ignored, it’s clear that guest experience is not a priority. Unless meaningful changes are made, I can’t recommend this resort to anyone looking for a reliable, well-managed...

I Held Off Writing This in 2023 - But After Being Ignored, I’m Adding to the Many Reviews on Isla Amara’s Poor Service.||I stayed at Isla Amara for 7 nights from late December 2022 to early January 2023. The location is excellent, just a short walk to the beach, shops, and cafes—but the management and service were deeply disappointing.||I initially chose not to post a review out of kindness, hoping the team would take our private feedback seriously. However, after two emails (in 2023 and again in 2025) and a LinkedIn message to the current manager, all of which were ignored, I feel compelled to share our experience publicly and add to the growing list of concerns raised by other guests.||After our stay, I sent a detailed email outlining both the positive and negative aspects. I never received a response. Hoping to give the resort another chance, I followed up in June 2025 to inquire about bringing my entire family for a future trip, again, no reply.||I even messaged the current manager, Dean Russell de Jesus, on LinkedIn on May 3, 2025. The message was seen but never acknowledged. I followed up June 12, 2025, via email and and never received a response. This lack of basic courtesy says everything about how Isla Amara handles feedback.||Pros:|✅ Location – Better than other resorts we've tried in the area. Closer to cafes/resturants.|✅ Spacious Family Suite – Comfortable, with space to work|✅ Some Helpful Staff – Shoutout to Lea from housekeeping and the front desk team who assisted when our daughter fell ill|✅ Modem Provided – Helped us stay connected for work||Cons (based on our stay and recent reviews):|❌ The basic rooms are quite small — manageable for a short 3-day stay, but there’s barely any closet space for clothes.|❌ Poor Communication - Management remains unresponsive to emails and messages|❌ Wi-Fi – No functioning Wi-Fi in rooms despite prior confirmation|❌ Towels & Linens – Guests were told the laundromat didn’t deliver, which is a management issue|❌ Staff Attitude & Training – Many staff seemed untrained or disinterested; one loudly cursed in front of guests|❌ Breakfast – Bland and repetitive. If you're charging over $150+/night, the least you can do is serve decent eggs—and maybe skip the dried fish every single day.|❌ No Hospitality Presence – During our entire 8-day peak season stay, there was no visible management. The former manager, Marion, was nowhere to be seen. Whenever an issue came up, it was the admin staff, Grace, who had to face us—always apologetic, but openly admitting she wasn’t trained for hospitality. That says it all.|❌ Facilities – Reviews as of 2025 still report issues with water, pool cleanliness, and towel shortages||We genuinely wanted Isla Amara to succeed; it has so much potential. But after two years, multiple detailed letters, and being completely ignored, it’s clear that guest experience is not a priority. Unless meaningful changes are made, I can’t recommend this resort to anyone looking for a reliable, well-managed...