Karuna El Nido Villas — Hotel in El Nido

We (group of 7) recently stayed at Karuna for 4 days and we were all captivated by its many positive attributes. Unbeatable location & breath-taking views, impressive interior decoration, spacious rooms and living room, stunning swimming pool all creating a very warm and inviting atmosphere. The bar staff at the hotel were also very friendly and attentive!

However our stay was marred by a. Missing money (50euro note, equivalent of 3,000 pesos) b. High pool charges c. Very unpleasant and disappointing guest treatment; all resulting in ruining an otherwise promising stay.

After we returned from a day boat trip to the villa (day 2) one of us realised money missing from her bag. Understandably this made us all feel uneasy and after searching in every nook and cranny (including our belongings, to make sure that nothing else is missing), we reported it to the hotel. They apologized and said they would take action to resolve this. On day 2, we threw a party at the pool. We accidentally broke 2 glasses while dancing and having fun and left some other by the pool when we went to bed. That night, typhoons hit El Nido and as a result one glass broke with the pieces dropping into the pool. Next day housekeeping cleaned the pool but warned us not to use it as they were not sure if it's completely safe.

Next day (Day 3), 2 police officers visited our villa to start an investigation and said they would keep us up to date after watching the cameras' footage. (They still update us). Same day we asked for the bill (food, drinks) so that we can pay and leave next morning carefree. Besides one bottle of gin that was charged twice (they recognised it was a mistake after we challenged it), we were shocked to see 8,000 pesos charges for the swimming pool. We went straight to the reception to question that and they said it's for compensating the next guests. I asked for proof (comms, emails etc.) but received nothing. In the meantime, when we brought up the missing money they started negotiations dropping the 8k charge to 6.5k, considering the 1.5k discount as half of the missing amount returned. Understandably that infuriated us, as the missing money and the pool charges were 2 separate incidents. We wrapped up that night by agreeing with the manager (Angie if I am not wrong) to ensure us that the missing money will be returned in full and the pool charges will drop (Don't get me wrong, we took full responsibility for the broken glasses and the inconvenience we caused but 8k is crazy money, especially with no breakdown provided).

Next day (1.5h before departure time from the villa) we went to pay! What an experience! They refused to take accountability and reimburse us the 3000p, they claimed the full 8k to be paid and also prompted us to go to the police to resolve this and get updates! And all this happened while they knew what time why fly and need to depart!! We were clearly treated in an unacceptable and cunning way. It is also worth mentioning that when we asked for the 3rd or 4th time what is the charge for, why we need pay 8k and not 15k or 4k they would give us inconsistent answers (guests' compensation, maintenance and cleaning, a mix of everything and nothing at the same time). They ended up agreeing to return us the 3k while we paid the full pool charges.

PS* A kind recommendation from us, replace all glasses with plastic ones! You locals should know better your climate and what damages & accidents strong winds can cause!

PS** Your extensive price list should have included pool charges or at least give some hints about the crazy amounts you charge in case of accidents. Cost transparency is key for good business!

PS* I am yet to receive the cost build up of...

Mixed experience here though overall positive. We stayed in the private pool villa x 3 nights. We are well traveled and the villa itself is one of the most beautiful, immaculately maintained places we have stayed. The carvings in the architecture, unique artwork, outdoor space and pool were all incredible and the villa is exquisitely designed to allow you to take in the amazing views all around and is very spacious. It was quiet and the pool villa overall quite private. Restaurant quality was reasonable, mango shakes were delicious, cocktails were not. Day and night the views are lovely - did not regret staying somewhere a ways from the beach at all as the view is incredible. We used their tuk tuk to get to town one afternoon which was convenient and pleasant. In room massage was great and reasonably priced.

Has all the makings to be a top place to stay, but unfortunately the service we received was poor (whereas our experience with service in Philippines was otherwise incredibly positive, including staying at much less expensive accommodation). From our arrival several comments were made about how the pool villa was too large for just two people and questioning if we had the correct reservation request (it is infact very large, but we were on our honeymoon and splurged on the accommodation - if there existed a one BR with private pool we would have booked that) and made us feel uncomfortable about our reservation/the cost (which had already been prepaid well in advance). We had food/drinks delivered to our villa (with extra service fee charge and we also tipped each time) but it was extremely difficult to get anyone to clear our empty dishes and we just ended up with a pile of dirty items on the outdoor table which attracts bugs. When we asked for items to be removed by the server when they were dropping a new order they actually refused and stated that it was housekeeping job so we should call and request housekeeping to come clean the villa. When we dined at the restaurant instead it was difficult to get anyone to take our order as both the staffs were openly on their phones on social media/watching videos so anytime we wanted something to order or napkins etc we had to go up to them and interrupt them and made us feel we were inconveniencing them. When we first checked into the villa there was also a Palawan megabat in the room, which is a very large bat and it was really difficult to get it out we called for assistance twice and it took awhile for anyone to come help us; having subsequently had time to read about it the bats are apparently harmless and would have actually been cool to see because they are huge except less cool when it’s in your bedroom. It was difficult at first to get them to give us pool towels for the pool villa as they use a card system for the common area pool towels. Outdoor bathroom in a tropical environment can be a mixed experience...

First and foremost, the welcome drinks should be served upon the arrival of your guests; that’s why they are called “welcome drinks.” So, while explaining and collecting deposits, your guests are supposed to be drinking the welcome drinks. Don’t you think about how long your guests might have flown to get to your hotel? By the way, we didn’t choose to drink canned drinks. We asked your staff at the bar for the available options for welcome drinks, and they told us it was only canned drinks, which is why we decided not to have it. Instead, we went outside to have a drink and eat.

When we entered our room, there was only one set of towels and one bathrobe, even though there were three of us in the room. Naturally, you should prepare sets for three people, so I had to call the reception to request an additional towel. Yes, there was a pitcher of water in the fridge, and you said we could just refill it since the water is in a jug. However, water should be provided in bottled form, not in a jug or pitcher.

The wooden floor was very creaky when we walked on it, which is not normal. I’ve stayed on wooden floors before, but they weren’t as noisy as the one in your room. Additionally, there was a leak in our room that started when your staff was cleaning the room upstairs, where our friend stayed. I called the reception immediately to inform you, and you said the leak was due to rain. But it wasn’t raining at the time the leak started. That explanation doesn’t make sense!

We also called again about the sliding door, which was difficult to open and eventually wouldn’t open at all. You sent a staff member to fix it, but I also told you that you needed to fix the water leak from the ceiling. The leak started from the light fixture, and the technician advised us not to turn on the light for safety reasons, which we followed. The water leak spread to another light, so the leak was affecting both sides of the ceiling. I mentioned this because it needs to be fixed for the safety and comfort of future guests.

As for the nearby restaurants, we chose to eat there instead of at your hotel, because there are plenty of good options around. Also, the bathroom being outside was quite scary to use at night. Why not install a screen to prevent insects from entering? You also failed to mention that we needed to use insect repellent, which was misleading.

Instead of arguing with me, please focus on improving your service. For the sake of your guests, put bottled water in the fridge, even if it’s not free—we would be happy to buy it. Not all your guests drink alcohol. Also, given how steep the stairs are, I would suggest installing a sidewalk with a handle to make it easier for guests, especially seniors, to walk...