Lio Villas Resort — Hotel in El Nido

I recently spent a week at Lio Villas Resort, and while my stay had its highlights, there are areas where the resort could improve to meet the standards of a typical resort experience.

The rooms are undoubtedly a standout feature. I stayed in a newly renovated room, and it was clean, modern, and well-equipped with a mini-bar, TV, and internet (though the connection was occasionally unstable—I’d recommend getting an eSIM as a backup). The staff were generally responsive and willing to help whenever I needed something, which added a personal touch to the service.

However, the resort lacks some of the amenities you’d expect, such as a gym, and the surroundings aren’t particularly inviting. The road to the resort is unpaved and can become muddy and challenging to navigate, especially after rain. Getting to El Nido Town costs 300 pesos by tricycle, but I’d highly recommend renting a scooter instead, which the hotel can arrange for you. Additionally, the lack of guests during my stay made the place feel a bit empty, which might appeal to some but could feel isolating for others.

Housekeeping was inconsistent. I had to request towels multiple times, and cleaning wasn’t done daily. On one occasion, I returned to my room at 6 PM after a day at the beach to find it untouched, with no fresh towels provided. The water pressure in the shower, toilet, and sinks was also subpar, and there were occasional issues with hot water availability.

The breakfast options were limited, with only 4-5 choices, and the coffee didn’t quite hit the mark. There were also minor inconveniences, like the absence of water glasses, face towels, and a shaving kit in the room. While pitchers for water were available at reception, having one in the room would have been more convenient.

On a positive note, the hotel can help arrange the most popular tours on the island, which is a great convenience. To elevate the guest experience further, the resort could consider investing in staff uniforms, extending pool hours (or allowing guests to use it at their convenience), and adding some ambient music around the pool area. Digital key systems and more consistent housekeeping would also go a long way in improving convenience and comfort.

Despite the shortcomings, I appreciated the efforts of the resort manager and staff to make my stay as pleasant as possible. The rooms are a strong point, and with some adjustments, Lio Villas Resort has the potential to become a more competitive option. While I believe the pricing could be slightly lower to reflect the current value, I’m optimistic that the resort will continue to improve over time.

For now, I’d rate my experience 4 out of 5 stars. It’s a good stay with a lot of promise, and I look forward to seeing how the resort evolves...

We enjoyed our 3days stay here. I can only agree that all these filipino workers can't do enough to satisfy your stay. They are helpful and have always a smile on their faces. We rented 2 scooters at the reception. 750-800 pesos/day. A Tricycle for 2 persons was 150 to 200 pesos to get to town. Its true that the villas are away from the center (10 to 15 mins) but hey, this is a good occasion to see and discover how local people live here by passing their homes and stores. A tricycle ride should be part of your stay anyway :-) The breakfast at the villas was fine and tasty. Our room was spacious and clean. It was not cleaned but we did not request a cleaning either. There was a safe in our room. Even the 10" tablet found space inside. The door lock of our villa needs maintenance. It looks like its easy to open, even when its locked. We felt always safe during our stay here.( El Nido is a safe place. ) We did not use the TV and infact there was an electricity regulator inside the room. I agree that it was noisy from time to time. This device probably protects the electric devices connected to it. Remember that this is Philipinnes. The electricity is not as stable as in more modern parts of the world. Maybe a solution coud be found to put the regulator inside a soundproof box or maybe connect it outside of the villa. I give the villas a good rating. I requested that an iron should be available at the reception. They will see what they can do for future guests.

Regarding noise, i couldn't complain. As it is located outside the town, there is not much traffic. These were my best nights on philippinnes. Again, this is phillipinnes!! Live the live as it is and dont complain about how it should be in your eyes.

I hope you will also enjoy...

My partner and i stayed at lios villa resort for 5 nights and all the staff truly worked above and beyond to make us feel always special. Thank you to roland, antoinethe, neill, jomari, cedric, clark, louie and all the rest for making us feel this way. Special mention to tala (the owner's dog) who is just gorgeous.

The staff were all incredibly polite and attentive, always ready to assist with anything we needed. Booked our tours, travel, etc so easily and perfectly. Attended to all requests about allergies extremely well including to the tours. The resort itself is peaceful, with a clean pool and a relaxing atmosphere, perfect for unwinding in nature.

Apartment is clean and if there is any issue, staff are very attentative. I would just say the shower hot water needs to be fixed and sometimes its hot, sometimes it needs to run for quite some time to be hot and other times it is quite temperamental. Place is located approx. 15mins away from town costing a silly 300 pesos each way. However it is beautiful with its setting being away from the town, located on dirt streets and in the midst of a village which provides its own surreal experience. We would walk around at night, experience locals playing basketball or just hanging out and would feel super safe.

Just note that since this is an island retreat surrounded by nature, encountering lizards, geckos and spiders are expected, but the team does their best to maintain a clean and comfortable environment.

If you're looking for a tranquil escape to enjoy the beauty of the Philippines with warm hospitality, this is a...