Makulay Lodge & Villas — Hotel in El Nido

I base all my travel choices on others advice and I believe in this instance too much information is a very good thing. Booking the Hilltop House at the Makulay Lodge and Villas for 5 nights was to be the highlight of our holiday, it was with doubt a disappointment and the low point. We left after two nights. These are the fair and valid reasons why. This "whole apartment" was booked for it's view, I was prepared to climb the 200 stairs for this however there was no glass in the front two windows which offered the 'best views' from the room, so in order to keep the stifling heat at bay we needed to shut the shutters and draw the curtains to provide some sort of barrier to help the whirring inadequate air conditioner try to cool the room a little, to no real avail - in doing this we lost our view. ||The bathroom was quite OK although very little water pressure, there was no bath as offered in the inclusions list.||There were no hangers or hanging arrangements to air your clothes, they were laid flat on the cupboard - in the absence of any washing facilities it would have been nice to at the very least air your clothes.||The Wi-Fi was not included although it was offered inclusions.||The TV did not exist although it too was offered in the inclusions.||Apparently in the kitchen there is "Space where guests can cook their own meals" - yes there is space but there is NO sharp knife to cut anything, NO dishwashing liquid, NO kettle, NO tea or coffee making facilities, ONE coffee cup, ONE wine glass, the one pot and one pan on offer are quite old and battered - you could use them on the single gas burner if you really had to, however it wouldn't be too much to ask to upgrade. I was completely underwhelmed by the kitchen facilities so did not use the kitchen, so down the 200+ steps we go and back up the 200+ steps we go - 2 or 3 times each day.||What was most upsetting was every trip up and down the 200+ steps we passed the cottage half way up who had a cranking kick butt air conditioning unit, beautiful glass doors overlooking the bay and islands and a large flat screen TV on the wall. ||In summary the Hilltop House was a large disappointment and OVERPRICED at AUD$104 per night. The 5 day highlight was two days of exhaustive and hot stair climbing, one day looking for alternative lodgings, one day to setting in there and one day to get ready to go home - not 5 days of chill and bliss as anticipated.||My final note is the constant stair climbing brought an old knee injury back into play - that is my problem but something to be be aware of.||This booking was not offered through Trip...

Horrible! Do not stay there! The description of the hotel on their website has nothing to do with the reality. To start the room was very old, dirty, poorly light (just plain bulbs), no water pressure and no hot water, dirty towels and dirty linen, no internet, a lot of insects and animals in the room because the doors and windows are not closing fully and there are everywhere holes and slots.... Walls are thin as paper -we could hear everythng from the people in the room next to ours-, extrem small bed (even when it's sold as "double bed"), mattress is super thin (5cm, just cheap foam, dirty and smelly) -have fun with the back pain after your first night!-, No cleaning service -we ask for the service before going on a tour and when we came back it was still as left!! So we ask again and they sent someone to "clean" but the person didn't bother to even take the garbage out!-. Even worse problem was that for a full day we had no water in the room! We reported it to the girl in charge several times and they even dare to lie they have fixed it when it wasn't true, we had to make her go up to the room so she believe us! It's unbelievable the lack of motivation and preparation the staff has in order to solve a problem, the whole day everyone is just playing with their phones when we are sure there are plenty of things to fix in this hotel! Finally we requested to speak to the manager. He was friendly and comprehensive, but as long as he isnt at the hotel nothing is really working. We are aware that you should have low expectations when traveling in this area but to call that place a hotel is simply ridiculous. A bad hostel would fit better but for the price they are asking for: no go! The food they offer is very expensive, small portions, very plain and def. Not worth the money! Don´t stay in that hotel! There are plenty of other options around! It ruined our...

I stayed in Makulay Lodge earlier this month, having stayed there and liked it in 2011, before the more recent renovations. It has a lovely set-up, and nice location away from overcrowded El Nido town & with a wonderful view right on the shore.

Cons: The owners seem to be trying to turn this into an "electro chill" type of spot, playing loud electro music, with tacky posters along the beach advertising their various events. If I wanted this scene, I'd stay in El Nido town. This is not really the vibe I look for in a gorgeous coastal setting - it takes away from the natural beauty and peace of the location. I much preferred the simple, laid-back vibe that the place used to have. Without the posters and music, I would've enjoyed this place much more. The rooms are overpriced. The bathroom felt a little dingy, the outer screen door lock was broken, and it just didn't feel up to par to the price I paid (which was discounted to begin with). Perhaps if they are renovated,they would better fit the price.

Pros: Again, great location a quick walk from the main part of town, with a fantastic view The restaurant and patio are beautifully designed, and (besides the music playing loudly) were really nice to sit and eat/relax/get some work done on my computer - really nice landscaping and takes full advantage of the view Friendly staff

The changes here represent the continuing overdevelopment of El Nido - changing the character and culture of the area, when it would be better to embrace and...