Rosanna's Pension — Hotel in El Nido

As you’re arriving in El Nido, if you don’t have preplanned transport plans, you’re looking a 300Php for a tricycle to get you there (we had to get 2 due to our suitcases).

Rosanna’s Pension is located on the main road; upon arrival we were greeted but not offered anything to drink but there was a water (warm water) fountain in reception. We arrived around 10am and explained that we were very sunburnt and wanted to avoid the sun, so we were advised about a café further down the beach and they said to come back at half 12 and they’ll try and have our room ready for us, which they did. My wife emailed and said it was our honeymoon and asked if they could do anything for us; they stuck balloons to the ceiling and made origami towel flowers, which was cool.

We were Room 7, ground floor, just behind reception actually. The balcony (which is shared with 3 other rooms along the front) sits right on the beach, as should in the picture. Unfortunately, we were in-between a group and while eating breakfast and them constantly walking past, which was annoying and perhaps Roannas could have done a better job allocating the group? The room itself: Safe – yes. Uses a key, we never figured out if you could use the keypad. Kettle – no. WiFi – yes. However, very temperamental and will cut out at times. Fridge – no. This sucked as we couldn’t have cold water whenever we needed. Aircon – yes. However! At times we experienced blackouts or they had to use the backup generator which didn’t power the aircon. So, at times we were quite stuffy. Being behind the reception could be loud at times but didn’t seem to bother us. Onsite restaurant – no, nor room service. They do offer breakfast but the menu is tiny and there is a choice to have it on the balcony or in the eating hall. We always went for the balcony. Shower – yes. However, ours was at a weird angle and had to be held for the water to hit you. The room was small but very cosy and a great view outside. We asked about sending postcards but they literally had no idea what we were talking about. That might have just been the person we were asking though.

Like I said, Rosanna’s is located on the main street and everything is in walking distance. There’s a great vibe during the evenings and the night, with lots of tourists and locals bringing the place to life. Plenty of places to grab a bite or have a drink. Lots of souvenir shops but mostly sell the same thing.

Places I’d recommend eating: Template, a minutes' walk from Rosanna’s. Nice food, polite staff, good prices. Altrove, but go Express as the restaurant can get really busy and you’ll be waiting outside for ages to get seated. Express is takeaway and you can enjoy your pizza on the beach. Sausage with Benefits, there’s only about 4 seats so not really a place to go eat, but a great place for a hotdog and beer during the day. Flies are...

All the reviews I had read before booking here were true. This place is not a hotel. It’s a no frills-type of accommodation. But you get what you pay for, and we are truly satisfied : ) ||The hotel is centrally located in El Nido town and very convenient for going to restaurants, cafes, and shops. ||The building does not look great from outside but room was big enough for a family of four (two adults and two kids). Our room was on the third floor family room facing the ocean. It had one of the best views in El Nido town area for sure. I just wish there was no coconut tree blocking part of our view! As far as I understand, there are only two rooms on the third floor and higher the floor the better to see the color of the ocean. if you can book the room on the third floor, book the one left side facing the big mountain for even a better view. (without the coconut tree!). ||The another great thing about this place is the ocean access. This place has the best beach access in El Nido town area. The water is clean and definitely fine to swim in. ||Remember to bring own toiletries since you only get small soaps. No toothbrushes, not even shampoo is provided. ||Free water (hot or cold), ice tubes, and coffee were available. No fridge, no working tv (entire pension), and no elevator. Bring a bug spray if you are loved by mosquitoes. |Wifi was spotty but worked most of the time. ||The pension staff are not overly friendly here but that was expected since this isn’t a hotel. They were all busy working and our room was cleaned well daily. ||There are a lot of ants here. We have been living in the Philippines for four years and were not surprised. If you don’t like ants, do not eat anything in the room. If necessary, eat in the veranda and take the trash out immediately into the garbage bin outside/hallway. ||You rarely see anyone sitting behind the front desk. So, you really have to be independent or be relaxed when you need something. ||I appreciate all the previous reviewers. I got exactly what I expected and am very satisfied. Highly recommend to anyone who does not expect a hotel service but want to have an amazing view from your room for a very...

I was not particularly satisfied with my stay here and it’s frustrating, as I so wanted it to be wonderful. I fully accept that it is a budget hotel and I was not expecting luxury but over all I feel it was a disappointment. ||||To go through the positives and there are some good aspects. The location is superb and you are a short walk to all the bars, shops and restaurants and that’s great. I made use of a great little gym just a few doors away and that was simply awesome. And the fact you are right on the beach is great. The staff were lovely and for sure you get the full Filipino friendly service and no complaints there. They were helpful regards booking trips and answered all questions whether it be trips/beaches/travel/return ferry and so forth. The breakfast was good, tasty and sufficient and each morning I loved chatting with the fun cooks. All great company for sure. Endless tea on tap, which makes me happy, and I loved the company of the friendly staff.||||So what makes the experience a disappointment? Well I feel the state of the accommodation was very poor. I was over the road and not in the beach-facing block. This I knew before I arrived and was prepared for it. The view was not great but of course it’s not their fault there was a building site both sides. That’s just the timing and I can live with that. But I felt the state of the room was extremely poor and run down. I feel there was limited effort to really make this room cosy and pretty. It was stark and limited. It looked like they had not bothered at all to make it habitable and attractive. I honestly feel it does not take much expense to create a more inviting space with a few basic items to give it character and charm. It was pretty soulless and drab and I was surprised at the state if it. To fly all that way and end up in such a sad depressing room was frustrating. It felt that they didn’t take pride and were essentially lazy regards the room and thus the enjoyment of the client. I would strongly recommend they look at a way to turn the rooms around with some love and attention and make a...