Cerca Parola Beach Resort — Hotel in Lobo

"Needs A Lot of Improvement"

Period of stay: 1 night (May 12 to 13) - My family and I (3 pax); and, 2 nights (May 12 to 14) - For my friends (5 pax)

The Resort itself: No doubt, this resort is the newest establishment along its line of resorts at Malabrigo. It's also the only one that has a pool and Public Changing rooms/toilets (meant for Day Trip visitors). However, the room rate itself is NOT justifiable which is Php4,500 per night (breakfast not included). The room has no TV nor personal refrigerator. The owner did personally send me pictures of our rooms. And in the picture, it does show that it doesn't have the said appliances. But then, I couldn't react anymore because we have already paid the required down payment. Now, I have been to a number of resorts and I can truly say that Php4500 --- without a functioning TV nor personal ref and even brekkie not included --- is considered to be pricey. Next is the room itself. We got a room meant for 4 pax. At first, you'll think that the room is clean BUT their air-conditioning filters are filthy. There are also no toiletries ready. You'll need to request it from their Admin. Another disappointment was, we were expected to pay for the towels (which costs Php50 per use) by my contact. First time did we ever hear that we would need to pay for towels for such rate. It's understandable for cheap accommodations but for Php4500?!! Good thing, the mother of the owner (who's been assisting us on the ground itself) said we don't need to. We just have to return it upon check-out. Nonetheless, the management should be in-sync.

The Ambiance: This was the biggest disappointment, not just for Cerca Parola, but for all the line of resorts in the vicinity. Some of the visitors brought Karaoke/Videoke machines so you can imagine how loud the place has become. What added to this predicament was that the noise penetrates the room!!! We were just thankful that we were so tired on our first day so we were able to have such deep sleep. Another "epic fail" on our first night was: the water motor, in Cerca Parola, broke so there was no water flowing! We took an afternoon walk along the Malabrigo shoreline, 'til sunset, so we were all sweaty when we got back. When we were about to take a shower, (long and behold) there's no water! Add the lingering noise of the Videoke, the result was an utterly irritating experience. The water supply came back within 2-3 hours, forcing us to rest late. My take is, how come those Videoke Machines were allowed to be brought in the resort premises in the first place? The management of these resorts --- La Bien, Holiday, Cerca Parola, et. Al. --- should have been mindful of the guests' privacy. Imagine, the Videoke sessions of those guests started (roughly) at 8AM. And it lasted 'til 10PM. Going back to Cerca Parola, there were swarm of flies buzzing around the restaurant especially during meal time. It was annoying!

The Staff: Personally, I can say that they were accommodating. As mentioned, the mother of the owner assisted me all the way. I got so comfortable with her that I was able to personally tell her that the room rate was too expensive (considering that there is no TV nor ref). She said, the TV is still on its way. She's just looking for a cheap package. Their cook is so kind. After cooking, she tried to swat the lingering flies while we eat. I told her to stop ('coz I felt that it was quite inhumane for her side). But, she said, she feels so embarrassed because there were too many flies.

Overall: It wasn't good. A lot of factors has contributed to it especially the unbearable noise of the Videoke. It was very disappointing. We were aiming for serenity and, at least, a place to chill away from the hustle and bustle of Manila. The first time I went to Malabrigo for a Day Trip, it was very quiet. And I mean, it was near perfect! And this resort was very promising. Thus, recommending it to my friends. I hope they...

i cannot recommend this place to anyone. me and my family had a horrible and frustrating stay at this place. i was not impressed with the owner at all. she is not very hospitable.

i totally understand that these are small-scale, family owned businesses that promotes income and tourism to the area, which made me think twice to write this review.

i still want other people to be aware what to expect and how to manage a situation based on my experiences. i booked the place online using agoda and haven’t been home for almost 5-6 years. im a balik-bayan wanted to enjoy a simple-relaxing stay. a week wasted based on these trail of events/stay at the place.

-as soon as we arrived the owner asked for a 2k peso deposit. to be used if there will be damages done in her property. -despite paying for the room and board, you have to pay for the use of small cottages which are old already. -we arrived Friday night, my niece and nephews wanted to use the pool. all pool lights were turned off. parents will totally understand how upset kids will be, if they cannot jump into the pool. -we decided not to bring our towels because most places provides it. the owner does not provide towels. you have to beg for it. -no toiletries provided. you also have to beg for it, as well. -the owner will roam around the property areas and watch the kids playing. i don’t feel like kids will not enjoy at this place. it reminds me of a dormitory. -you cannot even heat your “baon” since stove or microwaves does not exist. stove by the way costs 500pesos if rented. -on our check-out day, we are forced to check-out an hour early. she claimed that she will do an audit for the towels, linen and pillows used. the owner almost charged us for a lost pillow. we offered her go check our van and bags. one of her staff claimed that she miscounted it.

it is a small town in Lobo, Batangas and very remote. nothing too much to expect at this moment. so, be prepared to hang in your accommodation. although, there is a small old lighthouse to visit.

all above experience from the person who booked the place. the driver of our van also had a bad experience with the owner. i am not going to mention it here...

This is a nice place. Needs improvement though. Rooms are new. The room we got was okay it was on the 3rd floor and a bit hard for the seniors that accompanied us. There was a foul smell in the room when we came in. Aircon was very cold. No TV. Wifi doesn't work during peak hours maybe because a lot are using it. The owners are friendly but the place should be managed by professionals. The staff who assists us always seem not to know anything when we asked and referred us to the owners. The food seems expensive but very basic cooking. Nothing special. They only have one handwritten menu for the entire restaurant. They have a nice sized pool but i felt itchy. It has chlorine but maybe the filter pump is not running. The beach for me is okay but can be a bit painful if you are barefoot. The kids need to wear slippers. Water is very clean and clear. No strong waves. Ideal for the family. Karaoke is a bit annoying at night. The big plus for me is you can see the dolphins at sunrise and sunset from the beach side. Overall i think this will be better if this was professionally managed and not by...