Lilom Resort Anilao — Hotel in Mabini

I was searching for a beach resort as our quick escape on my youngest son’s (bunso) 2nd birthday. Living in the south of Metro Manila, the first place that would come to mind is Batangas. I stumbled upon this quaint resort in Anilao which has only 7 rooms, hence, the need for an advance reservation.||||Luckily, we we were able to squeeze in our schedule the resort’s only available slot during the birthday week that seems everything has fallen into place. It was a quick two-hour drive from Cavite to Anilao. We encountered light rain showers along the way but hope to have a good weather once we are in our destination.||||The seemingly smooth drive ended and the struggle to find the resort started. Anilao’s setting is very steep so most of the resorts are situated several meters below the road, hence, the need for several steps to go down the coastline. We have to ask someone from the area where exactly Lilom Resort is. Though we have seen a small signage along the steep road, I cannot see the resort around the area. Husband mistakenly entered an open gate thinking it would lead us to it. And suddenly an old woman from another house shouted that there is a dog inside the gate, I started to cringe thinking the danger that almost happened – my husband is carrying my youngest son.||||So we were left with a narrow edge of a wall built few meters below, the old woman told us to go down there. It was not a conventional way of going down. Honestly, I am uncomfortable because the wall is quite high from the ground and i am leading my four-year old son. I have to set aside my fear of heights to make sure that we are safe until we get to the ground. To make it short, the climb going to the resort is quite a struggle.||||We have to walk past the rocky shore with quite strong waves of noon time. But I felt relieved when I already saw the gate that I am seeing from the uploaded pictures online.||||As soon as I enter the gate, the setting changed from struggle to a peaceful state. The rooms are made of wooden materials that give off the nature vibe. The check-in was a breeze, thank God! We were able to get into our room in no time. Husband has to go back to the car to get the rest of our luggage. As soon as we settled, we are able to enjoy the buffet lunch that is part of the full board meals inclusive in the Php 3,000.00 package rate per person. Kids stay for free.||||There are not so many options but the lunch was very filling, plus it is buffet style so you can eat as much as you want. We also get to enjoy the serenity of the place while having lunch. The weather was cloudy which I really like. After lunch, my little boys were already in their rash guards and ready to dip in the sunset pools.||||Three o’clock came and the hot chocolate and suman (rice cake covered in leaves) was served as Merienda. Yes, it is part of the full-board meals. Even I just had my lunch I can’t help but sip the hot chocolate and finish 1 suman in minutes. The Merienda combo is complimenting – sweetness of the chocolate and the coconut flavor of the suman. We stayed beside the sunset pools the whole afternoon, staring at the sea while having fun time with the kids.||||Just before sunset, we were asked by the resort staff if we want to get the sunset cocktails – homemade mojito and toasted bread with tomato salsa. You will never get hungry in Lilom resort. 😀 All we did was eat, rest, have fun and enjoy.||||Around seven o’clock in the evening, we had the buffet dinner. Even if we ate a lot during the day, we can’t let the dinner pass because the food is equally sumptuous. There is no television in the rooms but there is free WiFi in the resort, so no biggie. I stayed at the hammock outside our room and little did I know that I already slept for a few minutes. I went inside our air-conditioned room and my little boys still have the energy and they ended up in bed with their gadgets watching their favorite videos and playing their go to game apps. These kids – 2 and 4 years old are already tech savvy.||||The next morning, we had our filling breakfast and stayed in the sunset pools and rocky shores. We only booked for one night so we really need to maximize our stay. Every minute counts. 😀||||It was short but sweet. The struggle getting down to the resort was redeemed by our memorable stay. I would love to go back and had the plan B in mind when that time comes to avoid the steep route going down the resort. There is another way but it is located in a higher area, hence involves at least a hundred steps going down the stairs. At least, it has the stairs and not an edge of the wall. 😀||||Will bring my parents with us in our next visit. Don’t be discouraged with the short struggle going down to the resort. It was one of the most filling and relaxing stay I ever had. You only need to do is to enjoy, eat and relax then Lilom Resort will do the rest. Below are the IG-worthy pictures we had in the...

Here's our Lilom experience:

Inquiries - While most information are found in their website, I'm one of those people who prefer to speak with someone. I found it a bit challenging to get a contact number to call and ask. I think this is intentional since it's a small resort with limited manpower so they can only entertain a few questions/emails at a time. I do suggest they create auto-replies for inquiries via their FB.

Booking - Very easy through their website. You'll receive a booking code so you can pay via bank transfer then a booking confirmation will sent a few days after with contact details.

Getting there - Amazingly even with alert levels rising, traveling to Lilom was a breeze. No heavy traffic encountered whatsoever.

Arriving - You will be assisted by their staff because the parking is a about 200 meters and the area you'll be passing is a rocky beach. Once at the door, follow all safety protocols and you're good to go.

Rooms - In my opinion were perfectly themed. Clean by my standards and very cozy. They have a fan and an A/C but I doubt you'll use this while you sleep because it's quite cold already. You get a hammock by the front door.

Resort Facilities - 2 small pools. Sun bathing beds. Small dining area.

Food - They serve 5 different meals in one day and you will love it (Breakfast, Lunch, PM snack, Cocktails with snacks, Dinner). Sometimes a dish may be a bit on the sweet side, but with more than one type of dish per meal you've got nothing to complain about. You can always ask for seconds but they already serve you a lot on the first one.

Beach - Is very rocky so you better be prepared with aqua shoes or wetsuits if you need them. The area is full of aquatic life that it would be a shame If you come without snorkeling gear! Invest in them. this is the only way you'll enjoy the waters. Lilom has life vests and fins you can borrow for free.

Staff - The staff are very polite. They are always ready to assist should you need something. They also inform guests when the food is ready per meal.

Overall, this is an amazing place. It's a bit pricey but I think it's worth it given the service, the food and the...

Easily one of the best resorts we’ve ever gone to.

I initially thought it was quite pricey, but after everything, I realized that it was super worth it. Our stay was an experience, and definitely a core memory.

They were more than accommodating! The staff were so nice and treated us warmly. We had the resort to ourselves, so everything felt personal. It was our 10th anniversary, so it was extra special for us.

All the meals served to us were great and more than what we hoped for. We were served with a lot of food. Lunch was pancit bihon, garlic shrimp, and chicken tinola, with a side of ripe mangoes. Then for snacks, we had suman and hot chocolate batirol. For dinner, we were served grilled liempo, grilled fish, and kare-kareng gulay, and chopped pineapples. We had claimed our free cocktails around 9pm as well. Then for breakfast, we had longganisa, fried eggs, pancakes, and fried rice.

We also availed their massage services (just notify them in advance), and it felt so good.

Their hospitality was above and beyond. We stayed at the Butanding room. It was quite small, but perfect for couples. The room and restroom were clean and the sheets smelled good.

I don’t have anything negative to comment on because everything was perfect for us– even the weather.

To Lilom Resort Anilao Management, thank you po for accommodating us beyond what was expected. The experience we had was one for the books, and different compared to all the beach resorts we’ve gone to. Ang saya pala ma-pamper. Haha. Thank you...