Solitude Acacia Resort — Hotel in Mabini

This is our third visit to Mabini, Batangas, and I can confidently say that Solitude Acacia Resort is by far the best we’ve stayed at. My sister, a professional free diver and avid fan of diving spots, was particularly impressed, making it one of her favorite stays, and we all felt the same way.

Our trip to Solitude was a family getaway, and everyone in our group thoroughly enjoyed the experience. From the resort’s beautiful design to the exceptional service, the entire stay exceeded our expectations and truly enhanced our out-of-town experience.

In contrast to other resorts in Mabini, which sometimes felt physically taxing (with long walks just to reach the check-in area—especially difficult for pregnant women or guests in wheelchairs), Solitude was thoughtfully designed for comfort and convenience. It’s clear that the owner paid great attention to ensuring guests have a seamless and enjoyable stay.

I’d also like to highlight the quality of the food. Every dish we ordered was expertly prepared and exceeded our gastronomic expectations. We appreciated the variety, with different menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For December, the restaurant even offered a special holiday-themed menu that added a festive touch to our meals.

A special mention goes to the staff, whose welcoming and professional attitude made our stay even more memorable. From the front desk to the restaurant and the pool/dive team, they treated us with warmth and care throughout our stay.

Our 3-day, 2-night stay at Solitude was truly unforgettable. I highly recommend it to fellow Google Local Guides or anyone looking for a family-friendly destination in Mabini. Solitude will feel like your second home, and our daughter is already asking when we’ll return. We can’t wait for another...

The Solitude Acacia Resort is probably one of the most beautiful hotels in this part of the Philippines. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, the food at the restaurant is very good (and à la carte!) and both the staff and the diving equipment are excellent. We were upgraded to a Seaview Room upon arrival which was a great surprise (and much appreciated)!

Three things bothered me significantly though:

1. To guarantee your reservation, you have to wire money to a PHL bank account or make a cash deposit at a Metrobank branch. Credit card payments are not possible. In 2022, I find that unpractical and outdated.

2. The cost of diving courses includes rentals - at least that's what we were told via e-mail. Upon checking out, we realized they charged us extra for almost everything we used - the dive computers, the torches and the BCDs. Since we brought our own masks, the only "rentals" they gave us free were the fins and the wet suits. If all other rentals incur a fee, they should communicate this beforehand and not say that the courses include rentals. Also, 500 PHP for the one-time use of a torch seems disproportionate.

3. A booking includes lunch on the day that you arrive. Lunch ends at 2 p.m., check-in starts at 2 p.m.. This doesn't add up. Also, everyone who is based in Manila and comes down for the weekend (Fri - Sun) will arrive too late on Friday to have lunch anyway. On your last day, you do have time for lunch but it's not inclusive. At the end, you pay for a meal that you will not be able to avail of, and extra for the lunch you eat before departure.

The diving was great and we were very happy with our (fantastic!) instructor Marlon. It's really a shame because we love the place but we'll consider other accomodations to go diving...

The resort is beautifully maintained - we got rooms overlooking the water, the pool and very close to the restaurant. The rooms are double occupancy and the size is comfortably enough for 2 people. You can add an extra bed for a third person and will be charged extra per day. I just wish they maintained the rooms well. No problem with cleanliness and housekeeping services and extra towels. But the faucets are almost coming off the sink, the toilet gets clogged and the hot water supply is not reliable. We called for addressing these problems and service came right away but the solution was temporary. We called a few times for the hot water and clogging toilet issues. But those issues did not stop us from enjoying the boat ride to Fortalez Island, the diving lessons and the dive experience. The instructors were excellent and the dive shop staff and the boat crew were very helpful and accomodating. The restaurant is to rave for. I will give it a Michelin star if I could. The choices are international and Filipino dishes. The bread was freshly made ( we actually bought bread to take back to the city). If you’re not into snorkeling and diving- come for the view, the relaxation, and the Food! I will come back and hopefully the plumbing problems will be fixed. If not, just give me a break on the room charges and I’ll just...