Henann Crystal Sands Resort — Hotel in Malay

We recently stayed at Henann Crystal Sands for five days and overall had a great time, but there are a few things worth noting that could take this resort from good to excellent. Please be aware that there is a huge construction happening directly next door that we were not warned about. You hear it from the pool, beach and I am sure from your room depending on where it is located. Every 5 min. You hear a loud gunshot like sound as they are nailing into concrete. It would make my heart jump. So irresponsible of the Hotel to not give proper warning!

The Positives:

The resort itself is beautiful and in a fantastic location, right on the beachfront of Station 1 with easy access to everything.

The breakfast buffet included in the stay was solid. There were plenty of hot food options and a decent spread, though by day three it started to feel repetitive. I can’t even get fresh eggs, they make them and plate them making them lukewarm. The fruit selection especially could use improvement, as it mostly consisted of apples and oranges, with occasional papaya or pineapple. No fresh juices, yogurt or granola bar, all food is lukewarm. Such a shame has the free breakfast buffet was the pool to this resort but by day three we just didn’t want it. Rooms were clean, comfortable, and well maintained. The beds were great for a good night’s sleep.

We especially loved the sky pool bar. It is located on a higher level with gorgeous views of the ocean and features a swim-up bar. It was the perfect spot to lounge and take in the view. A special shoutout to Paul and the rest of the staff, who were consistently kind and accommodating.

I had a minor medical issue during the stay, and the staff responded quickly, guiding me to a 24-hour clinic and helping me get the medication I needed. That level of care and responsiveness was greatly appreciated.

Things That Could Be Better:

The restaurant has a dress code. Even though it is beachfront, you are not allowed in with just a bikini top and shorts. You need to be more covered up, which feels a little out of place considering it is steps from the sand. It interrupts the easy, beachy vibe and makes it less convenient to go straight from breakfast to the beach or pool.

The rooms do not have blackout curtains, just wooden shutters that do not close tightly. If you are light sensitive, bring a sleep mask or expect to wake up early with the sun.

Only one towel per guest is provided, using a towel card system. This is inconvenient if you like to have one towel to dry off and another to lay on or use as a pillow. This policy feels outdated and unnecessarily strict for a resort experience.

The biggest issue was the smart TVs in each room. They have Netflix, Amazon, and other streaming apps installed, but the hotel locks them so you cannot log into your own accounts. This was incredibly frustrating, especially on stormy days when we wanted to relax in bed and watch a movie. I eventually bypassed it by connecting the TV to my personal hotspot, but that should not be necessary. It makes no sense to have smart TVs if guests are not allowed to use them properly.

While we enjoyed the sky pool, it is not truly adults-only as suggested. Families with children are still allowed up there, and the more peaceful, relaxing vibe you might expect is not enforced. The other pool on the ground level seems geared more toward families, so it would be nice if the rooftop pool were an adults-only zone, especially when the beach is closed due to wind. Also, shade is limited on windy days, as umbrellas are removed for safety, so it can be difficult to find a comfortable spot to relax out of the sun.

Final Thoughts:

Despite these inconveniences, we enjoyed our stay. The location is ideal, the staff are friendly and helpful, and the overall atmosphere is lovely. With a few small changes, such as improved fruit options at breakfast, more flexible towel policies, open access to smart TVs, blackout curtains, and a truly adults-only pool area, Henann Crystal Sands has the potential to become an...

My family and I love to travel and we’ve been to Boracay countless times and have tried different hotels there already. Out of all the hotels we tried, Henann Crystal Sands was truly an ‘Expectation vs. Reality’ scam. It was underwhelming — from the amenities and most especially, their staff and service. When we arrived, staff gave an unwelcoming vibe. My husband kept telling me to just leave and book another hotel, but I insisted on giving them a chance.

My family and I love to travel and we’ve been to Boracay countless times and have tried different hotels there already. Out of all the hotels we tried, Henann Crystal Sands was truly an ‘Expectation vs. Reality’ scam. It was underwhelming — from the amenities and most especially, their staff and service. When we arrived, staff gave an unwelcoming vibe. My husband kept telling me to just leave and book another hotel, but I insisted on giving them a chance.

On our 2nd day, I got stung by a fish while swimming at the hotel’s beachfront and so I had to go to the nearest clinic to get a tetanus shot. When I was sat in front of their Sapphire restaurant, they just put alcohol and betadine and left me there alone while my leg started to feel numb and I was in excruciating pain — hotel staff seemingly not realizing the gravity of the situation, just staring at me from a distance. lol **We travelled with our 2 yr old baby, so my husband had to settle our baby first. The nurse offered to accompany me to the clinic, but the hotel staff was rushing my husband to go to the clinic and they were telling him to hurry in a way that was condescending, likely implying that he wasn’t doing anything.

Our nightmare with Sapphire restaurant staff doesn’t end there. They also tainted the morning of my birthday with negativity while we were having our breakfast buffet. Staff were not fully knowledgeable of their policies. They wouldn’t grant my husband’s request for a surprise complimentary cake for me without showing them my ID (which by the way I’ve already coordinated with their reservations even before our check in date). They were very rude towards my husband, insisting that no ID, no complimentary cake was their policy — even if it was a surprise. I don’t even know how to react to this anymore. PS: My husband also paid for them to decorate our room and surprise me. He just wanted to surprise me too during breakfast, but they had to be rude like that.

On our 4th day (my birthday), we asked to check a cctv footage because we wanted to make sure if they were able to give us back our towel cards. We asked to get the footage at around 10 or 11 in the morning and didn’t get any feedback even until 11:30PM. It was very frustrating! We decided to give them a call only to be told that my husband did not return any towel. Mind you, when we requested for the footage in the morning, the receptionist called their pool staff first to confirm and the pool staff confirmed that he was able to give my husband the towel cards. If that’s the case, then why were they telling us that the cctv footage shows my husband never brought down the towels? So my husband had no choice but to go down to the lobby and talk to them. When they saw he was getting angry because of their very very poor service, they decided to just give him new towel cards. Does this mean even their ITs aren’t doing their jobs properly?

I was told by one of the receptionist that Henann Crystal was the best Henann in Boracay. Lo and behold, Henann Park’s (which us cheaper) service was even a lot better. Another hotel that offers less than half of this price had even better amenities and staff. Not to mention, rooms are filthy, no blackout blinds, and looked unmaintained. Service here at Henann Crystal Sands was just unacceptable!

The whole time I was thinking, I wish I had booked a different hotel instead or just rebooked our last hotel. Our whole stay was so traumatizing; yes, that’s how bad it was, especially it was my birthday vacation. I hope nobody else experiences anything like...

If safety and security is a priority for you, do not book here.

A staff member from the hotel attempted to enter our room in the early morning hours without any explanation.

Reservation #HCSRIB84JXME

Here is a summary and timeline of the events:

We headed to bed at ~2030h after a long day of travel. a. Do Not Disturb sign was activated prior to sleeping. At ~0500h on October 23, 2024 we heard a faint knock on the door. a. We did not request room service nor housekeeping. b. Our sleep was interrupted as we thought this was an emergency situation. Before we could completely climb out of our beds to answer the knock, the door suddenly opened. My brother met eyes with the uniformed Henann employee who promptly apologized, closed the door, and left without any explanation for knocking and attempted room entry. My brother reported the incident to the front desk at ~0900h in person. a. He was assured by the front desk staff that this matter will be escalated and noted down on file We received a phone call from the hotel manager at ~1730h after being out all day and exploring the island with our family. a. The hotel manager indicated that the incident was an honest mistake and disciplinary action was taken on the hotel staff responsible. b. The hotel manager offered us compensation at the expense of the hotel staff. c. We declined any compensation. We returned from dinner at ~2030h and I visited the front desk to get the names of the hotel staff responsible for the incident and the manager in charge that morning. a. The staff at the desk (Kessia) was not even aware of the situation (there was no note on our file) and was not able to provide names. b. She was guaranteed that it will be provided at check-out the following day. We wanted to take extra precaution to prevent unwanted entry to the room on our last night. a. We discovered the chain lock was broken. b. We barricaded the door with chairs as a substitute and agreed that our make-shift barricade will suffice for the night. No staff attempted to enter the room on our 2nd night of stay. During check-out on October 24, 2024, I expected the names I requested but the staff at the desk (Arlyn) was not aware of the issue and this request (there was still no note on our file). a. I requested to speak to the manager and I was told that they would not be available until 0900h. Unfortunately, our transportation to leave was booked for 0900h. b. I was provided with the contact information for the hotel customer service and main Henann office in Manila instead.

I have tried to get in correspondence with Henann customer service since but have yet to receive a response, not even a hint of acknowledgement.

My gut feeling tells me that this incident was not an honest mistake. I feel that we were profiled and targeted for nefarious reasons.

Hennan Crystal Sands was recommended to us by our family. We were told that the services, facilities, and amenities were exceptional and most importantly, safe. They did not live up to this reputation.

Growing up in Toronto my brother and I were always taught by our parents the concept of Filipino hospitality. Pinoys will always take care of their guests unequivocally.

Henann says it prides itself on showcasing what Filipino hospitality is all about. This could not be further from the truth. Based on the lack of false guarantees, lack of transparency, and pathetic showing of accountability from the Henann Crystal Sands staff, I strongly feel that the Henann brand should never be associated Filipino hospitality. Henann should never be mentioned in the same breath. This was a gigantic embarrassment for Filipino hospitality.

My brother and I have not seen our family here in 15 years. This time off from our busy lives was meant to be used to create memories with them, not write negative reviews.

I feel cheated. I feel disrespected. I feel violated.

Do...