Mad Monkey Panglao — Hotel in Panglao

Ended up hospitalised twice because of ant bites from the bed and still wasnt fully refunded. Terrible experience. When we arrived to our ‘cleaned’ room there was rubbish all over the cupboards which had encouraged many ants to swarm. We spotted several on our beds which were nearby and reported it to reception to clean properly and clean our beds again. Our beds were clearly not cleaned again as that night i got about 30 ant bites while i slept and woke up to very painful itching. The staff simply said ‘sorry! We’ll change your mattress’ and didnt offer any kind of compensation or change of room. As the day progressed, my bites became very inflammed and caused a rash to spread around my entire body, which caused me extreme discomfort and ruined the one day we were able to go out and about in bohol. When we returned I demanded in tears that we be moved room because i couldnt face going back to a room potentially still having ants as clearly i was having an awful allergic reaction to the formic acid from the ant bites. Thankfully the manager allowed us to move room but still offered no compensation until we demanded they pay for the pharmacy products i’d had to buy and they begrudingly did so. Later my ears started swelling up and the stingy rash had spread everywhere and we had to get an ambulance to the hospital where we spent half the night. The hostel covered the prescription payments of 2 Pesos (which is the absolute least they could do). The next morning i woke up even worse, my eye was swollen shut and when i got up i couldnt breathe and had some sort of panic attack/shock where i genuinely thought i was going to stop breathing. I had to go back to the hospital and wait for hours and get more tablets. I was out on bedrest so couldnt do anything all day. Since i couldnt leave my room i asked my bf to bring me back a sandwich (i wasnt giving a penny to the mad monkey company by eating there) and dave let them know he’d be bringing it in for me as we had no choice and the staff had the audacity to refuse that and say no outside food or drinks allowed!! That night, the allergic reaction rash reached its most uncomfortable and caused insane swelling in my hands and feet, i couldnt close my fingers over, and my throat felt tight and hard to breathe so i didnt sleep at all. You would think after this horrible ordeal and traumatic experience for both me and my boyfriend that the hostel would offer a full refund for our 3 night stay but they initially refused anything when my bf asked and he had to really push to get even one night’s refund. This stingy horrible attitude from the manager to not fully compensate us after the closest near-death experience ive ever had is the worst customer service ive ever heard of and shows so much unprofessionalism and lack of sympathy for what their lack of cleanliness had caused over the course of 3 days. Do NOT stay at this hostel, I’ve never had a worse experience in my 4 months travelling Asia. P.s. i would post photos but im too humiliated by my...

EDITED: Its my second time around in the hostel, and I am with a friend. Sadly, she got disappointed at first in the reception area because Irish treat us like a shit— prior to us there's a guy which is a foreigner and she treat it like a KING. I almost lost my excitement because I am quite concern since I already boasted Mad Monkey to my friend that it is good specially the customer service, please train staff to always be kind to all travelers with fair treatment since traveling is really stressful. On the other hand, I will still come back to this hostel because Keran, Yvonne, and Taco never disappoints me. They always have this soft and comforting way of handling customer with fairness.

So yeah, still I would recommend Mad Monkey. Great way to accommodate and entertain guests. Thank you!

— This unique hostel is more than just a place to rest your head—it's a vibrant, inclusive community that welcomes travelers from all walks of life.

Warm grins and open arms greeted me as soon as I walked through the doors. Mad Monkey's staff goes above and beyond to ensure that every customer, regardless of identity, nationality, or background, feels welcome. Every encounter demonstrates their sincere warmth and dedication to establishing a secure and friendly environment. On the other hand, the extra mile service offered by Keran was remarkable— a gesture that a guest will never forget. Thank you!

Accommodation at Mad Monkey Hostel is comfortable and affordable, with a range of options to suit different needs and budgets. The dorms are clean and spacious, featuring sturdy bunk beds with privacy curtains, personal lockers, and ample power outlets.

The common areas are thoughtfully designed to encourage socializing and cultural exchange especially at 8pm; specific activity starts for everyone.

In conclusion, Mad Monkey is a model hostel—a kind, accepting place where guests are free to be who they are and feel at home. This hostel offers an unforgettable and enriching experience that goes beyond simply giving you a place to sleep, whether you're traveling alone, with a partner, or with a group of friends. It's highly recommended by me!

All...

Not a good experience.

1. Location is not ideal, it’s “close” to Alona Beach but you either rely on Tricycles or renting a bike (500 pesos at the hostel, overpriced).
2. Noisy, I do understand that it’s a “party” hostel BUT the hostel is noisy at all hours.
3. Impossible to relax, the common areas have a lack of seats or are way too hot.
4. My room (201) had a weird bed lay out with a small corridor, my bed (4) was in front of the bathroom which was usually pretty clean (not behind the toilet). In order to reach the room you had to climb a little (slippery) staircase, lockers are below the beds thus making difficult to grab your gear when the room is full due to people passing by. Also as the room is on top of the bar/restaurant is loud and constantly smells like food.
5. Staff were respectful and friendly to certain limit, when I hired the overpriced scooter I wasn’t told that on the return I had to put fuel until the 1/2. Also I was never shown the hostel and after 2 days I realised that there’s a sort of “annex” at the back of the kitchen.
6. The bed itself is comfy but only 1 powerpoint. The AC didn’t reach my bed but I could kinda manage with a fan.

I do not recommend this hostel. This is the 3rd time (Sydney, Cebú) I’ve been to a Mad Monkey Hostel and...