Modala Beach Resort — Hotel in Panglao

I was just reading through the bad reviews about this place before doing my honest review. It’s funny how people give bad reviews when they are there for a workplace-sponsored holiday.

Anyway.

Certainly a few improvements, especially in the rooms are needing to be addressed. Management needs to check each room and see it through the guest’s perspective if everything is on point.

But in saying that, I will still give them 5 stars.

Had to bring my whole wife’s family there and they were impressed. They have been to a lot of high-end resorts in the Philippines and I was surprised that they came home happy and satisfied.

For me:

Rooms were spacious. We booked 2 ‘Lantaw’ rooms and one of the cheaper room. It has everything that you need for your stay. VERY comfy bed! Just what you need after doing the countryside tour and island hopping experience. AC was fine even without air distribution, it’s a matter of setting it right.

Food in the restaurant (breakfast), initially, I was not expecting too much but wow, I have to go for my seconds and thirds each morning (stayed for 3 nights). Satisfied with the number of choices as it is not too overwhelming. They also change their menu everyday for breakfast which gives you that variety. Food is seasoned just right to cater to everyone. If you want it more salty, then go ahead. For me, happy with how they did the dishes. Danggit was not over-cooked. If you want it crispier, they are quite happy to cook you a fresh batch.

Staff - I would speak highly of the staff. From our check in to our check out, they are absolutely fantastic. Very polite and courteous. You can see that they are happy with their work and value their guests so much. They would accomodate any reasonable requests that you have and everything in the hotel and the strip mall was seamless. Not a single hassle during our stay. They also are nice enough to give you some heads-up if there are any functions in the beach front area at night, except for the last night that we were there which is a Friday - a lot of people were enjoying outside our balcony - but totally understandable as it was the weekend. The housekeeping team are legends. They always tidy up our room pretty good especially that we have a toddler messing it all up each time.

Gym - might need some other equipment but what is in there is enough to sweat out. Nice view especially in the morning.

Other replies to previous customer reviews:

Of course they will be strict with their towels because other people tend to bring them home as souvenirs.

Emails are not that popular in some of the islands in the Philippines compared to other parts of the world. In saying that, if you call them beforehand to check, the better. They will have it in their system even though they won’t send you any confirmation. You can request for one if need it. Please don’t expect everything to be perfect in an instant. Things take time especially in the provinces. Not because they are slow but it has more to do with how they keep everything in a certain pace that would be different from your major hustling and bustling cities.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this place and its people. Just relax and enjoy!

Don’t skip the ice cream at Bohol Bee Farm and hot chocolate at The...

We stayed at this hotel for 3 nights. The property is nice and new. It has a lot of potential but the service is really Terrible.

Pre-arrival I tried to call their hotel to confirm my airport pick up. I first tried contacting the number posted on the Agoda website but after many attempts to contact them, the line is dead. I then searched for their contact details online and at last found a landline number. Tried calling that number and after 1 failed attempt and multiple rings someone finally answered.

Arrival Day Upon arriving at the airport it was hard to find their pick up location, there were no representatives from their resort to welcome us. We had to circle the arrival area just to look for them. We finally found them after a few minutes of circling around only to find out that our car is not yet there and we had to wait for another 10 minutes. Their representative was apologetic though.

Resort arrival/Check in We had a comfortable ride from airport to the hotel and was greeted and assisted properly to the check in desk. There was a line at the check in counter, we were 3rd in line and only 1 person is manning the check in desk.

After checking in we had to wait for our room, which is understandable as we arrived before the standard checkin time. We then proceeded to the hotel restaurant for lunch.

Restaurant There was a variety of food offering at the hotel restaurant. We then opted to order a pizza and a pasta. Service at the restaurant was slow even if there were only a few customers present. There were only 5 staff manning the whole restaurant at the time of our arrival.

Finally the food arrived. The food was just mediocre, the pizza was ok and we knew the ingredients used were bought at a supermarket.

We then asked the server to give us some hot sauce and after 2 call attempts he finally delivered the hot sauce to us. He forgot our request, how did we know? Because he blurted out “oh sorry I forgot about the hot sauce.” This happened twice, first with the hot sauce, 2nd was with the additional drinks we ordered.

Room After lunch we then went back to the front desk to get our keys. Everything went smoothly and finally we’re able to enter our room. The room was nice and clean. No bad reviews this time.

Hotel reception/House Keeping We had a morning excursion on our 3rd day and were already finished before lunch. Understandably our room wasn’t cleaned yet by that time. I tried calling their in house phone to ask for clean towels. Tried to call on our first attempt and it just rang forever! After 2 attempts and multiple rings someone finally answered and we were finally able to request for clean towels.

We then waited for our towels to arrive. After 20-30mins we contacted the reception to follow up on the towels again. Take note our call went through after 2 attempts.

The fresh towels were finally delivered to us.

Continued...

Our stay at Modala Beach Resort was everything we hoped for and more. From the moment we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by the staff, who were consistently courteous, attentive, and ready to assist with anything we needed.

The resort itself is stunning—modern yet cozy, exceptionally clean, and beautifully maintained. We especially appreciated how family-friendly it was. Traveling with young children can be a challenge, but Modala made everything feel easy and seamless. The beachfront was safe and clean—perfect for our kids to play and explore freely—while the pool area was another highlight: spacious, well-kept, and never overcrowded.

What truly set our experience apart was the heartfelt service we received from the team. Elisa and Shane at the restaurant made us feel so genuinely cared for. They were warm, attentive, and incredibly kind—not only to us, but especially to our kids, who grew fond of them instantly. Larry also went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable during our stay, always attentive and ready to help with a smile.

At the pool bar, Jerome stood out with his friendly and polite demeanor. He ensured we had everything we needed while we relaxed poolside, and his thoughtful service added to the resort’s welcoming atmosphere.

We also had the pleasure of booking a photo session with Kim, the resort photographer. Despite our kids getting a bit tired in the afternoon, Kim was patient, professional, and so creative. He managed to capture beautiful, genuine moments that we will truly treasure.

Our room was spacious, spotless, and thoughtfully designed. We loved the little details—like complimentary water, slippers, and beach towels—which made our stay feel extra comfortable. The view from our balcony was breathtaking, offering a peaceful spot to relax while the kids napped.

The food throughout our stay was delicious and offered enough variety to satisfy both adults and children. Breakfast by the beach was a daily highlight—fresh, flavorful, and served in a serene setting.

Highlights: ✔️ Exceptional service – special thanks to Elisa, Shane, Larry, Jerome, and Kim ✔️ Clean, spacious rooms with thoughtful amenities ✔️ Safe, child-friendly beachfront and relaxing pool area ✔️ Delicious food with a lovely beachside dining atmosphere ✔️ Warm, welcoming, and family-centered environment ✔️ Memorable photos beautifully captured by Kim

We’re so grateful for the genuine hospitality we experienced at Modala. It was the perfect blend of comfort, relaxation, and warmth—ideal for families like ours. We’ll definitely be coming back, and we highly recommend it to anyone looking for a peaceful and heartfelt beach...