North Zen Villas — Hotel in Panglao

Not "Zen" at All

The dictionary defines "Zen" as peaceful and calm, but after staying here, I had to question whether I misunderstood the meaning. The name must be ironic, as the experience was anything but Zen. Over 100 tourists were roaming around, shouting and screaming until 10 PM – an atmosphere far from tranquil.

First Impressions: A Beautiful Facade, But… Upon arrival, the entrance was undeniably beautiful and initially gave us hope. However, the tiny lobby, overcrowded with suitcases from day pass holders, immediately killed the vibe. It took us 20 minutes to even notice that the hotel has a puppy – another "Zen" detail lost amidst the chaos.

To make matters worse, the lobby feels more like a ticket booth than a proper hotel reception. And that’s essentially what it is – catering more to day pass holders than actual hotel guests.

Check-in was a nightmare. Both times we checked in (at 2 and again at 3), we were made to wait as staff prioritized day pass holders over paying hotel guests. On one occasion, a tour guide even pushed ahead of us, and the staff served her despite the fact we had been waiting for about 10 minutes. Ahh so "zen."

The "welcome drink" was equally unimpressive – premixed juice served from a beaker, with a fly floating in my wife's glass. I tried to stay calm and avoid complaining, but this promise didn’t last long. An hour later, the same tour guide cut in line again, and the receptionist stopped assisting me to help her instead. I then broke my promise to my wife. A great "zen" experience.

Our experience at the restaurant was no better. We waited 10 minutes just for a menu, only to be ignored while trying to place our order. Meanwhile, day pass holders were served immediately. The mandatory paper wristbands – different colors for hotel guests and day pass holders – made it obvious who the staff prioritized. Frustrated, we left and went to a nearby restaurant, in the Bellevue hotel, where the waiter even commented, "We get a lot of guests from North Zen who come here for a break." The food was exceptional, and so was the service. It was also cheaper than at North Zen. Breakfast also arrives late.

We chose this hotel for its advertised sunset viewpoint and mangrove walk, but these were incredibly disappointing. The mangrove area was overcrowded with over 100 people packed into a 15x15m space, all jostling to take photos. There are numerous signs asking for quiet, but alas, this was not to be found. I had asked upon reservation to book a table for sunset, and was told to ask when I checked in. At check-in, I was told it was first-come, first-served and that we should arrive by 4:30 PM to try and get a table. This stay is so "zen".

Far from being a relaxing retreat, this place feels more like a public pool with rooms. Screaming children and shouting day pass holders are the norm until at least 9 PM, making it impossible to unwind in your room. The hotel offers no priority access or quiet spaces for paying guests.

Security Concerns Adding to the stress, day pass holders have unrestricted access to room areas. Windows face both the front and back, and I felt uneasy throughout our stay. At one point, I had to ask a day pass holder to move away from our door, as they had chosen it as a spot to smoke. The view from our bedroom is to a hammock, where people also like to smoke. This meant that we had to have all blinds and curtains closed throughout the stay, negating the entire purpose of staying in a nature-based "hotel".

Final Verdict: Avoid Staying Here To summarize, this "hotel" has two selling points – the sunset bar and quiet, tranquile grounds – but fails to deliver on both. Hotel guests are sidelined in favour of day pass holders, and the result is a noisy, overcrowded, and stressful experience.

Nearly all positive reviews are from pass holders, while those from guests are mainly negative. The day pass is almost free, 400 pesos with 400 pesos to spend at the bar. Hotel guests get one free drink for their stay. Clearly, the priority is on getting lots of...

This is a tough review to write because my girlfriend and I had such a mixed experience at North Zen Villas.

Let's start with the good: Our pool villa was secluded and superb. Spacious bathroom, fantastic private pool, AC worked amazing. It offered us a quiet escape from the busy streets outside.

The staff was, for the most part, kind, responsive, and welcoming. Trainee Joshua especially!

The presentation of the food was wonderful.

OMG the bed was one of - if not THE - most comfortable beds I have ever slept in and they offer a pillow menu so you can select one of a variety of pillows to sleep on!

Okay, now the bad (keep in mind some of this is super nitpicky): My preferred pillow wasn't available.

Despite their efforts with presentation, the food straight-up was not good. We couldn't find a dish that worked. I do want to preface this by saying the restaurant is seafood-focused and we prefer to avoid farmed seafood, so we didn't avail of a lot of the seafood options. The dishes we did try were supremely subpar, so much so that we cancelled our romantic dinner as we didn't think it would have been a good value.

The shower couldn't get hot enough.

The massage was mediocre at best, especially when Zennya is available in Manila for 2/3rds the price and 4x the quality. I know it's a bad massage when I spend the last ten minutes waiting for it to end instead of wanting more.

Despite our villa being secluded and mostly peaceful, the noise pollution was extremely frustrating. Saturday morning there was loud music blasting at 6 am. All day Sunday there was construction on the bancas outside our villa. Late at night, the security dogs barked continuously. I'm aware this is mostllllly out of the resort's control, but I would have liked to at least see an effort to create the Zen that is advertised.

And finally, the ugly: What are these stains on my massage bed (see picture)? Is this blood? Also see the photos of stains on our fresh sheets.

Lastly, the reason why I'm writing this review. My girlfriend has low blood sugar, and habitually brings snack bars with her wherever we travel. They're a great emergency snack when she feels off. So imagine our surprise when we returned to our room to find all six bars blatantly missing from the dresser counter. Not one or two, all six, which were specifically rationed for the rest of the trip. While the resort does provide an in-room safe, we didn't think we needed to put our fig bars in it...?

While it seems something so small, we subsequently felt apprehensive about leaving the room, lest more items get stolen. We hate to use that word, but -Occam's razor and all - that is simply the best explanation for what could have occurred. When we inquired, housekeeping denied culpability. While the front desk did attempt to offer us a free meal we declined because, as mentioned, the food was disappointing. This whole experience really ruined the "Zen" feel, my partner and I felt taken advantage of.

So, given that last point, it negates literally everything else here. It sucks because otherwise we would be giving this stay four stars, but I have to give it one for visibility, to warn others to store more than just your passports...

I recently tried the Sunset Day Pass at this resort, and I must say, it was a truly peaceful experience. Upon arrival, I noticed that the property has a villa-type accommodation setup with a lush greenery oasis vibe that instantly put me at ease. The entrance has a very peaceful atmosphere, with a zen-like feel that sets the tone for the entire stay.

One of the standout features is the bamboo pathway leading to the stunning sunset viewing deck. It's an incredible walk where you can really appreciate the other side of Panglao, listening to the soothing sounds of nature as you go. The vibe on the viewing deck is unique and offers a different perspective of Panglao that you can’t find elsewhere.

The day pass was 380 pesos, with 200 pesos being consumable, which I thought was a fair deal considering the experience. The deck’s view is breathtaking, and it's definitely a perfect spot to relax and watch the sunset. If you're a fan of cocktails, I highly recommend trying their Buy 1 Take 1 cocktail offer—it’s a great deal!

While the overall experience was wonderful, there is one downside. I noticed that during my visit, even though I arrived early and secured a prime spot, many guests kept arriving, and the deck became overcrowded. This affected the relaxed atmosphere, as the peaceful vibe started to diminish with so many people standing around. My suggestion would be for the resort to better manage the seating capacity of the viewing deck, especially during sunset, to ensure that everyone can truly enjoy the moment.

That said, I still highly recommend this resort for a laid-back, scenic day pass. However, if you're planning to bring senior guests, be mindful that the bamboo boardwalk is quite long and may not be the easiest to navigate for those with...