La Vida Hostel — Hotel in Samal

I am a hotel guy, hands down but when I found out that I could get my own room, I took a chance and went for it and I am SUPER HAPPY that I did. I normally stay at beach front resorts until a high maintenance friend suggested I give this hostel a shot. In my head, if my diva friend enjoyed this facility, then I could enjoy it too 😆. The place is NOT a beach front resort so you need to know that if you are only a beach front person. If you don’t have a car, there are “tricycles” that can you to the beach front for a super low cost. Drivers and locals are mega friendly and trustworthy. There’s a dog here named Yukie who’d even come with you if you like ❤️❤️. Anyway, the hostel is pretty rad. My room had air conditioning, a very comfortable bed and hot shower. NO television & wifi because the hostel encourages you to disconnect. If you want wifi, like me right now as I’m making this very review, you’d need to walk to the common area where you can eat your self service breakfast. They served me corn coffee which is pretty awesome. Then a continental breakfast as well. This common area has a television too so if you want to watch the news, you go right ahead. When I woke up this morning, there were many exotic birds chirping their little hearts away. So freaking cute. I checked out all the rooms so I can give my friends an accurate description. There are rooms with 4 single beds. Rooms with bunk beds with their own reading lights and 2 bathrooms in each shared rooms. The deluxe room is pretty awesome too. The art works are beautiful. Although the place advertises itself as a hostel, I am able to say that it’s a hybrid of a hotel and a hostel. I’ve seen hostels in Vancouver that made me want to barf. This hostel has gotten me SUPER IMPRESSED. Really clean. Really well maintained. Staff is awesome and initiative. I am very very impressed and I plan to bring my family and friends the next time...

We fell in love with this beautiful place and its owners' warm accommodation. 💚

We stayed in the family room, it's spacious and spick and span. I forgot to take photos because I was too busy taking in the relaxing surroundings. But the room is way way way better than mid-range hotel accommodation in the island and even in Davao City.

They served us waffle and jam and native coffee for breakfast. If you want heavy meals, you can bring your own food to cook. Their shared kitchen is spotless yet complete with all things you need to cook and eat a nice homey meal. There's a spot in the garden that's perfect for grilling liempo and tuna. There's a gazebo and a cottage too, yet there's still plenty of space to breathe fresh air!

It's a few minutes' walk from the beach (note: this is not a beachfront property) but also a few minutes' ride to other popular beaches in the island.

Since we were driving a private vehicle, we had a minor issue locating the area at night. The navigation assistant in Google Maps is accurate so it helped us on our second try. Network signal is mostly good if you're coming from the ferry terminal but a bit poor when coming back from the southern part of the island, so best to remember landmarks as a back-up. It's easy to spot though during daytime. If you rent a car/van/motor, they would already know the area so directions shouldn't be an issue. Network signal at La Vida itself is great.

La Vida is ideal for relaxation. If basking in complete peace and serenity is not your type, bring some gameboards or cards with you for entertainment.

P.S. To the people who put one-star reviews and said this is a scam, no it's not. Do your research ahead and plan your time and activities so you won't...

A Small Hostel With A Big Heart I posted many positve reviews on some of our travels and experiences with different hotels, food, places, and experiences but I seldom write a review about hostels and traveller’s inn but this one is worth my 10 minutes time to write about. La Vida Hostel located in the beautiful Island Garden City of Samal is the place to be when you’re traveling on a budget but wants a homey and personalized service. The place offers a relaxing alternative for travellers because evrything in this place is about passion. The rooms are not 5 star if you’re looking for luxury but it’s very clean and well mentained. The toilet is decent and dry with hot shower which is very essential after a tiring day.

I say personalized service because you’re assured of a curteous and excellent service from the owner himself. He prepares the food himself for the guests and double that with a great conversation that will surely brighten up your day. Quite a character because he does all this things because of his passion to serve which some hostels are lacking nowadays. If you love art, you’re in for a treat for sure at the lobby where you can appreciate different artworks and paintings because the owner himself is an artist. We stayed here for 3 nights for a business trip and this hostel is assured of a repeat in our books.

My wife and I recommend this place because it has a big heart to serve. Very friendly, very accommodating and above all very helpful to our needs. Oh I almost forgot...I love the omelet!

#LaVidaHostel #IslandGardenCityofSamal...