Acuaverde Beach Resort — Hotel in San Juan

My dog’s paradise!

I will start my review with saying that this is the best place we been to that truly welcomes dog. With that alone, they get a star for ensuring that my Yoichi will enjoy his stay.

Acuaverde is a good 3.5 drive from Mandaluyong. It is located in Laiya, Batangas and the only resort that I know of that allows pet in that area. I been here twice last August - first was when I hold my strategy planning with my team and the second one was to celebrate my dog’s birthday.

Getting to Acuaverde resort does not give you a good first Impression as you will go through an alley with constructions that are ongoing, kinda feel like you are going to an abandoned building. Parking was also a challenge, their space cannot hold many cars so if you arrived late on a weekend you will end up double parking or maybe asked to park outside.

Checkin process was ok - just be aware that you have the right to say no when they want to store your data into their database. I believe their management was not able to train their staff about data privacy law.

The rooms - first time I was there, we booked Casa Marina 311. I thought the reviews that I read was exaggerated when they said that the room is small - they are right. The room is suffocating for 2 adults plus a pet. Not sure if they designed the space just for dogs. So even if the rate for a bigger room is significantly higher, I asked to be transferred and they gave me Casa Brisa 511 the next day.

I must say that the amenities had seen better days - the beds are really hard and not back friendly. The A/C does not meet the required cooling capacity for rooms 511 and 411 thus they provide you with fan to augment the AC (see some of the photos).

The Internet and wifi connection is horrible - It was a problem for me as we were working when we were there and the sales people did not even bother to give us a heads up that there are no connection. If you are lucky to connect, don’t hope for a speedy internet, it is like a dial up.

Now the food - as part of their room rate, buffet meals are included. Brace yourself to be disappointed: It is a hit or miss, may be depending on their cook’s mood. There are days that beef is ok and really tastes good but most of the time it is like rubber to chew and tasteless. Other food on the menu either overcooked, salty or no flavor at all and some of the vegetables are obviously raw not even half cooked.

The beach area is clean unlike other resorts, Acuaverde got the maintenance right. The water activities are good with reasonable price. There is also a pet play area which my dog really enjoyed.

I wanted to also call out that for the 3 different rooms that I stayed in - there were no bed bugs which made me really happy. There are mosquitoes though but with a repellant you should be ok.

We also availed of their spa service and I must say that their therapists are well trained and professionals. I’d say that it is worth the price as you will leave stress free.

My favorite part is the staffs - Acuaverde got the hiring and training right in terms of hospitality. Kristine and Uno are really patient, courteous and accommodating (mind you I am a difficult customer but these guys made my stay enjoyable). Bentoy who is the Lifeguard by day and housekeeping by night is an epitome of hospitality. So for me, this get them additional stars.

Overall, value for money is ok for dogs but not sure...

We booked here for 3 days and two nights for celebrating our baby's 1st birthday. It was a long drive. took 3 hours from Alabang, and that's without traffic driving with a one year old along... Acuaverde will call you and assist you if ever you'll get lost along the way.. Fortunately we did not..

Upon arriving, the staff was very courteous and considerate to assist us with our stuff.. parking space was huge... welcome drinks are accustomed, (Sampaloc Juice) Very nice.. The frontdesk was very friendly. She explained the details of accomodation promptly and was very hospitable.. the frontdesk villa was amazing. I can sleep there all noon..

The room was okay, we had the casa montana on the 2nd floor. Bed was queen and spring type. sheets are fresh. the AC was working fine. terrace was a plus. TV. is on cignal so reception is good. carrier signal is good too 4G For Smart subs. not sure about globe though.. However, the drain of the shower is clogged. doesnt bother us anyway but that was a less point. toiletries are good.

Here comes the good part, if you book here, all meals are included. for us we had 2 breakfasts, 2 dinners and 2 lunches.. all in buffet style service. Food selection is okay.. I give it 4 stars.. They even noticed that our baby was turning 1 so they made a greeting cake for him during our 1st dinner. :)

You can bring pets here for certain rooms only. and they have pet menu as well.

Beachfront is okay. not that fine grained. though the beach gets deep quite quickly when you swim and current is quite strong.

They have a massage service that I can say is just okay.. can give it a 3/5

Overall, I give it a 4/5, I can recommend Acuaverde for small family of 3 to 4. if you are on a tight budget. but also good with large groups if you can and why not? You have value for money, good ambiance, very accomodating staff, serene, good food, lots of activities, and you leave them with a full stomach too... you won't go hungry here.

Thank you Acuaverde, we'll...

Furparents, if you’re looking for a beach resort to bring your furbabies, Acuaverde is the place to be.

Let me preface this by saying, Acuaverde exceeded my expectations. Beyond what I believed to be a normal Batangas resort given its price (and I have the benchmark since I stayed at the nearby resort three years ago.) Right off the bat, the staff were more than trained in hospitality (than I could ever think of — they have a smile that warmed my heart, starting from Ms. Dyan (picture inserted) holding the dog). While their welcome drinks made me smile despite Mother Nature crying more than she should, the Pet Loyalty Club and Pet Goodies is what surprised me the most. They have playgrounds for pets and every staff was more than hospitable when they are present. The rooms were clean, crisp and smelled divine. (Note that their air conditioning is cold that I ended up cuddling instead of dipping my toes on the beach).

As check in guests, the package includes dinner buffet (which I wasn’t impressed since it didn’t include drinks — but their selection was okay.) But their breakfast buffet is what made me leaving the place with a sweet note. They had pancakes, champorado, guava juice and this infused water that I loved (don’t expect too much on the dessert though.)

For their bar, we ordered Chocolate Shakes, which sadly didn’t have the syrup at that time but still was sumptuous to finish.

Overall, my stay in Acuaverde is worthy of my mouth and will be recommended to all my friends and followers who are looking for pet friendly resorts without sacrificing quality.

I would also like to give the opportunity to thank Ms. Dyan, Ms. April and Sir (I forgot his name, but he helped us with our bags and umbrellas). You should be given applause for your...