Manami Resort — Hotel in Sipalay

My honest review of The Manami Resort OVERALL RATING: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We definitely enjoyed! The experience made our 5th anniversary memorable 💖 5/5 MEALS This is basically the highlight of our stay here in Manami. They had the best meals served all throughout our 6 day stay. We have been to several resorts and hotels, but Manami has THE BEST food among all! There were still some meals that I wanted to try like the Binakol. But due to the bad weather, it wasnt made available at all (main ingredient was coconut which was hard to get that time). Not to forget, desserts were all so great too!! 5/5 AMBIANCE The resort’s exterior and interiors are amazing and picturesque. The vibe feels like we’re in another country. 4.5/5 SERVICE Overall service was exemplary. The staff were all friendly and accommodating. The simple details that they did (especially for our anniv) was way and beyond. Some point less goes to the fact that they dont always put toiletries after every room service - you’d have to request if you really need it. But they will give it naman. It’s just that I think that should already be mandatory. 4/5 PRICE Manami is the first and only luxury nature resort in Sipalay Negros Occidental so price-wise, it’s not expected to be affordable. BUT prices of accommodation and meals are reasonable for what it has to offer ☺️ 3.5/5 IN-LOCATION FACILITIES They dont have much compared to other resorts. They just have one restaurant (which is the best and we love!) while other resorts may have several. They have 2 sets of pool inside the resort. Then the only special facility that they have there is a spa/massage area which was really aesthetic. But yeah that’s it 😅 And given that the resort is secluded and far from other places, there is really nothing else to do here 🤭. They do have an in-house cave that they turned into an attraction. But again, due to the bad weather, we weren’t able to visit too. 3/5 LOCATION The resort is still very far from Bacolod city where we landed. From the Bacolod airport, it will take about 3 to 4 hour car ride to arrive at Manami. Well, for us, it only took around 2.5 hours coz our driver was a racer 😅 I booked this outside the resort coz it was cheaper and it was recommended by my bestfriend. Also, if I book the transfer via the resort, they dont allow side trips which I needed coz I wanted to go to some areas to in Bacolod city. The road was paved and smooth (better than some parts in Metro Manila) so the travel was not bad. But it was really draining and since age is a factor 🤭, Mike and I were not a fan. I guess if I travelled here during my prime it would have been better since I was also used to traversing towns and cities in Luzon. 3/5 BEACH and MARINE LIFE (a bit biased due to unfavorable weather conditions) The beach itself is a bit small. The frontage was probably just around 100m long (I assume). So we didn’t really enjoy this as much. It’s just sad coz we travelled all the way here to appreciate the beach. Also, when you enter the waters, it’s a bit rocky and there were A LOT of seaweeds. There was also not much marine life present, probably because it was typhoon season when we came. So the sea creatures were all hiding. So sayang! We weren’t able to maximize beach and sea life. But I think on other days, it could have been better. So for this criteria, maybe this is just for our experience during this trip. Would definitely still try it next time coz there are other islands that we could have gone to but was not allowed due to bad weather condition. So there! The resort is highly recommended and we really had fun and it was so relaxing! They also offer helicopter service for those who do not want to travel for a...

This review has been posted on Booking.com where our much needed Christmas break was booked with the hope that pricey Manami Resort management would care to apologise or at least reply but after 10 weeks, neither has come. ||Only less than 2 years in operation and belonging to a 5-star luxury hotel brand, the resort looked new, beautiful and comfortable. The beach and ocean views were stunning and relaxing. Housekeeping staff Eric, Vince and Anthony and Restaurant waiter Rocky took care of us. The resort welcome and farewell gifts were both appreciated.||Stinky, dirty LOBBY TOILET|My husband and I arrived early evening after a 6-hour rough drive from Bacolod Airport with a short lunch stop along the way. Our actual experience is contrary to the resort website's claim that the drive to the location is only 3-4 hours from Bacolod. It doesn't help the customer when the resort publishes misleading information like driving distances. The first thing we did upon arrival was to use the lobby toilet before checking in. Urine-stink and overflowing rubbish bin in the common toilet (men & women) was the unexpected welcome. I alerted Front Desk immediately but no apologies were given. Strangely, there was no mirror in that toilet.||No PRODUCT / PRICELIST in the room except sunscreen products|We were checked into a beautifully furnished guestroom overlooking the ocean but couldn't find printed nor soft copy of product/pricelist of minibar, spa services, nor restaurant menu in the room. Housekeeping advised to contact Front Desk for anything we needed. The same instruction was printed in a small card next to coffee/tea making facility for extra teabags and milk. But there was a pricelist for sunscreen products.||Construction NOISE at daytime, SNORING at night|There were 2-villa construction a few metres up our room and the physical noise disturbed. No warning nor written apology from Management. Between 2-3 am, a loud snoring noise was heard from the 2-lounge chair area back of our room (most likely from the roving security). The shower/toilet windows were only screened (not soundproofed) and external noise was absorbed in the room.||FOOD & BEVERAGE products and services|Our first breakfast BUFFET was half empty at 8.45 am with published closing time at 10am. (See photos below). We were 2 guests and a few more came after us and there was only 1 juice glass available at an almost empty juice stand. Succeeding breakfasts were heavy with steamed plain rice, more fried rice, rice chicken soup, chicken curry, adobo, noodles, fried beef tapa, steamed okra, sliced white bread... a balance of international breakfast selections would have been preferred.||There was a strand of HAIR in the breakfast bread pudding. When I personally reported it to the Resort Manager, the case didn't feel important to him and no proper feedback was received.||On our last evening at the resort, dinner was a serious disaster. The 1-piece seabass fish with chips dinner ordered was smelly and stale. The waitress came and said, the supervisor will come to handle it. The stale dish was taken away and nothing more was done. ||Our much needed 4-day Christmas quiet break at the resort was ruined from start to finish and would neither return nor...

From the moment we arrived at the resort to our last day, we noticed that the service had a slow pace. Upon entry, there was a pungent odor that welcome you.||||There was a distinct lack of luxury from the time we entered the gate. When I asked why they were not serving a breakfast buffet, I was told it was because it was not peak season. However, the arrangement and contract letter sent after payment stated that they would provide a buffet. Instead, they offered a list of food items for us to order from. A buffet is a buffet, and a contract is a contract—there is no such thing as a plated buffet. ||||I elevated this issue to the General Manager, Jiro, and I will never forget his sarcastic reply. He was very boastful in dealing with our concern and came across as quite arrogant. When I inquired about the lack of a buffet, he answered in a loud and sarcastic tone, “What else do you want?!!” ,”Ano pa Ang Kulang?!!”. This response felt very insulting. He never showed any concern for us as guests; he should have at least apologized for the resort's shortcomings. Instead, he made us feel uncomfortable during our stay. It’s amusing how they call this a luxury resort—really?||||Moreover, the lack of signal coverage was alarming; there was zero connectivity, and I was unable to make calls. There is TOTALLY NO SIGNAL. And YET YOU STAY WITH THIS KIND OF PEOPLE? The staff's attitude was unaccommodating, which added to my unease about returning to this place. The area is secluded, making it feel even scarier. THIS PLACE IS SCARY. BAD EXPERIENCE!||||The area is secluded. And going in the resort is quite challenging. The road is not good.||||The beach area where you can swim is not ideal for swimming. There are so many grass. It is not clean. During our stay, I have never seen anyone actually swim at the beach. THE SAND AREA IS JUST SO SMALL. You will never experienced, “Walk at the beach” moment.||||We also experienced frequent blackouts and electrical issues during our stay. Overall, the resort did not provide value for money. It definitely did not meet the expectations of a luxury hotel and ultimately failed in that regard.||||Lastly, there is no gym available, and their services were...