Playa Azul Baler

I took a chance on the hotel for my second visit to Baler, this time staying by Sabang Beach. I remembered the road along the beach and the hotel from before, and it worked out well. The room was cozy, the staff were helpful, and getting to the beach was easy.

The rooms and amenities were clean and good, but the service left us frustrated. For my birthday, my boyfriend had planned a surprise that I didn’t know about, and the way things were handled really spoiled it. We asked to add a standard room for three people at check-in. They said the only available option besides our booking was a superior room. It seemed odd since the hotel didn’t look busy, and it was rainy season with a typhoon coming, but we let it go rather than argue. We’d brought food from outside and had already told them that afternoon we were willing to pay corkage. At dinner, they said we also had to order at least three main dishes from their menu, which hadn’t been mentioned earlier. We already had plenty of food and couldn’t order more, so it felt unfair and we went to another restaurant. I usually let these things slide, but this one didn’t sit right with me.

The facilities are nice and comfortable, but the staff made us feel unwelcome by the end. We had to rush our kids and carry our own luggage because nobody came to help. The staff seemed untrained and couldn’t sort out a small misunderstanding calmly. A construction project along the beach was building a walkway, so you had to go farther to see the beach. We arrived late, around 9 pm, and the front desk person was helpful then. In the morning, though, the front desk staff were singing videoke instead of being in the office, so there was no one to ask questions. We had a late breakfast with the kids and weren’t sure whether to stay longer. It wasn’t surf season, and with the beach area under construction, we went out around 10:30 to see if the kids could find a surf school. The sea was very calm, so we decided to leave. When we came back at exactly 1:59 to check out, the employees were chatting together. I told one of them we were leaving, and she rudely said I’d be charged for overstaying. I showed her my phone: it was 1:59, and I only needed two minutes to get our things. I asked why there’d be another charge if I checked out at 2:00. Her expression made me angry, and she was chewing gum while talking. I reminded her we’d checked in very late and asked if she could allow a few minutes. She eventually agreed, but the stress had already happened.

We spent five days here and enjoyed the stay. There’s a king bed, AC, a good shower, and breakfast is included. Kristal and the other staff were friendly. Food nearby is cheap, and you can flag down a tricycle for a ride. WiFi got a bit choppy during the rain, which seemed usual for Aurora. Ask if you need anything.