Punta Baler Hotel

We’ve made this one of our regular stays while traveling around Luzon and parts of Mindanao. In the last six years, we’ve spent four Valentine’s Days here. I feel like family when I’m here, and the staff are great. The view and customer service make up for some upkeep issues. Treat the staff well and they’ll return the favor. You get what you pay for with the food and service. The pool is decent but needs more attention, especially after rain, and the balcony doors are a pain to open and close. Their sliding wheels and locks look like they haven’t been maintained in years. Parking is limited, too. For a beach property, the maintenance could be better. The restaurant seems to be managed separately from the hotel. Room service is good, but you can’t charge it to your room. There’s no service fee, which is nice, and the staff work hard carrying things up the stairs since there’s no elevator, so tip them well. Lunch and dinner are great. Breakfast could use better pancake syrup, actual jelly instead of fruit pie filling, and some canned Del Monte juice. That would improve the continental breakfast and pancakes. It might also make up for the Nescafe stick coffee and Milo hot chocolate. This is the Philippines, so I wonder why there’s no batirol.

The Pacific Ocean view is beautiful, with Ermita Hill in the distance. The staff at the hotel and restaurant are friendly and ready to help. There’s a good range of tasty food, and portions are generous, often enough for two or three. Prices feel affordable for the servings. It’s a lovely spot for breakfast, lunch, or dinner with family, friends, or colleagues. Highly recommended.

The place is beautiful and the food is really good. Service was okay, but they add surcharges for everything. The employees couldn’t explain why and didn’t seem to know that credit card payment surcharges are illegal. DTI should take a look.

The Junior Suite had a nice ocean-facing view, with a clear look at the breaks and the infinity pool. The rest of my stay felt lacking for the price, especially the service. The hot shower wasn’t working, the room phone didn’t work either, so I had to go three floors down to find help, and there was no WiFi. Parking was also quite far away. I wouldn’t call it very surfer-friendly. There’s nowhere to rinse off after surfing, so you’d have to walk through the lobby or restaurant wet, which feels awkward. It’s also a tough choice for seniors, since I saw a couple struggling on the stairs, there are no ground-floor rooms or elevators, and it isn’t accessible for people with disabilities. If you’re surfing in Baler and want a higher-end place, I’d still suggest Costa Pacifica.