Batanes Seaside Lodge

A peaceful, relaxing place with an amazing ocean view. Great for the price. I’ll definitely be back!

We were here in February 2016 as part of a package tour. The staff were friendly and accommodating, and the room was spacious, very clean, and well maintained. The location is convenient near the airport, and from behind the hotel you can see the Port of Basco and Basco Lighthouse on Naidi Hills. They had a fairly new Toyota Hi-ace Grandia for airport pick-ups and tours. We had breakfast and dinner at the hotel, but the food choices were very limited and the quality was so-so. The bathroom felt outdated, was sometimes smelly, and definitely needs an upgrade. Water pressure was below normal. Wi-Fi was available, but the signal in our room was weak, so we had to go to the lobby for a better connection.

The restaurant food was pretty decent, fresh, and well priced. Motorcycle rentals and tours are available, with local suppliers on call if you need two wheels. In my opinion, a motorcycle is the best way to get around. Bring a jacket or thicker clothes if you’re not used to chilly weather. It can get really cold from November to February. Credit cards are useless here, so bring cash in small denominations. The staff were very accommodating. Rooms are spacious and seem suited to groups of five or six, with a 32-inch LED TV and a refrigerator. Hot and cold water dispensers are in the lounge areas. Wi-Fi was available, though a bit unreliable at times. That was still useful because there was no mobile data on the major Philippine networks, and EDGE was the best signal you’d get. The blankets were thin, which could be uncomfortable when it got especially nippy. Hot showers were available, but the water shut off at midnight and came back in the morning. There were no brownouts as of 2014. Basco’s electrical grid had been upgraded in the last quarter of 2013 to handle more load.

The room was large, and the food was okay but could use a little improvement. The stay was below average, though. Our first basement room had an air conditioner that wasn’t cooling and needed cleaning. At reception, they said there were no other rooms except another basement room, even though we saw someone leave a ground-floor room. The other room smelled as if it hadn’t been used for a while, and the water was contaminated with algae. There was no hot shower, the water pressure was poor, and there was a big spider in the room. The TV was about 18-21 inches.