Coron Underwater Garden Resort

Do not stay here. I've visited Philippines 25 times over the past 20 years and stayed in dozens of hotels around the country, and this was my worst experience for expectations versus reality. I've had bad hotels when I expected them to be bad, and great ones when I expected that too. This place looked like it would be excellent, but turned out very crummy. I have a medical condition that makes staying on an island without quick access to emergency medical care a bad idea. The website said the front desk was staffed 24 hours, but it wasn't. It also said Visa was accepted, but it wasn't, so I would have brought more cash if I'd known. Wi-Fi was advertised throughout the property, but in our room it was very slow or nonexistent and kept disconnecting. They also claimed to have cable TV, but there was none. The website showed a wide food selection; what we got was a basic one-page menu, and some items on it weren't available. The dining area was extremely hot despite having three AC units. When I asked, staff said they didn't work, though one turned out to work after I mentioned it at the front desk. The dining staff were either lazy or lying to me. The room sink drained so slowly that even a little water started filling it up. There were no phones in the rooms, so ordering the advertised room service meant walking to the restaurant. They describe airport transportation as an “amenity,” but charged us 4000 pesos for it. The website photos show everything pristine, but the property we saw was in disrepair. The dining area photo seemed altered, perhaps with Photoshop, showing colors and decorations that aren't there now and probably never were. There were other mismatches between the website and reality, too. At best, this is gross negligence; at worst, deliberate deception. Staff seemed completely uninterested in helping or explaining things. I've traveled in Philippines many times and know customer service may not match US standards, but this was a whole new low. Do not stay here.

The food was great, and the place felt peaceful, especially if you're traveling as a couple or want a romantic stay. The room wasn't ready when we arrived and had an unpleasant smell, but they brought a dehumidifier. We were also welcomed with pineapple juice, though it wasn't very cold. The Starlink Wi-Fi worked for casual use, but don't expect fast downloads or uploads. Please take care of your dogs, especially the brown one, who is so skinny. The boat ride to the port takes about 15 minutes, maybe less depending on sea conditions. It felt like the place might be getting upgrades. If you're coming to Coron for town life, tours, and nightlife, research carefully and stay nearer the town center. If the hotel ever fully develops the land, it could make for an amazing adventure with more activities in the future. I only saw the satellite view of the land.

Getting to and from the city by boat was really relaxing, and the staff even arranged an early boat at 5am so we could catch the ferry leaving at 730am. Christian and Dexter were so friendly and helpful. Even after the kitchen had closed, they went out of their way to make us some food. A great place to get away from the city. Thank you, I'll recommend it in the future.

If you want a quiet vacation, this resort is a good fit. The attendants are wonderful, the restaurant food is good, and the rooms and facilities are generally clean and working. There are clear-water pools if you’d rather not swim in the sea. The concern is emergencies: being on a small island makes safety a serious issue. There’s a motorized outrigger to the mainland, but personally I wouldn't take that risk in bad weather.