Crown Regency Residences Davao

The clean, comfortable bed linen and the vintage and antique decor were the good parts. Otherwise, the place felt old and neglected. The pool looked cloudy, breakfast was bad, and the gym seemed to be there just for show because it wasn’t open. Reception staff didn’t seem to know much. Our second-floor room was filthy and moldy, with a broken toilet seat. When I opened the window, I saw trash, mud, weeds, and mold about four feet below the sill, where the air conditioner drips. Please look at the video and photos.

The pool was the only good part, and even the lifeguard sign was misleading: nobody was there watching. Young boys screamed in the pool all night, disturbing everyone, while staff never came out to quiet them. The fun park has been closed for months, and I saw no sign of repairs, so it may never reopen. There’s nice decoration around the hotel, and the pool area is beautiful for kids. The zip line and climbing wall were open. Overnight guests pay no corkage, so bringing beer is a good idea. My friend drank all the D'Leonor stock of sm light in one day, and yesterday we emptied the sm light from the teller machine in half an hour. I asked counter staff to restock early, but they refused and said to order room service from the restaurant. There’s a mini fridge in the room, ours had a small freezer compartment, so we bought drinks at the nearby mall and kept them cold overnight. With a vehicle it’s only 10 minutes from Davao airport, and less than 10 minutes to Robinsons, Swiss Deli, and lots of other good restaurants. The hotel is well outside the center, with hardly anything around, so you’ll want a car or scooter for a longer stay. It’s quiet, with no roosters or barking dogs. There are extra KTV capsules for videoke, and modern pop music plays by the pool during the day, loud enough to hear but not too loud to talk over. The restaurant is on the ground floor. The price is fair and the hotel is solid value for money, though it’s not a top five-star hotel and it’s not overpriced like most hotels in Davao and the Philippines generally. The property looks like it must once have been great, but it’s gone unmaintained and is decaying throughout. The website claimed the 50s-style restaurant was open all day and night to guests. In reality it ran only from 8am to 3pm, with a few average, overpriced choices. You’re better off eating elsewhere. There were many problems: no hot water, and the TV didn’t work until staff fiddled with it. After that it had only six channels, all in Tagalog. The AC couldn’t cool the big room, so we slept sweating. The one table was so damaged that water tipped over on it, apparently from people leaning on it or worse. Getting staff to do anything was like pulling teeth. They seemed annoyed to put down their phones to help, and acted unprofessionally with attitude. There was an electrical short that plunged the whole hotel into darkness on New Year’s Eve, which didn’t make it feel reassuring to stay there. It’s sad because their sister companies in Boracay and other places in the Philippines are state of the art. This hotel reminded me of an old horse put out to pasture and forgotten. Nothing seemed to be maintained, including the deteriorating balcony roofs. Plumbing under our sink was held together with duct tape, and mold throughout the CR left a bad taste. There’s a lot of empty space in the room but nowhere to sit, no refrigerator for keeping things cold, and no ice available anywhere. The kitchen advertised as open all day had ice, but wouldn’t let us in after 3pm. There are so many problems with the state of the place. I’d strongly recommend looking elsewhere for lodging, as I’ll do next time I’m in Davao.

The pool and fitness center were both top notch, and I liked how easy it was to get to nearby attractions, shops, and restaurants. My room had a lovely view, and the area around the property felt peaceful. The room was clean, spacious, and had what I needed for a comfortable stay. Staff were welcoming and attentive from arrival, and check-in was easy. I had a wonderful stay at Crown Regency Residences in Davao and would highly recommend it. I’m looking forward to coming back on my next trip.

It’s a practical, convenient place, with plenty of space if you’re staying a while. Nothing fancy, but clean and decent, and it does the job. My stay at Crown Regency Residences was comfortable overall.