Goichi Resort

Lipit Beach was the best part for us. The soft, fine black sand was lovely underfoot, there weren’t many people, and we enjoyed walking along the long stretch of shore. People were swimming, and the waves were lower than I expected. Since the beach faces east, there was sunshine, though it was already scorching by 7 a.m. We went for Mother’s Day weekend after seeing inviting photos on the website. It described the place as “exclusive” and said outside food and alcohol weren’t allowed because there was a restaurant and bar onsite. We brought only grilling food, but at check-in they asked whether we’d been told during booking that the restaurant and bar were closed and no food was available. We hadn’t. The front desk suggested a carinderia and Orderun. There are four villas, three cottages, two ground pools, and an infinity pool on the restaurant rooftop, with a bar below it. We stayed in Villa #4, closest to the beach, and appreciated the view early the next morning. The beds were comfortable and the wifi was acceptable. The TV didn’t work at first, but staff tried to fix it and then brought a working replacement. The toilet and bath are separate. The toilet space was tight for me, at just over five feet tall, especially with the accordion door closed. Taller people may need to leave it open, though I can’t say if every villa is the same. The toilet had dried urine stains despite the room being checked before we got the key. I could clean and disinfect it, so it wasn’t a deal-breaker, but I’d never encountered that before. They provided dental kits, soap, shampoo, a kettle, mugs, glasses, and two drying racks. The air conditioner didn’t cool the room enough, perhaps because there were sizeable gaps above and below the door. They had put a fan in the room. There were also two chairs in the sitting area outside each villa. Only one of the two ground pools was filled. At first we thought it was because we were the only guests, but later a group took three of the four villas, so the one small pool seemed inadequate. We used the rooftop infinity pool, which felt suited to about six or seven people at most. The sea view was nice, but there was a lot of sand in the pool and the filter was off. It wasn’t exactly dirty, yet with different groups using it, the filter should have been running. Twice I noticed nasty green stuff on my hand or arm. We stayed about an hour and didn’t use any of the pools again. Staff responded online before and after the deposit, and were otherwise okay, but they failed to tell me the restaurant was closed and that we could bring food. The website photos are outdated, and the resort looked like it needed maintenance. I had expected more. They should update the site to say outside food is allowed and remove the prohibition. After checkout I asked for an Official Receipt. They asked if I needed one, then said it would take time to prepare, so I left without an OR.

The staff at Goichi resort were polite and helpful, and the place surpassed what we expected. The sea wasn’t suitable for swimming, though, because of the waves.

There was a “for sale” sign up, and the business was closed.

Nice place.