Balay Paragua

The room was a bad experience. We’d booked a mountain view room but were put on the ground floor. The bathroom was so tiny I could barely move, water leaked down from upstairs, and cockroaches were crawling around. There was no usable Wi-Fi and the cell signal in the room was poor. Breakfast was below average. If you can spare a few pesos, stay somewhere else.

Balay Paragua is simple and neither fancy nor luxurious, but it was clean, friendly, and convenient, just as promised. It’s a good fit if you want a budget stay that doesn’t feel dirty or neglected, don’t need high-end design, and want to be close to everything.

The location was the best part, really close to both the town centre and the beach. The woman who runs the place was so sweet and helped arrange transfers. Each morning she served a basic breakfast of egg, toast, and jam, which was welcome, and she kept the shared areas clean. Free filtered water was great, too. My room was small but clean and comfortable, fine for me as a solo traveller for a few days, though two people might find it cramped. The bathroom was the roughest part, a little run down, with the shower over the toilet. Still, it was okay for a short stay and there was hot water. The air conditioning worked well.

The staff were generally kind, and they let us keep the room for an extra hour after checkout because our van wasn’t coming until 1pm. The location is handy, a couple of minutes from central El Nido, and the rooms are alright. But the place felt much too expensive for what it offers. Our room and bathroom were small, and the shower water gave off a horrible smell for the first few minutes each time. Decent enough for a few nights, but I can hardly recommend it at that price.