Banig Beach Resort El Nido

It’s a cute little place with a beautiful room, right on the beach, plus a small but nice pool and friendly staff. But our room smelled strongly of sewage, and the food was really bad for the price. Some dishes were inedible and breakfast was poor. If those problems were fixed, I’d recommend it. As it is, I can’t.

The overall service was lacking. We asked if they could call a taxi or tuk-tuk and got an immediate no, followed by a suggestion to walk along the road and find one ourselves. That was very different from our other stays, where people were very friendly and often offered help without being asked. We booked through Booking.com and stayed two nights. The lovely photos and location were about the only positives. The entrance looked like a back door and we’d never have found it without our taxi driver. We then helped other guests who were lost and couldn’t find a sign, so tried coming in via the beachfront. On arrival we ordered G&Ts, but the drinks had a strange colour and taste, and the tonic didn’t seem right. When we asked what tonic they used, the staff seemed panicked and said they’d thrown the container away, somewhere away from the bar, so we couldn’t check it. They had no more in stock but offered to buy some. We returned the drinks. Beer was on the menu, but they didn’t have that either and again offered to go buy it. In the end we gave up and took a minibar drink outside. Breakfast was wildly disappointing. The rooms weren’t soundproof, despite what was claimed online. Since tap water isn’t drinkable, we expected drinking water or water for brushing our teeth, as at other hotels. They gave us one bottle for the whole stay and we had to buy the rest. Our sea-view room did technically offer a view, but it was so distant and limited that calling it a sea view seemed bold. The restaurant has a gorgeous oceanfront view, but the rooms don’t.

The room looked nice in the pictures, but the raw sewage smell was so strong it made me gag. It absolutely stinks. After our one-night stay, I felt embarrassed and disrespected when they said they needed to inspect the room for damage and extra charges. They made us wait at the desk like criminals while staff went to try to pin charges on us. Don’t book a hotel transfer to the airport. They charge 1,500 pesos for a 20-minute drive in a small car.

The facilities were really good, and the staff made the stay especially nice. Everyone was incredibly kind, welcoming, polite, and ready to help with whatever we needed. The entrance felt a bit strange and unexpected, though I guess they're improving it.