Neela Tourist Lodge

It’s easy to get around from here, with tricycles to El Nido and motorcycle rental and laundry nearby. There are places to eat just 30 meters away in either direction, and a little route down to the beach starts right by the hotel. The price is good, breakfast has three options, and there’s a table and two chairs outside the room where you can eat. The room has air conditioning and a ceiling fan, and the bathroom and toilet were okay. If I come back, this is where I’ll look for a room first.

I can’t recommend this place. The rooms are cramped, with barely space to walk, and the AC didn’t cool ours. The locks were rusty and didn’t work properly, which left our security and privacy seriously compromised. The geysers weren’t working, and management didn’t seem to care about fixing them or answering complaints. Breakfast choices were limited and the food didn’t taste good.

The staff were the best part. They were great hosts and helped us arrange excursions and a bike rental. Noel was especially chatty and knowledgeable. Breakfast was decent and included, and the shower worked fine, though the bathroom could use attention. We stayed four nights; the room was minimalist, the bed was small but comfortable enough, and the air conditioning was very loud. It’s a very basic hotel, but in El Nido you get what you pay for.

We checked out a day early because we couldn’t stand staying there, and our request for a refund for the final night was denied. The room was awful, with a broken toilet seat and mold in the shower. It felt neglected and clearly wasn’t getting proper maintenance. I know a place can be simple, but that doesn’t mean it should feel miserable. The staff weren’t friendly or helpful either. Maybe it works if you’re backpacking on almost no money, but at ₱2,000–₱2,500, the standard we’ve found in other parts of Southeast Asia and the Philippines, this wasn’t decent.