Lapu Lapu Cottages and Restaurant

The cottages are nicely designed and spaced far enough apart for privacy. They sit in a pleasant green garden with a pool and singing birds.

The rooms feel very dated, though everything is really clean. The garden and pool are lovely, and the staff are kind and helpful.

There's no hot water in the rooms. Usually that wouldn't bother me in the Philippines, but at 23°C that day, showering was a bit of a challenge. This is a small resort set in nature, right among everyday local life, while still keeping its natural surroundings as a peaceful retreat. It has the essentials for a pleasant stay. One thing to clarify: Booking mentions transfers, but the establishment doesn't provide a transfer service. They can help arrange transport, as is common, but it's not included.

The pool and garden were the best parts of this resort. The pool was clear, fresh, well filtered, and had the right amount of chlorine, though the whirlpool didn't work. The neighborhood is rough but didn't feel dangerous. Shops nearby sell drinks and snacks for less than the resort, and a little farther on there's Gaisano mall, with restaurants and bars, and then Robinsons supermarket. Grab and taxi drivers may struggle to find the place. Google Maps sends some, especially Grab drivers using it, down a very narrow street, and some cancel because of that. We reached the resort at 10 in the evening and the night guard greeted us. Check-in went smoothly. Cottage 3 is large, but that's about all I can praise about it. The layout is awkward: you pass through a small hall with only a screen door between you and anyone peeping in. It didn't bother me, but might not suit someone shy. The flimsy door lock was broken and wasn't fixed into the door. The shower was cold, but not extremely cold, and had strong pressure, which was a plus. The bathroom otherwise looked old and tired. There were dubious plastic drinking cups, no shampoo or dental products, a nearly falling towel rack, and the soap holder was across the room from the shower, leaving the whole bathroom wet. The sink was small, with nowhere to put a toiletry bag. It's outside in the hall, by the screen door, along with a large cabinet and mirror. The room was spacious but sparsely furnished with a closet, big table, bedside table, and bed, all in old dark oak for an eighties look. The mattress and pillows felt flimsy and need replacing, though the sheets and pillowcases were fresh. There's a small TV and clean fridge; the fridge did its job, but don't expect much from the relatively new TV. At first we were thinking of a 3 or 4 star review. Then breakfast changed our minds. An employee and who we thought was the German owner were behind the counter and ignored us. Another employee had to come over to greet us. The owner was smoking in the dining area, seemingly absorbed in his own world and forgetting he'd opened it to guests. Breakfast was okay, not great. We left breakfast on a tap and went into town. When we returned by cab, the fare was 510 pesos, and I only had 1000 bills. The driver had no change. Since this resort is cash only, we went back to ask for smaller bills. Two girls were lying down behind the counter and said they didn't have any. They didn't try to check, even when I said it seemed strange for a cash-only place. I remembered I still had an open tap for 500 pesos and said I'd pay that. One of them reluctantly got up and gave me change for 1000 pesos after all. With the coins left over, we paid the deer man with some extra. Apart from the kitchen girl and night guard, the staff were rude, uninterested, lazy, and had no manners, much like the owner. At checkout nobody saw us off or even said goodbye. In my three trips to the Philippines, I'd never encountered staff this rude and uninterested.