Dolphin House

The location is beautiful, and the house reef was amazing. We had an easy swim from the beach and saw a huge turtle. The rooms are dated, but fine. Sadly, the food and service were a big problem. Food elsewhere in the Philippines has generally been really good, but dinner here was so bad that I felt sick at the thought of breakfast. I stuck to a dry bread roll instead of trying more from the kitchen. Nobody asked why we returned dinner uneaten, the only place in the Philippines that didn’t check whether we liked the food. It made me think uneaten meals must be fairly common here. Everywhere else, fruit came in generous fresh slices of watermelon and pineapple. Here it was an unappealing mixed fruit slop that seemed chopped the night before. Coffee came in a giant burko. I asked for espresso, which tasted burnt, and the remake was undrinkable. After that I saw staff clean the machine properly, so it seemed it hadn’t been cleaned after service the night before or before breakfast. I suspect the owner may be part of the issue, and I’ve noticed he replies nastily to poor reviews, so I’m expecting the same. Given the setting, this could be an amazing place, but management needs to change.

The ocean setting is great, with plenty of seating along the break wall, and the pool and lounging areas are nice. The new dinner menu sets are well balanced and put together. There’s also nice artwork around the property, massage tables available plenaire, and a lounge above the bar with a pool table, dart board, lots of seats, and a balcony. Staff never mention that lounge, though, so you have to discover it yourself. This was my second stay at Dolphin House, and I think it’s overpriced for what you get. The deluxe rooms are small, and the bathroom door hits the end table and won’t open fully. The mattress is adequate, but there was just one thin baby blanket for a queen bed. No proper blankets, comforters, or devets were available, so I spent every night fighting for covers. Service was polite but not tip worthy. Breakfast was small, dry, bland, and limited, and the coffee was thick syrup. I had to ask for water at every meal. The fish pond looks like it hasn’t been cleaned in a decade or more.

We didn’t stay at the resort, just stopped in for an early lunch, and enjoyed it a lot. The team were welcoming and friendly, and the food was good. The package lunch offer, with salad, a main dish, and dessert, cost 760 PHP per person as of January 2026.

The tuk tuk ride into town was fun, and being about 15 minutes out meant it was away from the noise. We stayed three nights and had a good time. The place is a bit worn and tired, though that seemed in keeping with this part of the world. The staff were friendly and accommodating. I’d recommend it.