The Oriental Leyte

The Tropics is such a nice place, and the food is awesome, sarap! It's classy but understated, with a peaceful, beautiful setting. The whole place feels comfortable and luxurious without one feature demanding your attention. The staff are around, happy to help, professional, and attentive in just the right amount. It's hard to explain, you need to be here. We'd always gone to the best 5 star hotels when traveling from the US to Eastern Samar, usually spending a couple of days or a week being spoiled in Manila, with its big hotels and big reputation. Tacloban hadn't impressed us before, so we'd rush from the airport to the highway, over the bridge, and on to Samar without stopping. This time we stayed at a 5star hotel in Manila, then had an unexpected 1-2 day delay in Tacloban. Someone we do business with suggested The Tropics, and the other places hadn't looked promising, so we gave it a try. Wow, good call. It's Asian modern with Filipino flair. At places like Hyatt Grand BGC, Conrad, NOBU city of dreams, or FILI in Cebu, the 5 star features catch your eye. Paying top dollar, I want a water feature, marble, or an infinity pool. Here, it's not so expensive, and there's no single showpiece, but everything just feels nice. From now on we'll fly through Manila to Tacloban and stay at the Tropics to relax and enjoy ourselves before heading to our final destination in Eastern Samar after a few days or a week. Next year a dozen family members are coming to Samar, and they'll pass through Manila to spend a week here too.

Update: After I emailed my review, hotel management granted our request. Their preventive action deserves recognition, and I appreciate their humble response. I'm changing my rating from 1 to 4. Before that, I was extremely disappointed with my stay during Typhoon Opong, Signal Number 2. We were in a room on the first floor, in a remote part of the building, and they denied my requests to move to a safer, higher floor. I felt the staff showed complete disregard for guests' safety and well-being during a natural disaster. The lack of empathy and help was shocking. Based on that experience, I couldn't recommend the hotel. Worst million times.

We traveled about 110 km from Southern Leyte with our toddler for lunch on February 14, only to find the restaurant closed to regular diners for an event. No one had sent a message or called to warn us. It was really frustrating and disappointing, especially after such a long trip with a small child. The day before, February 13, I called to reserve for four people, including one toddler, for à la carte lunch, not buffet. The staff member said we didn't need a reservation and could just walk in. I was extremely disappointed by the experience.

The pool area was fantastic, and the staff there were so friendly and helpful. The rooms were spotless and everything worked as it should. Check-in staff were very helpful, and the whole property was super clean. The food was great, too. We've found our new go-to place to stay while in tacloban. At night there are lots of food stalls within walking distance, and the MacArthur monument is a short walk away. It's under construction right now, but still worth a visit.