Bali Bali Beach Resort

The grounds are private and fairly secluded, with a long pool, complimentary snacks and drinks, and hot towels. Staff were generally nice, breakfast was decent, and they accommodated our dietary restrictions. The place also photographs well. But the pool was unkempt despite having few guests, and seemed to have little or no chlorine. There were serious billing concerns. They didn't honor the senior citizen discount for the hotel, which I believe is against RA 9994, and didn't issue an OR or sales invoice for our stay or meal, which I believe is against RA 11976. Afterward I saw that the booking form falsely showed the senior discount, even though the manager hadn't given it despite my asking. I told him this was illegal, and he said he'd inform management. They also failed to provide an official receipt and invoice for the stay and extra food charges, as another reviewer mentioned. We arrived after 2 pm and both rooms were still unkempt. One was ready after about 10 minutes, while the other took more than an hour. When I asked how much longer, the staff member snapped a bit. Emails were slow and didn't answer all my questions, and the initial quote was calculated incorrectly, so I had to work it out myself even though I'd provided everyone's ages. From a distance the rooms looked nice, but up close the fixtures showed their age, with windows broken or left slightly ajar. The mattresses in our room, the first one on the right, were old and badly discolored underneath the sheets, and the supposedly new blanket smelled like BO. Reception also forgot to return my ID after I paid the extra charges, then called to say “nakalimutan niyo po kunin ID niyo”. It wasn't that I'd left it somewhere, they hadn't given it back. It felt like they were blaming me, so I asked them to deliver it before we boarded the ferry back to Davao and had to pay extra for that. Bali-Bali is overpriced and understaffed, and in my view engages in illegal business activity.

The quiet setting was relaxing, and the rooms were spacious and good. Still, we felt almost abandoned at a resort that charged 5-star prices. No one was around after meals to help us or bring the bill, and there was no gate guard whenever we needed to enter or leave. Our reservation wasn't on the list when we arrived. Check-in was meant to be at 2pm, but they were still preparing rooms at 3pm. Lunch took an hour and a half to arrive, with the French fries coming an hour in. The rice was soggy and mushy from being overcooked, which the staff noticed. Some items were forgotten and only brought out after we'd finished eating. It was clear the staff weren't prepared for guests that day. The service and attention didn't match what we paid.

Our family reunion group nearly had the small resort to ourselves, and it felt peaceful, intimate, and family-friendly. The rooms were clean and comfortable, and the homemade food was the best, like mom's. My sister arranged the trip, and the staff were accommodating about everyone's dietary restrictions. I'd come back if I had the chance. [visit date: Apr-May 2017]

Room 106 had a clean, comfortable bed and an ocean view, and the outdoor shower in the bathroom was a great surprise. We loved the place, and both breakfast and dinner were delicious and plentiful.