SF Cantina Hotel

The first day of our five-day stay was rough. The toilet and shower were clogged, there were cockroaches, and the room’s only window faced a wall, which made it feel very confined. When we asked for a solution, one staff member had a bad attitude. After that, everyone else was kind and looked after our needs. Thank you for making an effort to improve our trip to Bantayan.

I arrived very early, and they kindly let me check in ahead of time. The staff were kind, and the room was clean and spacious. It’s along or near Kota Beach, and the property is right on the beach, so you don’t have to walk far. The sunset was lovely too. There was quite a bit of seaweed and a little trash on the shore compared with Santa Fe beach near the port, though the beach itself had clean white sand. This was during habagat season, which is beyond the accommodation’s control. Overall, I had a good stay.

The room was okay for resting, though it wasn’t in the best condition. It did have the features we cared about most, a bidet and a water heater in the shower. SF Cantina is far enough from the crowded area to enjoy some quiet beach days, and the food is great and affordable. I thought the portions and flavors beat what you find in the centro. The beachfront is immaculate, with fine white sand and clear water. We visited Sta. Fe beach club, Sandira beach, Kota beach, and Baigad Lagoon, and SF Cantina still had the best beach for me. The fishing boats nearby weren’t really a problem. The neighboring karaoke places on both sides were the part we didn’t like. They got noisy when we wanted to relax, especially with drunk people slurring their words.

A couple of years ago, we stayed for two or three nights. It was an amazing stay, but what I remember most is our last morning. My three-year-old son ran off toward the water, and without the incredibly attentive staff, he wouldn’t be here today. They’re angels, incredible people.