Marina Point Bay Resort

We came as a group and had a great stay at Marina Point Bay Resort. The rooms were really spacious and comfortable, and the whole place felt calm and laid-back. The pretty pool and well-kept surroundings made it easy to relax. Staff were helpful, and service was good throughout. It's a little tucked away, with a dirt road leading in and some distance from the main road. That keeps things quiet and serene, but you're still close enough to go out. Alona Beach is about 10 minutes away by bao2/tuk2. We'd definitely recommend it if you're after somewhere peaceful with easy access to things.

The pool and garden are beautiful, but the guest rooms and service got nowhere near the same attention. My stay was inhospitable from start to finish, with the worst amenities and service I've had in the Philippines, especially for such a high price. The decor is shabby and outdated, rooms are falling apart, the fridge wasn't cold enough to keep my milk from spoiling, and the showers had no hot water. They gave me two small bottles of water on arrival, then charged PHP 50 for each tiny bottle. That's what two large bottles cost at any 7-Eleven. Housekeeping never came. Even when the garbage bin on my poolside veranda was overflowing, nobody emptied it. I asked the receptionist why and got, “Did you ask?” I didn't expect hotel guests, particularly at an expensive place calling itself a resort, to have to request that staff empty overflowing ashtrays and garbage bins they walked past every day. The shower leaked, the ceiling fan outside made more noise than breeze, and the dust under the bed was worse than anything I've seen. There was barely enough counter space for one person's things, and the furniture was extremely lacking.

Zero stars. Typhoon Penha canceled our ferry to the island, so there was no way for us to reach the hotel. We told the host as soon as we learned this, requested cancellation one day ahead, and asked for a refund. This was clearly a force majeure event outside our control. The host ignored our messages and delayed replying, which seemed like an attempt to avoid refunding us. The lack of empathy and accountability was extremely disappointing. We expected understanding and professionalism during an emergency and got neither. It left us wondering whether the hotel cares about guests' experience or only about profit.

We booked after reading the recommendations, but the stay was a big disappointment. The location is far from everything. The rooms look much older in person than the photos suggest and aren’t well cared for. The pools were dirty and empty, with a musty smell, so we didn’t use them. We also had ants in our room.