We checked in Sunday, May 1st for a 5 night stay. I had booked a Philippines trip on a whim and did some research and chose Boracay as the island destination after a few days in Manila. Did some searches and chose this hotel based on reviews and price. In hindsight I wish I read more and looked into other hotels but once booked it was non-refundable so we were stuck.
I arranged private transportation with the hotel directly, which is not included in our rate. As of May 2015, it was 1375 pesos/person for round trip transfers from Caticlan. The "normal" price if going with a third party is around 400 pesos/one way so you are paying around 500 pesos more with the hotel BUT they are private so you don't end up having to be herded like cattle with guests for other hotels. They have a separate lounge area at the airport for all Henann guests and you are escorted every step of the way by staff members. I think the hassle free convenience definitely pays for itself, and it's honestly only $10USD more so with a kid in tow it was well worth it.
We arrive at the hotel and the front check in area is chaotic. There are several lines of people and no one really directing guests on where to go. There is no dedicated check in line so it was really confusing. I ended up just standing on a line and was helped by a staff member by the name of Chellie (I think). She was not overly friendly, spoke very fast and was not interested in up selling. I understand it was Labor Day weekend and the hotel may have been at capacity but when I asked about upgrading she dismissed me and just said we are fully booked. Perhaps she thought I was trying to get a free upgrade (which would have been nice obviously) but I was interested in changing our room category and finding out pricing options. She ran through the various places on the map super fast and was eager to be done with me.
We had booked a Deluxe Room, and received 116, which is located in a small courtyard that is on the path to the beach which means that there is a lot of foot traffic. Extremely dated furniture from maybe the 80s? The bathroom is HUGE and a waste of space. There is a tub and a separate shower area. We are 3 people (2 adults and 1 child) but they provided only one toothbrush. Although clad in granite it is obviously very dated. There are also no robes or slippers which I thought were customary for Asia? The rooms electricity shuts off when you remove your keycard, which results in a humid and disgustingly musty room when you return. We have an outdoor seating area which is right next to the busy walkway so essentially making it useless. Our window also looks right out into the walkway which means we will need to keep the shades closed with no sunlight whatsoever.
The hotel is in dire need of repairs - the pool we visited had cracked and upended tile work which would be dangerous for anyone, much less a child. Some of the walkways need to be repaired as well.
Went to the front desk to get something cleared up and waited upwards of 30 minutes for someone to help me. There were only two people there and a long line of waiting customers. For some reason each checkin takes at least 25+ minutes. Management is terrible at this resort; there was clearly a need for extra personnel at the front desk yet no one stepped in to help. Henann is a big group with several hotels on the island so very disappointed in the product.
The beach right out of the resort is gorgeous - and the hotels main saving grace. Although booked to capacity we were always able to get loungers outside or by the pool. The water is unbelievably calm and perfect for little ones. There are tours everywhere but just shake your head and smile and they leave you alone. There are workers here that will ensure only hotel guests use the loungers, as well as provide drinks service.
There is a small convenience store that sells drinks, snacks and necessities that is extremely affordable.
On the main road, the walk to D Mall is maybe 7 minutes, and to D Talippa is around 3 minutes. Walking on the beach takes a tad longer.
A trike ride to Puka Beach costs 200 pesos and 150 pesos back; this was maybe a 15-20 min ride. Very interesting experience and my 4 year old can't stop talking about it. read more