El Nido resorts

Pros: Our stay here was the highlight of our trip to Palawan. Booked t at the last minute and so glad we did! The staff is incredible and so accommodating. Our server most of the time was Deo, he was a very well spoken, kind and very friendly young man. He was so helpful and made sure our trip was over and above excellent. The boat tour we booked through The resort was much more expensive than the ones from El Nido, however, it was so worth it. Our guide, Elmer was so great and his support staff was so wonderful as well. The trip was personalized and catered to our group very well. We took kayaks out for fun and saw beautiful sights. The snorkeling in front of the resort was great if you swim out a bit. We were so impressed with our suite as well. Advertised as a "partial ocean view" but we weren't missing much!! We saw it all and witnessed some incredible sunrises from our balcony. Room was clean, cozy and so luxurious. Every need was met. I could go on for days...it is truly heaven on earth at Matinloc Resort.

Pros: Great water views from all 4 rooms. Breakfast was decent, but mostly Filipino friendly options and they couldn't replenish food fast enough. Hot water was good in 1 room (other 3 was cold only, never got hot). Surprisingly good thick towels. Friendly beach dogs. Massage on beach and in room available. Available stand up paddle board rentals. Luggage porters were timely and competent, carried very baggage up/down stairs and along with beach with no issues. Waterfront restaurant. Private location if willing to deal with the walk. Lovely bars with friendly staff nearby. Nearby beach is uncrowded. Provided extra early continental breakfast to facilitate early check out to catch a morning flight.

Cons: Only 1 of 4 rooms booked had hot water. One room had shower drain flooding issue. One room was very dusty, like the room had been abandoned. Cleaning staff is poorly trained, underpaid, and overworked (14 hours). No option for Do Not Disturb, maids will brazenly move around all your belongings when cleaning. Management is absent and apathetic, Too cheap or lazy to perform simple room/building maintenance like fixing peeling paint, clogged drains, broken AC knobs, missing towel bars, non-functioning water heaters, missing foot wash faucets. Cheap cabinet furniture, with loose worn out doors. Toilet paper and towels randomly missing. Constant drain flies in bathroom and bedroom area. "Native room" means thin woven bamboo walls. Issues with check-in. I had to prove to them that I booked my fourth room and they made claims about not receiving payment. Poor cellular signal in rooms. Lumpy bed, worn pillow cases with lint fuzz. There appears to be hotel WiFi, but staff claims password is unknown. Will only provide password to the WiFi that only works within the lobby. Reception area is often unattended, Ongoing new construction while essentially abandoning the older buildings.