Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Casita Ysabel is a charming and peaceful space known for its rustic comfort. This family-run Bed & Breakfast is nestled in the peaceful mountainside of Mabini, Batangas. The drive entering the resort is an experience in itself as you drive past a forest via a steep slope covered by foliage. It overlooks Balayan Bay and offers a quiet and peaceful atmosphere morning till night. The view is fantastic, but there may be a bit of a hike to get to the beach and some of the rooms. This place may not be recommended for those with mobility issues. Right in front of the resort is the Casita Ysabel reef which is designated as a Marine Reserve Area. The coral reef is beautiful and teeming with marine life. Guests come to Casita to relax and disconnect in a cozy and laid-back atmosphere. The resort never gets too crowded as there are only 10 rooms available.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
We chose to spend our NYE in Casita Ysabel because we want to experience New Year’s Eve on the beach. We had fun because the owner’s family was also there to celebrate it with us. It wasa quiet dinner then just watched the fireworks on the beach. The place is ok for anilao. They have a beach front. Expect to have a beach with corals and rocks because Anilao is not a sandy beach. It is really ideal for diving. The place is quiet, the rooms are ok. The price is affordable. What i didn’t like is the food. They only offer set meal. Nothing great about the food. I also suggest for the resort to have a mini store where guests can buy basic stuff like soap, toothbrush , sunblock etc.. and improve the menu. The owner is so accommodating and nice, the staff are responsive and fast.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Please note that I am basing the rating on the place and only the place itself. It's time 2nd time in Casita Ysabel ... but the first was with my family and we rented bigger room ... the recent one was w/ friend and we had the deluxe rooms / smaller room ... we rented 2 rooms.
Room rates are not cheap ... but that's okay because the architecture of the resort itself is awesome. The place is really nice. It's beautiful and perfect for romantic getaways. I love the common areas of this resort - they have a rest area that looks like a mini kubo w/ a large bamboo sofa w/ pillows and 2 single-sized mattress ... they also have rest areas where you can sunbathe and take a nap. The view from the rooms is really nice. I love waking up w/ the view of the sunrise and beach from the balcony. The room does not have facilities like TV and phone .. but I don't mind because we went there to rest .. relax and have fun. The reception area have couches overlooking the beach - it's also an open area so you can enjoy the fresh air. I love the design of the resorts ... it reminds me of bali. There are alot of stairs though ... and going to the beach from their deluxe rooms / reception area / cafe can be tiring. But i don't mind the long walks. The beach is rocky so you might want to buy aqua shoes (i recommend Aquatech - you can buy a pair for 250php at SM stores) .. but it's okay because we're really after the dive spots ... There's a huge reef just nearby the resort area - on the right side i think .... we really did enjoy snorkeling :D So yeah .. the place is great .. I love the place.
The food though is very expensive. It's not worth the money. The taste is good ... not superb but good. But for an amount of Php500 - 600 per plate per person. It's too much! The serving is just right for one person ... and for some it might not be fulfilling. They don't have ala carte orders ... and if you want to bring your own food ... you pay a corkage of Php500 for every kind but it has to be good for 2 persons only. You can buy fresh produce from the market and have them cook it for you ... but you would also have to pay the services - depends on the kind of food you want but the crew said the minimum is Php500. The food is just an average home cooked meal ... it's not hotel dish or gourmet.
The staff are okay ... I think they are helpful and respectful but they don't know much about their product. They always had to call / ask someone when you're asking for prices / policies / etc. But they are polite and it's good enough for me. They are kind and would address the small requests we make - ash trays for our rooms, drinking water w/ ice served on the beach area, etc. I just don't like the owner. I've read the other reviews ... I was really expecting that the owner - Linda would be friendly or hospitable. But no .. she's a snob .. and would not even approach her guests to ask how the stay was ... if we did enjoy or recommend activities that we can do. She doesn't even greet the guests ... and she always looked pissed. Like what I said it's my 2nd stay in Caista Ysabel ... but I haven't met her until last week. I was really surprised with how she's acting. I don't care if she would not be friendly to us ... but since her business is in line w/ hospitality management ... she should manage to at least look welcoming. She looks like she's always irritated ... no wonder her staff looks nervous, scared and uncomfortable with their job. They don't look like they enjoy what they are doing ... but I think it's because of their boss. What's really annoying is she asked us to turn off the air conditioner in our room when we were leaving to swim and just turn it back on when we comes back ... I mean c'mon? didn't we pay for the accommodation? That would be fine if the air conditioner immediately cools down the room ... Like what the other reviews said ... the unit is too small for the room. It takes hours to make the room cool enough. That's not the right way to treat guests. I've been to a lot of resorts in the country and outside the country. And have met most of the owners .. and they are not like that .... they are accommodating and they make sure that you are enjoying. I usually acknowledge the management / owners when I had a great time and enjoyed the facilities of the resort. Our trip was almost perfect ... we don't mind the long drive ... the steep road ... the rocky beach .... we really don't ... but what ruined it is not being treated well by the owner itself. No wonder the staff is like that ... I regret recommending this resort to my friends and spending the weekend there.
Again .. the place is great .. it's really beautiful ... but be prepared to spend a lot ... and take extra patience. I suggest going on a weekday ... the staff said their boss is only there on weekends. hahah! ...
Honestly, I will not go back to this place ... and will not recommend this resort. There a lot of other resort in Anilao that is way better than Casita Ysabel.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2012
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Four of us spent 3 days and two nights at Casita Ysabel and we loved the entire experience. The hotel itself is lovely. Beautiful thatch-roofed buildings situated on several levels leading down to the ocean. The rooms are romantic and comfortable and the bathrooms are clean and work well.
Service is very friendly and accommodating and the food is pretty good. If you are staying for some time and want to try other places you can walk to one of the neighboring resorts.
I HIGHLY recommend snorkeling. We hired a boat for half a day and were taken to two different snorkeling sites. If you are a strong swimmer then do the swim around Sombrero Island. The sheer variety of fish and coral is amazing. The nice thing is the snorkeling right of the resort beach is wonderful so you don't need to hire a boat if you don't feel like it.
A couple of things to note (as others have):
1) The beach is rocky. But the hotel has a great deck right on the water so we didn't miss it.
2) There is a corkage fee of P150 per bottle brought into the hotel. This is quite normal, especially if you bring alcohol into their restaurant. I do think they should not charge a corkage fee for drinks you consume in your hotel room. But its quite a minor thing and I understand they need to make money.
If you are looking for a full service 5 star hotel then this is not the place for you. But if you are looking for a quiet little slice of paradise this is the perfect place.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed at Casita Ysabel for 2 nights at the end of our trip having read good reviews about the hotel and location. But I have to say I’ve never had so many mixed feelings about a place like as to what we experienced here. A place with so much potential but that looks run down by time and lack of guests over the years.
On one hand the location was perfect, the snorkelling and island hopping was dreamy and all to ourselves, we even spotted turtles and sharks amongst all sorts of colourful coral and fishes. We’ve enjoyed relaxing and reading by the sea, kayaking and even our room’s view overlooking the sea in between tall trees was a delight. It had everything to be perfect.
On the other hand, hotel management and staff was the utmost disappointing experience. We were the only guests there and I’m not even sure when someone last checked-in. To the point the staff (consisting of 2 mothers carrying their children around and a few other who all live on site apparently) seemed surprised and not knowing what to do with us, it doesn’t help either they barely speak English. They made us feel as if they were doing us a favour by being there. There’s no price lists on sight so you have to rely on verbal monetary agreements on the spot which might change as they please.
As we had our meals they were just hovering around speaking loudly with each other and making us feel awkward, waiting for us to go up to our room to shut everything down for the evening (at 8pm...). This meant that we were completely restricted in what we could do after dinner and also if we needed anything there was no one to assist us. For instance, dinner had to be served at 6pm because the chef had to go home.
Probably because of the lack of guests, there was barely any food/drinks at the hotel, to the point that there was no food options and you have to eat whatever they give you, always a 3 course meal of basic soup, meat/fish with rice and desert. At breakfast, when I asked for fruit, the waiter looked surprised as there was none in the hotel!?!?!? We had 2 slices of bread and coffee instead. I luckily managed to make them buy some fruit for the next day. On the last day they decided to give us tuna steaks for dinner and for that we had to pay for an “upgrade”, of course we had no say in it. And they run
Our room wasn’t cleaned whilst we were there and there were no amenities on the room either. The running water in the bathroom smelled of rotten eggs.
Considering we were paying £80 a night, the standards of the hotel were very poor and extremely disappointing. I’m going to report this to lower their rating to a 2 star hotel.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travellers should avoid this place. All the picture on their site is for promotion purposes. If you want to relax and stay away from stress then this is not a place. Staff are not accommodating the place/resort is dirty no wonder they don't have a guest. The pictures that I will share are for your reference. No facility, no swimming pool; the pool they are talking about is a size of a fish pond you cannot even enjoy dipping yourself, it's dirty! The view from the room/balcony is messy and dirty. The trash bin as well inside the room is terrible! You will not be comfortable eating in the restaurant for hygiene reasons. When I talked to Marissa about it she said they are cleaning. Oh well, the picture will not lie! They are not even bothered about our complaints! On the same day(we only stayed for less than 10mins in Casita Ysabel) we decided to move to a nearby resort which is Altamare! Which is highly recommended for everything. On the next day we requested a refund and they refused! We are robbed. 18400php or 314euro for only tonight only for the room. Imagine you worked hard and trap for 3 years in Shanghai and you just want to relax but they gave us a nightmare we are lucky Altamare saved us! Since we left we never heard anything from them. The most unprofessional establishment we’ve ever encountered.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Â Avoid this place in general
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If you really want a quiet paradise away from the hustle and bustle of the city, this place is for you. Everyone there is very nice and friendly. The rooms are quite spacious although they can update the pillows for a more comfortable stay. We only stayed 1 night and I wished we could’ve stayed longer.
Read more
Date of stay: April 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I had an emergency and asked politely if they can move my accommodation to another date, they promptly replied with a no. This is how they treat their supposedly guest. Do not go to this place. 2 days earlier I also asked about their menu there was no available set menu, imagine it can be a disaster for you as well.
Read more
Date of stay: November 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hotels are in the business of hospitality. Here's one establishment that exercised the brashness of a run down motel.
With the clarion call "your personal Sanctuary" Casita Ysabel evoked an oasis of calm and lush greenery. The greenery was its greatest - and only success. Huts nestled amidst overgrown plants will delight the nature lover. It's all around, but once you get past the copious oxygen, reality sets in.
First we have the parking. There's really none other than a steep narrow road at a 35% incline. A twist to the left or right and you'd fall into a ravine. Guests park along that perilous entrance and woe upon you should you need to leave early and ten cars are ahead. Definitely not building code compliant.
Then there are the rooms. Smaller than the typical Hong Kong motel, dank and swathed with a rather malodorous scent from the sink. Shower that takes ages to heat and can't even aim straight. Mold between the cracks.
It gets worse at the pools. Three tiny pools of an odd murky hue. Too much chlorine? No safety bars around the pools. Watch your step or you'll fall a long way like a sack of potatoes.
The beach.. Now there's the clincher. All rocks and no sand. If you're after boracay sand, don't come here. You can't swim without tumbling a few rocks. I did like cabana along the rocky shore. Afforded me a good respite from the rest of the hotel . And perhaps that was the only redeeming value.
Checkout was the most nightmarish. If you're like me and book via Expedia, agoda or booking.com, you know that the price paid on site is the final price due. This hotel opted to pass on the commissions owed to agoda to me. Have you ever paid an amount online yo be told by the hotel "sorry sir, Agoda collects commissions, therefore you need to add more". Not only unhospitable, it's illegal. It's never the practice of a hotel to do such shenanigans. I know this because I'm also a hotel owner and lawyer.
My last grip : NO Official receipt. I got some document that had no government seal of regularity.
I came with high hopes to this place. I intended to leave an awesome review on our travel site. I walked away severely disgruntled
But don't let my opinion put you in bias. Experience your personal Sanctuary first hand.
Read more
Date of stay: April 2018Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jovy , Manager at Casita Ysabel
Responded May 8, 2018
On behalf of Casita Ysabel, we would like to apologize for the poor impression our Bed and Breakfast has left on you. We have never made any claims to be a 5-star luxury resort and we regret not meeting your expectations. We wish to clarify your statement regarding our deceptive pricing. We honestly thought that you understood the breakdown of charges upon checkout. We would like to reiterate and emphasize that we absolutely did not pass on the commissions due to Agoda to you. Your booking with Agoda was for the Ysabel Standard Room, which is our smallest room ideal for a solo traveler. The rate that you paid is inclusive of breakfast for one (1) person. Please note that your booking with Agoda was only for one (1) person. If you booked with Agoda for two (2) people, Agoda would have likewise imposed additional charges. Consequently, we were only expecting the arrival of one (1) guest. We were, therefore, surprised that you arrived with a companion. The additional charges you incurred are for your companion's extra bed and extra breakfast and 4 dinner set meals (2 set meals on April 27 & 2 set meals on April 28), which were definitely not included in the Agoda package for one (1) person inclusive of breakfast, which you previously paid for. All these additional charges were properly included and itemized in the Statement of Account given to you when you checked out of the resort. In sum, if you arrived alone in compliance with your booking with Agoda and did not avail of additional dinner meals, then you would not have incurred any additional charges. However, since this was not the case, the additional charges are therefore warranted. As promised, we have emailed the official receipt for your F&B and extra charges. We apologize for running out of Official Receipts on site on the day of your check-out. Once again, we deeply regret falling short of your expectations. We value the feedback of our customers and will use this as a benchmark to improve our facilities and services. Thank you for staying in Casita Ysabel! Sincerely, Jovy/Casita Ysabel Team
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I checked out this supposedly 'lovely resort' 2 weeks before our booking & to my utter disgust, what the resort wants to project is not what we found when we arrived there last Saturday. It is far different from what you see on their website.To describe to you the cottage given to us, this is what we found and the reason why we left the place. 1. the white hanging decorative fabric on the ceiling was full of brown stains, perhaps caused by leaking water on the roof, molds and plenty of dust visibly on display 2. we found a creeping centipede looking insect at the corner of the room near the toilet 3. the cottage had too much large mosquitoes (some with white spots that can cause dengue fever) who must be living there for weeks without being disturbed by insecticides or the housekeepers 4. the bathrooms are just fit for the drivers & maids (sorry to say, no intention to insult them) not for relaxing & paying guests 5. the cottage is unclean with cobwebs at the corners of the room with piled dust included. 6. the wiring of the air-conditioning could lead to some accidents 7. the sliding door of the cottage needs a strong hard push to open or close it 8. the room has no refrigerator for our cold drinks 9. the old curtains are too narrow to cover the sun 10.the narrow driveway is not very welcoming & could lead your vehicle to fall on the cliff. 11. not safe for kids & some elderly due to lack of railings on some areas. 12. the cottage is not safe enough as intruders can easily open your door as most of the walls are just made of thin glass covered by old narrow curtains. Generally, the condition 'per se' of this resort does not justify the price they want for their guests. I just wonder where they got all those beautiful pictures posted all over the internet ? So far from Camp Netanya where we stayed before proceeding to this resort.
Read more
Date of stay: November 2017
Value
Rooms
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Â Better book somewhere else
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from casitaysabel, Guest Relations Manager at Casita Ysabel
Responded Dec 4, 2017
Dear Ms.Mary, We are sorry if you are disappointed and we fell short of your expectations. We have no intention of deceiving our guests or readers whatsoever: Our website defined luxury as a...BEAUTIFUL PERSONAL SANCTUARY. On the 2nd page: is a more thorough description of what Casita Ysabel is...started as a weekend home...It's beauty and tranquility enfolds you with the warmth and charm of paradise home...It's rustic design provide a haven for the weary soul. Casita Ysabel is a nurturing cocoon....your very own sanctuary. Further,you had no previous booking with us and just came as a walk in with your nephew.The room of your choice was not 100% ready but we accommodated you as your nephew was already booked with us. Note: Upon inspection, wiring of aircondition is properly insulated. We are a Bed and Breakfast and not a luxury resort. We are sorry if we failed in your standards. Sincerely Yours, Esti Moslares
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We arrived in a moderate sized group believing the photos and reading just the positive reviews. Now that realize many of the good reviews may have been done by friends.
The hotel is totally unsafe, from that nasty single road parking down to the sheer lack of railings for all their steep stairs. Totally non pwd friendly
The staff do their best but they're obviously maids and drivers who don't understand how to run a hotel business. Service is always delayed and one waiter even handed a flask of water with terribly dirty finger nails around the rim
Rooms smell like wet dog feet. The banyo smell like Thanos' fart after chewing on Loki's bunions
Oh and 450 for dinner? I get far better from Max fried chicken for half price.
Stinky beach. All rocks. Only highlight are the two friendly malnourished dogs that kept following us
We all felt that the owner just wanted to milk us dry and provide nothing in return
We are never coming back
Read more
Date of stay: January 2018Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jovy , Manager at Casita Ysabel
Responded May 7, 2018
We have read your review on Trip Advisor on your stay last January 2018. On behalf of Casita Ysabel, we would like to apologize for the poor impression our Bed and Breakfast has left on you. We are a small enterprise and have never made any claims to be a 5-star luxury resort. We regret not meeting your expectations. As of March 2018, the B&B has been under new management and we are making efforts to improve the facilities and training of our staff. This is a slow yet steady process. We are nestled within mountainside of Mabini, Batangas. The terrain is steep and we have designed the B&B to work with the forrest and mountain setting. We do not recommend our place for those with mobility issues. As for our staff, they are not maids and drivers but rather local folk from Mabini. We are happy to provide employment for the community. Our staff are kind and simple folk that do their best to provide good service. We apologize for any short-comings you have experienced. Regarding the meals, given the remoteness of our location and the modest size of our kitchen, we cannot offer anything more that our set meals. We are also unable to match the pricing of the famous restaurant chain you named from Manila. The price of P450 that you quoted for our set meals is a new price. This was not the price last January 2018. Anilao beaches are known to be rocky and filled with corals. It’s really not meant for those that prefer sandy beaches like Boracay. In front of Casita Ysabel is a Marine Reserve Area. The water is clean and teeming with marine life. This is best appreciated by people that enjoy snorkeling or scuba diving. Once again, we deeply regret falling short of your expectations. We value the feedback of our customers and will use this as a benchmark to improve our facilities and services. Thank you for staying in Casita Ysabel! Sincerely, Jovy/Casita Ysabel Team
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
