Solitude Acacia Resort welcomes guests with 25 spacious and well-appointed rooms all designed with a modern aesthetic that does not intrude on the tropical gardens or the surrounding natural beauty. Structurally the rooms are spread among four blocks; two blocks at the front which offer all or Sea View rooms; and two behind which offer our deluxe rooms and our Garden View Suite. All rooms can be set up to accommodate for for a twin-sharing or a king-sized bed. Additionally, some of our rooms have the option to have a door connecting the two together, perfect for families or friends requiring more than one room. Free Wi-Fi access is available in all room categories.
I brought a group of 21 divers to the resort for four days. It was a great experience! The rooms are really nice and clean - very comfortable for crashing after diving all day. The food was really amazing. We had the meal plan and the portions were generous and the food was really fantastic (the whole gorup commented how good it was). There was a great menu offering Philippine/Asian/American dishes. Diving was really well organized and left from in front of the resort each day. If you are going there for diving, you know how special it is! Logistics including a local tour were handled for me really well! The cocktails are really good there as well with two bars to choose from. Bottom line - expecially if you are leading a group - I would not hesitate to stay here at all. Really great overall experience! Greg
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Date of stay: June 2023
Value
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Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:The diving here is absolutely amazing!
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.
Had a great experience in this resort. I did not expect much as dive resorts in Anilao are pretty basic. I was surprised with how the rooms were decent, modern and clean. The view from our room was amazing and the bathroom was clean. They also provided ample towels.
The restaurant was also super cute with nice interiors and the food was AMAZING. We got the full board which had Appetizer + Mains + Dessert for Lunch and Dinner and lots of options for breakfast. Every food item we ordered was delicious.
We availed the Island tours and everything was also very organized and they adjusted if we woke up a bit late. We also went to the peak/summit with a beautiful sunset!
The manager, Pernilla was also very very accommodating and had the hospitality and warmth of a five star resort manager.
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Date of stay: May 2021
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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.
It took work to set our plans for three adults and 3 kids by email, but they worked diligently to get everything set, hold the best rooms for our situation, and have diving ready to go!
Our instructor, Ricky, was great! Good English, patient with my 10 year old, and I swear could see further in the water than me! He found us neudebrant, octopus, mantis shrimp, turtles, and so many other hard to find creatures!
They resort provided delicious meals at every turn, had paddle boards for us, and had every piece of equipment we had not thought of. Just perfect service, wonderful experiences and beautiful grounds. Loved every minute!
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Book transportation in/out with the hotel. They have reliable drivers and rates are reasonable....
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.
Just wow. This place is simply incredible. The setup of the resort is so we'll thought, you are mesmerized as Soon as you arrive. The acacia is a center piece of the design and captivates you throughout your stay.
The restaurant is beautiful and has an extensive menu (all included in the room price). The food is great.
The diving amenities are the best I've seen in the world with spacious gear area, an amazing photo lounge, camera storage, etc.
All this including WiFi, parking, good service, smiles and a very reasonable price. No wonder they are always full!
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Date of stay: November 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Reserve soon, it fills up fast.
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.
The Sea View Suite is ideal for a family, offering spacious accommodations, clean surroundings, and comfortable beds. Manager Jonas and his team were very welcoming, ensuring a professional and pristine dive experience. The food was FANTASTIC. Highly recommend Solitude Acacia!
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Date of stay: July 2024
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Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Bring enough pesos and snacks as there are no atm machines and supermarkets within walking...
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.
Solitude Acacia Resort is a dive / snorkeling dream. Resort Manager Jonas leads an amazing staff to provide a five star experience from the start to the finish. Without a doubt some of the best diving / snorkeling we have ever experienced, and the resort, food and drinks are superb. I highly recommend Solitude for all!!!!
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:There are steps, there is no beach, fantastic pool and waterfront lounging deck, pool bar. It is...
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.
This team went above and beyond to make sure our trip was as good as it could be. Jonas was exceptional in keeping us comfortable and treated well. We went there with Diving Adelaide (Australia) on a macro trip. Would defintely recommend to anyone interested in lots of tiny critters and comfortable resort.
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Date of stay: October 2024
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.
Amazing!! Had the BEST time. Food is amazing, rooms are really clean and nice. Staff are so friendly and accommodating. The manager Pernilla is EXCELLENT!! She is so on top of things and is so welcoming. Again the food is AMMMAAAZZZIIINNGGGG!! Highly highly recommend and can’t wait to go back!
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Date of stay: March 2022Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:Book asap!
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 just spent a week here at this wonderful resort. While it lacks some amenities that I’m somewhat used to having in other locations, this is my first time in Anilao, so it may be the norm for the area. The entire staff was extremely friendly, and always greeted you with a smile. The resort is very clean, with somewhat modern décor and very well kept landscaping, which is manicured daily. The resort is basically built around its namesake, a giant acacia tree that is right in the middle of the resort next to the pool. While it's a beautiful tree, it unfortunately blocks the ocean view from just about any room. All you see is tree. I didn't hang out at the pool, but I'm sure it would give anyone seeking to sunbathe fits. Other than the giant rhinoceros beetle that surprised me on my balcony one morning, I had very few issues with bugs, and the somewhat constant light breeze helped to keep them at bay.
Accommodations: I booked one of the deluxe suites, which had ample space and a nice balcony. IMO, it’s more than worth the small upgrade in cost. However, the balconies are NOT private ones for some reason. It's just one walkway that crosses in front of all the rooms. So, keep that patio door locked just in case. The water is not purified, but they provide you with all the bottled water one could ask for. I had no shortage of hot water in the shower, either. Although, speaking of which, I could probably get more lather out of a bar of gold than the bar of soap provided, and I didn’t even know that Vaseline made shampoo…lol. So, if those things are important to you, consider bringing your own. Otherwise, no biggie. I’m sure it’s enough to keep the stink off ya’. The main negative was the bed. It is basically about a 6” pad, laying on top of a hard wooded box frame. If you’re a small person, it probably won’t be an issue for you… But, I’m 210 pounds so it felt like I was sleeping ON a log rather than like one. However, there were two beds, so, after the first night of getting very little sleep, I simply stacked the two mattresses. Problem solved.
Amenities: Acacia provides you with the necessities, but here’s a few minor things to be aware of. In the rooms, there is no safe, no alarm clock (though most just use their phone these days), no refrigerator, no coffee maker, and no three pronged grounded outlets. So, bring adapters if you need to. The hotel was nice enough to lend me one for my computer charger since I somehow forgot to pack mine. Again, these things may be the norm for the area, I don’t know. It’s just something to be aware of. The TV seemed to have about 20 channels or so, but half weren’t working the one time I turned on the TV in the evening.
Wifi: The constant battle for wifi was quite interesting. I read mixed things on here before arriving regarding their internet. Yes, there is wifi. They have three “myfi” devices set up in the dining area, plus one at the front desk, and one at the dive shop (once you know one of the passwords, it’s easy to guess the others). My room was near the restaurant, but if you end up with a further room, you may want to bring a long range wifi antenna just in case. If you have any work or web browsing that needs to get done, I would highly recommend getting it knockout out early in the morning since that is the only time the wifi seemed to consistently work. It would get quite slow in the afternoon, and, in the evening, good luck. Perhaps it hits a cap for the day and then gets “throttled”? Even at its fastest, we’re talking 15-20 kbs’/sec (NOT MBs… KBs). In the evenings, we’re talking about around 1-5kb/sec. Now, what I really couldn’t understand is why they staff would constantly turn OFF the myfi devices for no apparent reason. I would wake up around 5:30am, and it would be working great. Then, it would just suddenly stop. I look out my window to see that the staff had just arrived to open up the restaurant for breakfast. I’d go downstairs to grab some coffee and would find them all suddenly turned off. So, I would turn it on and politely ask them to quit turning them off. Yet, this occurred at least twice a day. I have no clue as to why.
Diving: Outstanding. I booked a private guide for myself, Dennis Corpuz of Anilao Critters, and I can’t rave about him enough. Dive where you want, when you want, and with one of the best critter spotters around. Name something you want to see, and he’ll find it for you (within reason, of course). However, if you don’t go with him, Ben at Acacia is a very well known critter spotter from Lembeh, so you will be in more than capable hands with him as well.
Food: Honestly, it was far better than I had expected it to be for inclusive meals. If you are there mid week when it is slow, they serve individual meals (with re-ups of any item you would like). Enjoy these while you can, because once there are a certain number of guests staying at the resort, they switch to a buffet style meal and the quality goes significantly downhill. You’ll go from delicious large prawns one night to overcooked, dry pork the next. It was still good, but the individual meals were far superior and had me somewhat spoiled after the first couple of nights. The only weird thing about the individual meals is that they first bring you your soup (so far so good), but then literally 30 seconds later bring you the rest of your food. The soup is still too hot to eat, so you typically end up eating that last (or not at all) because you don’t want the rest of your food to get cold. Regardless, everything is always served with a smile and the meals were enjoyable. The desserts were typically very good, and I wasn’t shy about asking for a second helping on a couple of occasions.... Perhaps that’s why I’m 210 pds…lol. For breakfast, I never strayed from “The American” with pancakes, eggs, and bacon. All were delicious. Although, they can’t seem to cook eggs over-easy for the life of them. With the exception of my very last day, they were always cooked all the way through. No big deal though.
On a side note, some guy showed up on my second to last day wearing Jams and had four dogs with him, which roamed the resort grounds freely. I love dogs. Hell, I have four of them myself (had five until recently). But I don’t need someone else’s dog begging me for food while I am dining at a resort... I get enough of that at home. One would even constantly bark at your feet while you ate. Only once did I see their owner make an effort to corral them away from guests that were eating, and that only happened when he saw me shake my head at him in disapproval from my balcony. I got the sense that he’s a regular there, so hopefully he won’t be there when you visit. I realize this wasn’t totally the resort’s fault, they did absolutely nothing to discourage it. If I were running a resort, that sort of thing just wouldn’t be acceptable.
In all, I feel Acacia is a great value compared to some of the other higher end resorts in the area. It almost seems like others charge a premium for simply having a spa on site. Most people are in Anilao to dive, not get a facial, so I just don’t get that. Besides, if you want a massage (not THAT kind, a legit one), Acacia will make a call and bring someone in for less than $15 USD (600 PHP) for an hour massage. That’s not a typo. I had no idea they run so cheap in this area (as it turns out, they were even cheaper at my next destination)! At that price, I don’t know why I only got one… Didn’t want to seem creepy, I guess…lol. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here and would strongly consider it again if I were fortunate enough to be able to revisit the area.
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Date of stay: November 2015
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled solo
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.
The resort is touted to be the best in Anilao - my dive guide mentioned it was one of the most luxurious resorts in the area. At first impression I would agree. The grounds are nice, the staff extremely friendly, and the food both good and plentiful.
The rooms are small, basic, but adequate. The AC works! My room was a small twin room with 2 beds divided by a night table. there was also a small desk, closet, and en-suite bathroom.
The dive facility was very good and staff always available to help. There are 4-5 camera desks out in the open in the dive area. I booked 8 nights with 5 days of diving 3 dives a day through a dive travel agency in USA. Additional day dives were $40/person and night dives were $45/per person with a surcharge for only 1 diver. The prices seemed steep to me for Philippines but slightly less than Lembeh. My dive buddy and I had 1 dive guide and boat for the 2 of us the entire trip.
My biggest issue was with the way diving is arranged with freelance dive guides and boats. When you book a package, the dive resort then contacts dive guides/boats and negotiate a rate to accommodate the package. They may negotiate a much better rate than what you are paying per dive. I traveled to Anilao to see critters - this was my sole purpose as I love muck diving! Unfortunately though, when i met my guide he quickly informed us that he is not a good critter finder. My dive buddy and I were hoping he was just joking - sadly he was not. The first 3 days with our original guide were decent, but we were underwhelmed with the diving.
On our 4th day we arranged a private dive trip to verde island with an independent dive guide Dennis though his website Anilao Critters. The diving was great and we asked him to take us to a muck site for our last dive. During this dive alone, Dennis showed us small, obscure creatures that our previous guide would never have found. I immediately asked if he was available for the rest of the week. When i returned to resort i informed front desk that i wanted to change guides as the previous guide was nice but not good at finding critters and Dennis was fantastic. The front desk agreed but insisted that he was "more professional" and insisted on a $5/dive/person surcharge to book. I tried to fight but the resort wouldn't budge. I also didn't want to book independently as i already had a package booked through them and didn't want to lose out on pre-paid diving. As a freelancer, Dennis stayed out of the negotiations as to not upset either party. I visited his website and noticed his direct fees are only about $35/dive/person….$10/dive cheaper than the $45 we each needed to pay to dive with him.
In the end it was worth paying the premium mid-trip as Dennis really turned the trip around showing us some great rare critters including the bumble bee shrimp, simplex shrimp, boxer crab, nudibranchs the size of rice grains etc… Dennis is an enthusiastic and passionate diver. He get just as excited as his guests when he finds special critters. I highly recommend him for anyone traveling to Anilao.
In the end I could not help and feel as if i paid too much money to stay at Acacia. As i don't have any comparison in the area, I can't judge what other resorts provide and if the value is there. I've stayed at Atlanis in Dumagete in past and feel that thought the price is similar, Atlantis provides a much better experience overall which translates into overall value given the quality of food, rooms, service, and dive operations.
My recommendation - Acacia is ok but expensive. Just book with Dennis directly!
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Date of stay: October 2014
Value
Rooms
Service
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.
"Book transportation in/out with the hotel. They have reliable drivers and rates are reasonable. Definitely book ahead - few rooms and email back and forth is hard."
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