Chema's by the Sea
Barangay Limao, Mindanao 4200 Philippines
Lowest prices for your stay
$223
$189
Fully refundable before Sat, Oct 7
No prepayment needed
$223
Fully refundable before Sat, Oct 7
No prepayment needed
Vio.com$189
Skyscanner.com
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.
Full view
View all photos (473)473
360
Panoramas (21) 
Room & Suite (143)
About
#3 of 9 hotels in Samal Island
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Suggest edits to improve what we show.Improve this listing
Property amenities
Free parking
Pool
Bar / lounge
Beach
Massage
24-hour security
Non-smoking hotel
24-hour front desk
Parking
Infinity pool
Outdoor pool
Restaurant
Poolside bar
Show more
Room features
Air conditioning
Private beach
Housekeeping
Room service
Flatscreen TV
Room types
Ocean view
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Family
Languages Spoken
English, Filipino
Location
152Reviews10Q+A22Room tips
Reviews
Traveler rating
- 50
- 61
- 17
- 10
- 14
Time of year
Traveler type
Language
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Popular mentions
Sort by:
Most Recent
The first time I visited this place was approx 15 years ago. I went there for lunch with a friend, per the recommendation of my colleagues from Davao ; I was there for a business trip and decided to stay the weekend for some sight seeing. The place has not been maintained well. It is sad to see, especially because the resort has a lot of good things going on for them - clear waters, nice landscape and design of rooms, friendly staff members Unfortunately, there are a lot of things not quite right: toilet does not flush well. When I informed housekeeping, they said "it's always been like that. Just don't throw bathroom tissue into the bowl. Even the used ones (for #2), to ensure it does not get clogged." The a/c is an old unit; one need to choose the highest dial (turbo cold) to achieve a cooler temperature, unfortunately it gets too cold at night. We tried lowering it but it becomes uncomfortably musty and warm. They don't have hair dryers. Some bedsheets have stains on them. Service is slow, despite having so many staff members during the day. The way to ask for assistance/service is to ring a bell hanging outside the room. Aside from this being uncomfortable (like calling a servant), it only works half the time. We had to repeat our requests twice, sometimes thrice before someone attends to it. Food orders are also slow (takes 45 mins to an hour) which is weird because they have the same menu everyday. And they are not exceptionally good, very forgettable. Service is also inconsistent: depends on who you're talking to or who's providing the service. Table set up and composition of our breakfast varies everyday - dependent on who's preparing it for the day. Same is true with cleaning the room - not consistently good. The swimming pools are not well-maintained. The one near the shore is not as clean or clear as what they have in the tripadvisor photo. It looks like it has not been cleaned for ages. The one on the higher area is better, but some of the wood on the floor are broken, which poses danger to guests (we tripped on them twice). The chairs are not cleaned either, and there was a used glass that seemed to have been left there for a while, as it had so many ants inside it. It is also surprising that the front desk is unmanned in the early morning; people start to come in at 8-ish but they are OJTs. the regular employees usually come at around 9am. It is therefore a challenge to find information if you want to plan something for the day. The only redeeming factor for this resort is the friendliness of their people. They genuinely care for their guests, they are respectful and nice. Unfortunately, that is not enough for us to rate our stay as memorable, nor to recommend this place to our family and friends.…
Read more
Date of stay: April 2023
Value
Location
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.
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
Overall, happy with our stay and will consider rebooking in the future should we visit Samal Island again. Highly recommended if you find Pearl Farm above your budget. Main advantage of Chema's is they have direct boat ferrying guests to/from Davao <> Samal Island via private transfer, which is very convenient. Likewise, the resort is small-medium sized, hence you expect more privacy since number of guests is controlled. We booked a cabana for our stay. Really enjoyed dining in private (breakfast, lunch, dinner!) in our own veranda. We never really ate at their restaurant since we enjoyed the convenience of private dining so much! The beach was never crowded, there's always beach lounge chairs available whenever we went. PROs: - Very good service from staff, everyone is respectful and helpful - Food is good! - Drying rack provided - Plenty of power outlets in the room - Beach is divine! Powdery fine white sand, like that of Boracay's. Beach is very clean. - Two pools to choose from! First time to try a salt water pool! - They provided local Samal tour guide with a good/reasonable rate. Look for Arman. Highly recommended! - Wifi is stable and accessible even at the beach... unless blackout strikes. CONs: - The following are NOT provided: hair dryer, safety vault - Frequent power blackouts: we experienced multiple blackouts every day during our 4 day stay there. Once it was even at night (past 9pm). Generators take some time to kick-in. Likewise, the emergency lights in our cabana are not working. While all other cabanas have some light source during blackout, we had to make do with candles. They didn't replace or fix the broken emergency light even when we reported it on day 1. That probably never got fixed in a long time. - The resort is NOT handicap-friendly (no wheelchair access, don't bring strollers too). All paths are stone steps (not paved walkway) , you need to take steep stone steps to head to the beach. - Very long wait time for boat transfers both ways. Even if we had coordinated properly, it still took us an hour of wait time. We had small kids in tow so this was a struggle. Though I heard this is already better than taking the public boat transfer from Davao to Samal as queue can take 4 hours. OTHER NOTES: - Bring plenty of insect repellant. They seem to provide this for guests but they never refilled the dispenser in our bathroom. They do provide katol (insect repellant incense coils) but I do not recommend using if you have allergies, rhinitis, asthma. - Bring aqua shoes and snorkel gear / goggles at least. The beach waters have live corals a few meters away from shore, you can see small marine life ! - We really liked the following items on their menu: daing na bangus (breakfast), beef salpicao, carbonara …
Read more
Date of stay: December 2022
Value
Location
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.
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
We chose Chema's as it was one of the few resorts in Samal that allowed you to bring your pets. We had stayed at Chema's a few years back, so we were not sure what to expect. We booked an overnight stay (Sunday-Monday) in July 2022. Our whole experience was decent, here is a breakdown of our stay. - To get to Chema's you have to go to Waterfront Hotel to use their pier. They will be in-charge to bring you via boat (they should give you time slots of when they travel). We were said to be there at 1pm. There was a quaint waiting area indicated for Chema's guests with seats. We ended up waiting for 45+ minutes. We speculated that this was due to the resort wanting to let guests leave as it was a Sunday. During the boat trip, we had the vibe that the crew was rushing us to the resort. This resulted to us getting splashed by the water (current and weather may be factors here). Crew helped us with our bags, which was good. - Upon arrival we were met with welcome drinks at the reception. We were sent to our rooms after a few moments. We stayed in the Cabana 1 (Sea Garden View Room) This had 2 rooms, 1 Queen sized bed, bathroom, television, small refrigerator, and aircon each. An outside couch and table is on the veranda of the cabana. The room felt secluded and private despite its location in the resort. - Chema's has a small beach front. The water has an amount of organic matter (not disruptive) and the sand is fine. To compensate for the small beach front, they have 2 pools, one on the shore and the other in the inner part of the resort. Both pools were clean and well maintained. All of the swimming areas had ample seats and tables. Take note room towels can not be used outside of the rooms and separate beach towels are provided. - Food here is good. I suggest trying their Twice Cooked Chicken Adobo and Greek Salad. Their prices are a little steep, but considering the ingredients and being in a resort, it should be fine. Dining may be done in their restaurant or at the table outside your room (preferred). Copies of their menus are available on the website. Breakfast is free for overnight stays. - Service was excellent. All the staff answered all our questions and queries. They were attentive and very accommodating. All of our requests for water while eating was responded to quickly. Our request for late checkout was dealt with well and they sent a room checker in advance to have a smooth exit. Overall, our stay was great. We felt like we escaped the city in a very peaceful vacation. I noted a number of negative reviews, but soon saw that they were all before 2019/2020. Their staff are very accommodating and friendly, greeting us with smiles whenever we walked pass them. Hopefully the delays and problems in getting to the resort will not be seen anymore, but nevertheless we will definitely want to go back!…
Read more
Date of stay: July 2022
Value
Location
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.
Helpful
Book here because of the good reviews i’ve read but our experience was quiet the opposite. They arrive almost an hour late for the pick up schedule.Not even a phone call to inform us their whereabouts. We decided to cancel our stay and the refund took a month which i paid cash. Very inconsiderate.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2022
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.
Helpful
So sad … I visited this place so many times when his previous owner, Mr. Quincho was still alive … never expected the new management to be so dishonest !! They neither credit my deposit nor refund it after almost two months …
Read more
Date of stay: February 2022Trip 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.
Helpful
+1
My family and I were at Chema's by the Sea last January to celebrate my birthday. We were on a trip to Davao City that time so I decided to go to one of Davao's beach resorts for my special day. Booking was quite easy even though my reservation was last minute. I was able to secure a booking the night before we were supposed to go there. They were responsive via text and email, and I was able to make the payment via online bank transfer. From Acacia Hotel, we took a taxi to the Waterfront Insular Hotel where we were picked up the resort's boat. Boat ride took around 5 mins. If I remember correctly, it was P1,500 per head (day tour) which includes the boat transfer, cottage, towel use, and food. There were four of us so we had P6,000 to spend on food from their menu. Free welcome drinks were also provided. I think that was a cucumber-calamansi concoction. The place, in general, is serene. Luckily, there were only a few people with us during our stay. There were only about 4 groups, ours included. One group even had their golden retrievers with them. :) The beachfront is not that big, so I can imagine it getting crowded during peak season. The staff were friendly and helpful. Food and drinks were okay. Overall, I loved the ambiance of the place. It's the perfect spot if you seek solitude and privacy.…
Read more
Date of stay: January 2022
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
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.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
I have been visited Chemas by the Sea last November 7 with my family to bond with them . I am very satisfied with their services because most of the staff in their resort are very welcoming and approaching, they really do their job very well because when they serve their customers we can feel very comfortable and feel like our only home. I am very thankful for their services because you would never being disatisfied when you visit Chemas by the Sea.
Read more
Date of stay: November 2021Trip 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.
Helpful
Chema's by the Sea has always been known to value their customers' privacy, safety and their deserve to relax. And, with their excellent service, breathtaking location and superb food, they surely is the best place anyone can go to escape. They continuously upgrade their amenities to cater the needs of all their customers. BEACH & POOL: white sand is perfect. You can see that staff cleans the shoreline for any dirt that might have drift unto it. Despite arriving in the resort during the low tide, we make used with the pool (salt water). It almost feels like you were on the shore. We enjoyed the pool that we lost track of the time. They also have a fresh water pool in the upper portion of the resort. FOOD: Just "WOW". The food was super delicious and worth every penny! Alam mo di ka tinipid sa ingredients 👍 Order nga kami ng order. Our favorite was the Clubhouse Sandwich and fries. Unfortunately, their must try Taco was not available, but it is surely something to look forward to in the future. STAFF: All were truly accommodating. Mich, the one who fetched us, was so patient and understanding when we arrived late (but we informed her ahead of time that we would be late due to traffic). Sir Joseph, who was assigned to assist us in our needs, he was so quick to respond to our requests. Sir Camo and Sir Julius, in -charge of the resort, (but i believe different dept) who would check on us from time to time, give us insights about the resort and they unselfishly offered their assistance to us. I could go on and on, but its better that you experience it yourself. 😁 Visit Chemas by the Sea!…
Read more
Date of stay: August 2021Trip 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.
Helpful
If you artsy and want to upload nice pictures in your social media account, this is the place to be. I and my friends were just on a day tour, but we really enjoyed the place. The pool and beach is very nice. You can walk around while enjoying fresh air and nature. Only problem encountered was the delay in the boat transfer, but definitely something we overlooked upon arriving. The staff were also very nice and accommodating.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2020
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.
Helpful
Took a short boat ride from the Waterfront Insular Hotel to the beach. The water was clear but cold. There is a swimming pool as an alternative to the sea. The beach area was very clean and good to walk around although it was rather short. Ordered food from the restaurant, very good food. Don't miss the banana fritters!
Read more
Date of stay: February 2020
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.
Helpful
PRICE RANGE
$152 - $210 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
chema`s by the sea hotel samal island
LOCATION
PhilippinesMindanaoDavao del Norte ProvinceSamal Island
NUMBER OF ROOMS
7
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.
Claim Your ListingCHEMA'S BY THE SEA - UPDATED 2023 Hotel Reviews & Price Comparison (Samal Island, Philippines) - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Chema's by the Sea
Which popular attractions are close to Chema's by the Sea?
Nearby attractions include D' Bone Collector Museum (6.8 km), Abreeza Mall (5.8 km), and People's Park (6.8 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Chema's by the Sea?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include a pool, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
What food & drink options are available at Chema's by the Sea?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and a poolside bar during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Chema's by the Sea?
Conveniently located restaurants include Madayaw Cafe, Waling Waling Cafe - Acacia Hotel Davao, and Siam Lounge.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Chema's by the Sea?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Chema's by the Sea?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Filipino.
Are there any historical sites close to Chema's by the Sea?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Japanese Tunnel (11.5 km).
Does Chema's by the Sea have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the ocean view available here.