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4.0
#10 of 20 resorts in El Nido
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
One of El Nido's first accommodations, MaryGold (formerly Marina Garden) is located right on the beach near everything you could need for your visit. Rooms are simple and clean. Ideal for the families, friends, and middle-of-the-road traveler.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Centrally Located
Harbor View
Languages Spoken
Filipino
Location
1Calle, 17 B, C. Hama, El Nido, Palawan Island 5313 Philippines
MaryGold Beachfront Inn
387 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
we stayed at Marina Garden Beach Resort April 28-May 2, 2015 and i'm glad i booked at this resort. staff are very polite, helpful and attentive, i booked 2 deluxe rooms for 4 nights for 8 pax, unfortunately due to schedule problem, only 6 pax were there on May 28, the other 2 pax followed on April 29, since they've already computed the hotel bill before the change of # of person, i asked for a recomputation as there'll be only 6 pax for the first night, they gladly acceded and i was impressed by that whenever we needed something such as request for towels and rugs, they were quick to act on it, bravo to the staff my sons love their breakfast (bacon, egg, bread, 3-1 coffee and butter), for me, it's just ok, i like their longganisa with egg, but i would love it more if it comes with brewed coffee, they gave us 3-1 instant nescafe coffee, you've to pay for the brewed coffee. the best rooms for me are room 1 and 2 deluxe rooms with a single and double bed, best for 3 pax, we're 4 per rooms, they gave us a mattress for the extra pax, a little bit crowded for 4 pax. the best part of the resort is their beach front beach chairs, hammock where you can while away you time and relax, with a wire fench for added security and privacy, there's also a security guard on duty 24/7. their rooms are clean but rather small, as i've said, deluxe room is best for 3 pax only, the toilet and bathroom is also clean with soap and tissue paper provided (no toothpast, shampoo and tooth brush though), my only problem is the low water pressure, making taking bath time longer. El Nido's electricity is now 24/7, making guests more comfortable during our stay there i advice against swimming on the beach as it is full of bancas moored along the whole stretch of the beach, not only is it dangerous due to danger of getting hit by the bancas, there's also the cleanliness concerns (boat engine oil, gasoline), better get your swimming and snorkeling fix on clean and pristine coves and beaches during the island hopping i suggest get Tour A, Tour C and don't ever leave without the Nacapn twin beach tour which i think got the best beach. for tour operator, i suggest get those small tour operators in El Nido town, the biggest tour operator Northern Hope Tour is just ok, but they've a hard time handling the volume of tours such that i encountered logistics problem with this tour operator (they can also start tour @9:30am unlike other small tour operator who can start the tour by 8am, special food requests got overlooked i guess due also to the volume of tours they are handling, they wouldn't provide towels for the tours unless you strongly insisted on it), but their staff are very friendly, polite and helpful, special mention to their guide Arnel, a really nice and cool guy : ) who would go out of his way just to ensure the enjoyment and satisfaction of his guests i would definitely return to this nice resort.
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Date of stay: April 2015
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.
Location of MG is really excellent and that is all. Very basic accomodation (rooms are dark, AC is loud). Front office staff seems to be bored all the time. Breakfast is included, simple but quite good. Coffee is horrible (instant Nescafe 3in1). I think there are better places to stay in El Nido.
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Date of stay: November 2012
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.
OVERALL IMPACT: AWESOME!!! Although there are other hotels and inns in the area, there is no need for me to try those as I have found my home in El Nido - Marina Garden Beach Resort, I will choose to stay here rain or shine ;)
LOCATION What I love + 10 steps away from where the boats for island hopping tours are. + 10 steps away from the seashore - beach front! + It's right in the middle of where the best restaurants are in El Nido. + 1 trike away from the van and bus terminals (You can actually just walk but since we have a lot of bags to carry, trike trip would just be a 5 minute ride.). + There are hammocks tied to coconut trees where you can smoke, relax, nap or stargaze at at night. + There are tanning beds at the seashore where you can smoke,relax and nap, etc.
What could have made it better * None
ROOM What I love + WIFI ZONE!!! They have 3 routers that you can even surf at the seashore. + Pastel colors of blue, yellow, white and green... These colors make the room very relaxing. + Room was not cramped. It was spacious enough for 2 people to walk around the room without bumping to each other. + There is a bedside table and a separate table where we could leave the laptop - No need to surf on your bed. + There are a lot of outlets in the room for charging batteries, etc, easy to find and the places were not odd. + There is a mirror in the bedroom for dressing up and in the bathroom for brushing your teeth. + There are a lot of hooks to hang your clothes on in the bathroom. + There is a pail and dipper even if they have cold shower. + Bedsheets and pillows were white, smell good and clean - does not smell like it has been kept in a closet for decades. + I slept like a baby in all the 3 nights that we stayed in Marina Garden despite the fact that it rained all those nights with strong winds which we've only found out the following morning as the guests from other hotels complained about being woken up by the rain hitting their rooms and howling wind. + There are wooden couches just outside the room where you can smoke and chill if you don't want to stay in the room while waiting for your company to get done.
What could have made it better * I'm hoping the next time I return, hot and cold shower is already available in all rooms (Some have hot and cold shower) as the one I stayed at there's none available BUT the good thing was you can ask them to boil water for taking a bath for FREE! * Since there is no electricity in El Nido from 6AM-3PM (PALECO - Palawan Electric Company can't provide electricity 24 hours yet.), it would have been nice if emergency lights or battery operated lamps are available in the bathroom (I'm not sure if the other rooms have those) for day use as I remember leaving the bathroom and main room doors open to let in some light so my pee will go where it's supposed to go to. Haha.) - They have a generator which they turned on when PALECO failed to make the electricity return by 3PM, but to save on time and energy, mini battery operated lamps will do ;)
CUSTOMER SERVICE What I love + EXCELLENT customer service - Everyone was smiling, approachable, accommodating, conversational, warm... I could go on and on. In short, I don't have anything bad to say. The owner socialized to the guests too which we only found out later on that he was the owner. + Reaction time was REAL-TIME, in short, no delays. I asked for something and it was there in a heartbeat. I don't remember ever being impatient as there was no need to. + We thought we had an outlet trouble in the room, on top of the electrician working on it, the owner was right there as well to attend to us (That's how we found out it's not an outlet problem but PALECO failed to put back the electricity on time.). They allowed us to charge the laptop, digicam, DSLR at the front desk as they've already turned on the generator.
What could have made it better + None
BREAKFAST What I love + Food was served warm and perfectly cooked. + You can have breakfast delivered in your room or eat at the beach front which is the better option. + Coffee was served early. They packed our breakfast on our last day as we had to leave at 5AM complete with utensils and tissue. Isn't that great?! Just like how mom's would do it - Never let you leave home with an empty stomach ;)
PRICE What I love + For all the good things my friends and I experienced, I still find it cheap.
What could have made it better * None
When I go back to El Nido, I will demand that I stay in Marina Garden Beach Resort ;)
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Date of stay: September 2011
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.
Let me start by saying that I travel all the time for my work and pleasure. I have stayed in different type of accommodations, anywhere from hostels to a Five-Diamond hotel and visited third to first world countries. I can make a difference between reality and unrealistic travellers expectations.
LOCATION: I give +5*. You can't get any better than this place. Its right in the core of the city with restaurants, market etc and directly on the beach. If you do tours, no need to walk or take a tricycle. The boats are right there! The location of this hotel is perfect.
ROOMS/HOTEL: Okay, people need to remember it's a third world country, not Cancun and not a resort town. If you are expecting all of the above, El Nido is not for you. The rooms are basics. Like going to a cottage. It's clean and comfortable. Shower is hot with good pressure. AC was great. Room was quiet and I felt safe. I like that they don't automatically do room service everyday as it's bad for the environment to do so.
I of course would never book this if I was in Punta Cana for example as I have higher expectation for other destinations as such but would definitely stay there without hesitation if going back to El Nido. It's better than I was expecting. I really liked the Marygold.
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Date of stay: January 2019
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 stayed in this hotel several years ago when their name was still different. I love the feel of the place - it's a small resort where everyone is friendly and you feel at home straight away. They have new cottages which are bigger than the old ones, nonetheless, the even the old rooms (where we stayed because they are cheaper) are very clean and decent. I love eating breakfast every morning because breakfast is served by the beachfront where you can watch other tourists waiting for their island-hopping tours. I recommend booking tours through the resort because they know the reliable tour operators and their price is very reasonable. It was a very relaxing vacation for my husband and myself because you can just stay on their hammocks or lounge chairs and the light breeze will put you to sleep. After your nap you can have "halo-halo", fruit shakes and some snacks from their nipa hut. Although the resort is centrally located, it is quiet and very secure. The resort has generators which very important because, unfortunately, the island still suffers from power failure especially in the summer. I will recommend this place to those who do not want to spend a fortune but still enjoy the beauty of El Nido.
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Date of stay: March 2018
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.
My hubby and I were very happy we booked in this resort. We went to El Nido for a 3D2N stay through a travel agency. Like what every traveller should do especially if it's a first-time trip in the area, I searched the internet and saw good reviews of Marina Garden. I am pleased to say that the pictures I saw were much the same as what we enjoyed.
We arrived at the resort at around 130am after a tiring Roro bus ride from Puerto Princesa (we were not able to catch the last Van trip which was more comfortable.) Yes, the whole town was asleep when we got there except for a few people lingering the streets. We were scared the tricycle driver might take us to a different place, however we were glad to see that the resort entrance was fronting the police station. We knocked at the bamboo gate and the guard was expecting us, gave us our room key. We took the De Luxe room which I heard has a great view of the beach especially in the morning.
We awoke that morning because of the power failure which occurs daily at 6am-2pm. And again, it helps that one reads reviews so one would expect events as these hence not spoiling your trip whining. We got up early because it was hot inside the room. And there I saw the beautiful El Nido morning in the beachfront. There are 2 hammocks where you can lazily doze off. There are seats fronting the shoreline where we had coffee. Guests from the nearby resorts also spend time at the Marina Garden during breakfast because of the cozy view. We had free breakfast which was not that extravagant but was satisfying enough.
We opted for a private island hopping tour of packages A and C. Usually, tour of 5 islands per package (A, B and C) is done for 1 day. However, because we had limited time and wouldn't want to waste it (you'll never know if you'll get another chance to go back), and since it is a private one, we requested 2 island tour packages; we added a minimal amount though but it was worth it. We didn't have to wait for other guests to finish eating or taking pictures or swimming before we get to another destination. It was a wise choice because we had all the time to linger around. Because of this, we were to leave early at around 8am which didn't give time for our tour guide to prepare our (free) lunch. So we gave her money to buy us anything we can have for lunch and asked her to prep for the supposed lunch for dinner instead, which they gladly prepared in the resort mini-resto free of corkage fee. Marina Garden only serves and cooks breakfast. You can have lunch or dinner in the nearby restaurants/resorts.
We enjoyed our island tour; we were awed by the rock formations and views we saw hence texted the rest of our family of 25pax who were touring in PPC to try el nido too. We extended our accomodation for another day however our room was already booked for the next day so we transferred to another room on the roadside which was also cozy and clean. We were lucky that other bookings were cancelled hence were given to us for our relatives who were coming. They have a fan room which is not that warm in the afternoons because it's made of bamboo/wood.
On our second morning, we got the chance to roam around and saw the rest of the nearby resorts. We found out that Marina Garden has the best beachfront view indeed since there are few boats "parked" hence water was not 'oily'. We also noted a seemingly sewage water flowing from one of the expensive hotels in the other side of the shoreline. This was very surprising especially that it was obviously a far more classy resort than Marina Garden, but their beachfront was not looked after.
All in all, Marina Garden Resort added to our enjoyable and comfortable stay in El Nido. One can book straight to them and request for tour guides to arrange your tours for you. This is far cheaper. (I am commending Mharj Salvador, our licensed tour guide who was honest and very helpful; she did the bargaining and little errands for us. She is known to the staff of the resort.)Whether you are booked through a travel agency or straight to them, the room rates are the same. Apparently, they do not allow second parties to increase their rates.
I am a traveller and I value the worth of the money I spend everytime I visit places. I hope I did justice to the excellent service we got from the people of El Nido. I will definitely go back to Palawan because of these memories.
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Date of stay: May 2012
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 will be short and sweet. Since our stay was just as short but not very sweet though that we had to walk for an hour to look for another hotel in town. BEDROOM: We stayed in one of the beachfront suites. old and badly needs renovation. cramped. moldy. paper thin curtains that gave me allergies. porch chairs too dirty to sit on. porch not facing the beach. no view whatsoever- ugly fence blockling it. BATHROOM: very small and the only tiny window that would provide ventilation was too rusty to open. water pressure very weak that heater would malfunction. STAFF: worst customer service you will find. you can check out the other reviews to find out. never smiled nor greeted the guests. very opposite from their attitude on the phone/online while aranging the booking. FOOD: breakfast took an hour to prepare. and food portion was half the average. TIP: no need to stay in beachfront resorts since you'll be on an island hopping all day. ac rooms available at only 1000/day or less in many other inns in town. town is very small and everything is walking distance wherever you stay.
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Date of stay: March 2011
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.
Our group of 11 pax had a pleasant stay here. Employees are accommodating. Glad they have recently started to accept credit card payments. Place is near many eating places and small shops. If you truly want to enjoy Palawan, choose to spend your money on the island or inland tours rather than on super expensive accommodations.
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Date of stay: May 2016
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 honestly have no clue why people are saying this resort is clean. It's not. When I post reviews, I make sure they are objective, but I can't help but express my disappointment towards Marina Garden. I also have good things to say about the resort, so I'll start with that: 1. Coffee - they serve really good coffee in a French press and it's one of the best I've ever had. This is probably my favorite part of the resort. 2. Staff - The people were all nice. I couldn't blame them for the disappointment I had towards Marina as they were just following orders. They had nothing to do with poor facilities. 3. Breakfast - Really good breakfast served on the beach.
Now, the sad part :( 1. Dirty - I think the resort thought of a really nice concept for the room's interior design. It was supposed to have a fusion of modern and vintage styles, with bright colors like white and baby blue dominating the room. However, this theme only works if the room is kept clean. I don't understand why the room was dirty. I asked the staff if there's another room we can transfer to, but there wasn't. The dirty part was the ceiling, so it's not something I can just have them clean without having to change the bed sheets too. The ceiling has clouded dirt that looked like cobwebs. I'll upload photos so you can better understand it. The shower head was rusty. The drains stink. The walls had dirt stains. It was just.. dirty. 2. Shower pressure was a joke - My boyfriend's dad had a really accurate description of the shower pressure. He said it was "enough to get you wet." Honestly though, there was just a drizzle. 3. No basic toiletries - there was just a small bar of Safeguard. What happened to the basic amenities all other resorts provide? 4. Air conditioning - I honestly thought our AC did not work. It barely blew air and was poorly taped to the wall. If only that AC could talk, I'm sure it would have cried for euthanasia. 5. Price - I paid 2150 per night. It wasn't my first time in El Nido so I know there are other resorts that have better facilities, cleaner rooms, and showers that spit more than a drizzle for the same price or even lower.
I will not stay here again. I'd probably come back for their coffee, but will definitely not stay here again. Marina Garden is the type of resort that looks good on their website pictures, but is actually disappointing in actual.
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Date of stay: April 2016
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.
Stayed for two nights in this hotel and staff was very rude... they dont look at you when you speak to them and everytime that you ask for something in the reception they say its not possible, so you have to insist on it time and time again. Breakfast is nice but they take ages to prepare it so order well in advance.
There is no room cleaning here and the bathroom is old and is tiny, the flush didnt work properly either...
Wouldnt stay here again and I am quite surprised it has such good reviews... the place could be great but the bad service makes it a no no for me
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Date of stay: August 2015
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 is not advised, or at least not without a very good shower afterwards. Mind you, getting to some of the island tour boats often requires walking out chest high to get on/off the boat. It offers a pretty view, several restaurants along the beach and is clean at the beach level. Perhaps not for a leisurely swim, but there are 3 other beaches nearby.
Hello!
I paid for our hotel separately. The only package tour I booked with MaryGold Beachfront Inn was the Underground River Tour and Private Van transfer from Puerto Princesa to El Nido (roundtrip).
All the rest of our tours in El Nido were done separately.
Private Van Transfer (roundtrip) PHP 11,000
Underground River Tour PHP 11,700
The total package cost PHP 22,700 for six persons for a day trip.
This private tour was made possible because we traveled as a family of six at that time.
oliveolc from Ontario, Canada
Hello Florencio!
I booked our private van transfer from Puerto to Marygold Inn, El Nido and back with Harbour Bay Travel and Tours (affiliated with Marygold). There were six of us and for a roundtrip I paid 11,000 Philippine pesos at that time. Go to MaryGold website. E-mail them (they're prompt to respond) and ask if they have a public van transfer which will be cheaper if you are traveling alone.
Hope this will help!
oliveolc
Ontario, Canada
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