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Seafari Resort Oslob is an adventure resort where you can also dine and relax away from the busy world, and ..... At affordable and reasonable prices considering what you get for your money!
If you want to swim or dive with whale sharks, this is the place.
If you want to experience clean water and fresh air, this is the place.
If you want to enjoy amazing natural 300 ft high waterfalls, this is the place.
If you want to enjoy white beach, swimming and sun bathing, this is the place
If you want to watch the sea turtle home in front of our beach, this is the place
If you want to enjoy ambiance, privacy, dine and relax, this is the place.
Our staff will make your stay amazing, fantastic and unforgettable, they are friendly and helpful and will make you feel at home....
In short: If you want a memorable stay in the Philippines, this is the place to be!
So, the breakfast is too poor, almost nothing and it is important when you dont really have big choice around. Rooms were too small and pay attention, in some websites they havent mentioned that they dont have air cond. In some rooms. Also, pools are not that clean and they dont have beach, or I cant call it beach at all :) About stairs I cant complain, cause it was mentioned in all reviews and its good for your muscles :) but yes, if you arent strong enough - be warned about this loongest and terrible stairs. Reception guys were nice and friendly, also price was reasonable and surrounding also fine. Overall rating can be something satisfying.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip 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.
I usually don't bother with negative reviews but I took notes to make sure I got this one right! It's Dictated into Dragon NaturallySpeaking so please excuse any weird errors. Maybe my expectations were set too high since the night before I was in a lovely Oceanside hostel in Buljoon run by a Dutch man and his Filipina wife. In fact, we ended up hanging out there for the two days we spent in this hotel!
To begin, we were spending well about $120 per night for two adults and one child. Theoretically this was for an extra bed but what we got was a thin mattress like they used on the pool loungers at a more expensive South African run boutique hotel down the road (we spent a day snorkeling there for a small day rate). Yes, I realize the hotel is on stairs but on Corrigador (a relatively expensive hotel with a captive market) they simply stacked two of them up which made quite a comfortable bed). For that money, we got mismatched furnishings, furniture and drapes that were never altered so they drove the ground by a foot, etc., minimal amenities (no room phone, etc.) A window unit so small that even in the winter could not call the room on full blast (no remote to control it) including during the day and one sheet each. We were told we could have a blanket but that that would be an extra charge so we declined it on principle and it turned out not to be necessary since the air conditioner was so pitiful. I called them several times to make sure they knew we were going to be arriving late, something we'd never do add a guest house but felt free to do at a hotel that was costing 3 times as much as The Crown Regency (beautiful international style rooms, two huge queen beds per room, lots of amenities, and the kind of furnishings you'd expect a four five-star hotel plus all kinds of entertainment on the top floor). After the first time, I could never get an answer again even though only about 9 PM when we were wanting to leave. Finally we decided to go ahead and go. AAs we drove there we kept trying to call every number provided mobile and landline and could not get a hold of anyone. Eventually we found the place (the signs actually well lit but a bit further from Oslob than we had expected) and saw what looked like a locked gate. Luckily my husband tinkered around and figured out the lock was only closed, not locked. We let ourselves in leaving her car outside for the night and started down the very dark stairs with a tiny flashlights and cell phones we carried. There was no clearly marked route so we wound up in the construction area, turned around and eventually found our way all the way down the 200 or so stairs (holding onto the railing except when we hit sharp jagged edges… In the morning it turns out all the finials were off leaving jagged metal at the top) to the restaurant which was also closed up and dark. I found a door that look more personalized than the others and with dogs barking behind it and started banging on it hoping it was a caretaker and it was. By now it was 10 something but we had started calling at 9 PM or so. After some discussion he led us up to our rooms and provided that thin mattress any information about the extra charge for blankets (I was so taken aback that I confirmed the next morning at the restaurant/reception and yes, it really was true and they would not bend on it.) We also learned that there probably almost paren almost certainly) would not be paddleboats to Oslob since the water is rough. We were disappointed since that was the main reason we were there though they certainly can't control the weather. We also had him bring down our suitcases. That elevator/luggage lift that the website says will be there by 2013 isn't.
The next day we went up to the top to find out about the free ride to Oslob but no one could understand what we meant so we just got in our car and went. That worked out very well because we got there very early. It turns out it's not that far distance and you have to go through processing at a covered center so the paddleboat would be of negligible benefit. We had harbored secret hopes of private encounters with whale sharks as we paddled but even if we'd seen them, they would've been making a beeline for the center since that's where they chum the water. (I probably won't bother with review but we actually really liked the experience). Since we didn't want to tackle the stairs, we went did all the other things we wanted to do for the day using my favorite youth hostel as a base for eating, changing, etc. to avoid climbing back down and up from our room. Finally made one last climb down. That night looked around and discovered that the hot tub was empty and the two pools really murky. They claim that they refill them from ocean water every night but since we were there to evenings and up quite late and up early in the morning I'm pretty certain that's not true. The next morning we had the free breakfast and, to their credit, they let our picky daughter have pancakes rather than the full breakfast that combined eggs she was allergic to with meats she didn't like :-)
Overall, this is a vastly overpriced and very inconvenient hotel. We saw two much better options personally and there are plenty of other hotels in the area with seaside views. Believe me you're not going to want to swim in a pool. Even our 12-year-old declined. There are buses running back and forth constantly and tricycles as well. Far better to pay for one of those than to overpay so horrendously for such a low quality experience. You shouldn't but could probably arrange for private taxi on top of your room charge somewhere else and come out ahead!
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Date of stay: December 2014
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Consider the sheer number of stairs and whether you are most likely to be going up to the road or...
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.
After personal contact with the Dutch owner we booked two rooms for our 5 day stay. The location is fantastic and being aware of the 198 steps down (and up) this was no big problem. The accomodation itself was good but here stop the positive comments. The place is very poorly run. The Dutch owner has no idea how this place should be run. The staff is not trained, the food is very poor, the rooms are not cleaned during a five day stay and to have one towel during a five day stay in tropical environment with pools and beach is absurt! The owner does not appear to be interested to take not of how little things could make an improvement. While we visit Oslob on a regular basis we shall certainly not stay here again and we advice other people to think twice before booking.
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Date of stay: January 2014
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:Rooms near the beach.
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.
Don't book anything at this hotel. They refuse to give refunds for bookings that were COVID restricted. We booked a stay for 3/16-18 but couldn't travel as COVID hit the Philippines only 2 days before this booking. They will not refund my money even though COVID restrictions wouldn't allow anyone to travel. This is clearly wrong. It sounds like the owner of this property has a pretty poor reputation for service.
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Date of stay: March 2020
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Do not book anything with the hotel. Ever!
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 are staying nearby in a hotel and we had a trip down the stairs to have a look for a beach. We came across this place and thought we can just chill out on the sun beds as there was no one around.
We sat down and a woman came by and said we need a minimum spend of 1000 pesos and we can stay there. We thought yeah no problem, it's 5 of us and we were going to order drinks and food anyway. We had drinks, had food and went back on the sun beds.
That's when member of staff came within 5 minutes with the bill, and said we need to leave now. We explained what was told to us and he said he will speak to someone. Then this old guy came over, and literally said "You need to pay and then leave" THAT WAS THE OWNER!!!!. No introduction or explanation at all!. He then says it is 750 pesos per person to stay there?! So we explained again the deal and he begins to argue with us. The rudest owner I have ever met. We explained to him that if we knew the ridiculous price beforehand we wouldn't have stayed in his "resort".
We asked how many guests there is, and he replied 3. So we were the only people spending money there and he wanted us out. Safe to say, we paid our bill and left immediately.
What poor poor customer service, the "owner".
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip 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.
this was a perfect stay for us, and the one thing to remember is you are not going to get a five star resort in the Philippines this far south. they were very friendly staff. We enjoyed the food, and if you catch a nice day and it’s not too rough it’s a beautiful place to relax and take a swim. there were a lot of sea turtles to see very close to the beach.
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:there are a lot of stairs to get to your room and we do not recommend if you have any kind of...
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 booked a non-refundable 2-nights stay at this hotel. The price wasn't cheap, but the room was so terrible that we left after the first night.
This is a hotel room straight out of your nightmares. Dusty, dirty, and stuffy. Uncomfortable bed and pillows. Moldy stains on the chairs. Disgusting bathroom that looked like it hadn't been cleaned in months. No water pressure so we had to use a pail and dipper for showering. No hot water. The wire screen had holes so insects could get inside. No soundproofing. Had the little television on medium volume, but the person in the next room came knocking to tell me the television was too loud. Photos of the room are here for your guidance.
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Date of stay: August 2015
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Look elsewhere.
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.
*** Arrival / Departure Issues *** We had a long journey to get to Oslob which started from a 2-hour OceanJet ferry from Bohol to Cebu. Then a taxi to Cebu South Bus Terminal to hop on an air-conditioned Ceres bus which took about 3 to 3.5 hours. The convenience of the Ceres bus was being dropped off right in front of the resort. It was about 6pm (dark-time) and were greeted at the entrance / exit / security gate. Two concerns already arose: (#1) We didn’t mind the stairs when booking the hotel but to arrive a night, in the dark, with a 30-degree descent in dimly lit staircases was a bit frightening. They didn’t have a flashlight to offer. I used my iPhone’s flashlight app to make it down safely 250 steps to the 2nd reception area… aka the restaurant. (#2) The first reception at the very top was to simply sign paperwork. To obtain your room key, there was the second reception at their restaurant. At the restaurant, there was little to no room to have a private conversation with the receptionists if you wanted to. The reception seating area is the restaurant seating area so we took a load off as it took some time to check-in as the receptionists had to juggle check-ins and restaurant orders. She didn’t acknowledge our arrival with eye contact or a quick, “I’ll be right with you. Thanks for your patience.” A restaurant patron was also in line to try and order a beverage with the same circumstance. After an early morning, long travel day from Bohol to Oslob, we were very weary by the time we arrived. We’ve already made it down all their steps just to wait for further instructions and our keys, then walk back up the various number of steps we had just passed to our designated room. Talk about a trek to bed. I felt bad for the porter carrying the luggage. With only 13 rooms at this resort, you’d think they could be proactive and organize reception at the top… not only for guests but also for the porter. We tipped him. Upon departure, check-out staff did not have (although we asked) or gave a copy of our hotel receipt. They only had their own copy she exclaimed. What’s so challenging about getting a copy of your hotel receipt?
*** What Comfort & Amenities? *** First impressions of our room: (#1) Thin Curtains: provided little sound proofing since the louvre windows were stuck in the open position (#2) Bedroom Cleanliness: 3 nights / 4 days they never turned our beds or emptied the bathroom waste bin (#3) Sink faucet: a little stronger than a drip… see attached picture (#4) Adequate Size Wardrobe with shelves but only 1 plastic hanger for 2 people… see attached picture (#5) No clock, no radio, no telephone for a $50-$80+ / night resort (#5) No tea/coffee facilities in room (#6) No refrigerator / no mini bar / no complimentary bottled water (#7) Swimming Pool - murky… rather swim in the ocean… don’t know how often they drain and refresh the water. Not in the 4 days we were there. (#8) Jacuzzi - is not a “hot tub” but the same temperature as the pool (#9) TV: smaller than a day backpack and you have to be eye-level to view the screen… see attached picture. How old are these TVs that have viewing angle issues? Seafari only opened March 1, 2013. You can’t snuggle up in bed for the evening and have good visibility of the show.
*** Restaurant / Dining *** It’s recommended and they ask us at dinner time to order breakfast for the following morning with the time you’ll be eating breakfast. You arrive for breakfast at the time specified but it still takes 30-45min to receive it. There wasn’t a time you didn’t have to get someone’s attention to obtain a menu that had to be shared with other guests. They only had 1-2 menus. Getting dinner always took at least 1-1.5hr although they only had 4 options (see attached pictures of their menu options)! I recall our first dinner experience. I asked the waitress if 1 of the 4 dinner choice items was a fish. She said she thinks so. Then, I asked her how they prepared the fish… if it had many bones. She wasn’t sure so I asked her to ask the chef before I ordered it.
*** Poor Management Practices *** How guest complaints are handled? Originally, booking through Agoda who couldn’t do anything about our experiences, the resort assumed we were going to check out after the 2nd day when Agoda contacted them. Sitting for breakfast at the restaurant, the waitress brought us breakfast sandwiches we could eat quickly to catch a bus out. Puzzled I asked, “What happened to the breakfasts we ordered?” The waitress said, “We thought you needed to catch a bus after check-out.” If they assumed we were going to check out early from poor service, this takes the cake. I guess the owner/management thought we didn’t deserve our “complimentary breakfast” (included in our reservation) even before our departure. We corrected the waitress, of course, and told her we still had a few days left at their establishment.
*** Advertised Free WiFi Access That Was Inaccessible *** After 3 days of being unable to do anything from email, research about the area nor get on social media, the manager’s sarcastic reply was, “So… you booked our hotel because of the internet?!” Excuse me but I don’t believe as a traveler, I’m alone in my concern to access the free Wi-Fi advertised about their resort (Google “Travellers Rank Complimentary Wifi as Top Hotel Amenity” or “Free Wi-Fi more important than a good night’s sleep when booking a hotel”). Wifi amongst other reasons is a top criteria when choosing where to stay these days. Could it be we need to work while vacationing, too? How about if we wanted to 2x our flight info and execute a web check-in? How about if we like to monitor our expenses while traveling? Maybe they don’t want you to read about other places to dine other than their hotel? Maybe they don’t want you to find other accommodations which wouldn’t matter because you won’t get refunded if you leave early. Could it be their Wifi is useless because they use a pocket wifi and staff plus their owner Leo Regeer use it above their guests’ needs?! Advertising Free Wifi and having it inaccessible on all three gorgeous, clear, sunny days (no excuse of “weather-related” issues with Wifi) is inexcusable and means you really don’t offer Internet access.
This shows Seafari Resort does not care for guest feedback or satisfaction! A true account of management forgetting hospitality is a “service” industry.
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Date of stay: January 2015
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.
Response from LeoSeafari, Owner at Seafari Resort
Responded Feb 3, 2015
thanks for your comments, we will take care and improve our services! Thanks for posting, this can be an eyeopener. Though you have treatend us to write negative comments because you were pushing us to give you a big discount from us. If it was your way to succeed in your personal plans. there could be mis communications and misunderstandings.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
After a long drive from Cebu city by car to Oslob we were greeted to a resort with no electricity as they were under maintenance we arrived at night which made finding Seafari 's sign board impossible. Then we find out we have to climb down over 200 steps to the resort lobby from the main entrance (handicap access fail). After which they tell us there will be no power all night so no air conditioning but they can give us electric fans as they have a power generator. To top it off the restaurant closes in 30 min and then there will be no food till the next morning. Truly a terrible place. ( fyi - that diesel powered generator of theirs was in front of our rooms buzzing all night long and belching smog)
Tip: Spend a bit more and find a real resort.
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Date of stay: March 2015Trip 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 LeoSeafari, Owner at Seafari Resort
Responded Oct 14, 2015
Unfortunately in Cebu there are many times that we encounter brown out/black out of electricity, mostly for up to 2 hours but sometimes for a whole day, which of course is beyond of our control . Cebu expect to have increase in electricity brwon outs due to fast growing cities from 2016! For this reason we use a generator, which is located 10 meters above resort room levels. We also now can inform our guests that Seafari Resort will build the first big solar plant in the region. This means that Seafari Resort operates solar power which generate all the green electricity needed in the reort by the end of this year 2015. together with our deep well water we are an ECO resort than and do not need a generator anymore. Our Restaurant is open daily from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m!!!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
It pays to have a breathtaking view when checking in a hotel. The view will be your reward! This is how I felt during our stay in Seafari. Here is my FAST review for the resort.
F - Food - Mediocre Filipino / American breakfast, nothing special - Juices and Mango shakes are not appetizing
A - Ambiance - Scenery is perfect - Rooms are bit dated, though they are taking minimal renovations during our stay, however, I am not impressed with the rooms
S - Service - No one greeted us at the Reception upon check in - No luggage assistance was offered upon checking out, considering the steep way out through the stairs - People to commend: Fara and Mel, very respectful and considerate when it comes to guest queries
T- Tips - Advise personnel for your time lf check in, do not rely on the number provided by Agoda. My friends and I checked in very late at 2am (since we came from Malapascua), we tried calling Seafari but no answer, thus no one greeted us upon check in - WIFI connection IS VERY POOR. You cannot connect to WIFI in your room, you have to go to the resto to access the even so slow internet
I will come back for its price and view, but I hope they will make improvements in making service more personalized. 👍👍
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Date of stay: March 2015Trip 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.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands513 contributions81 helpful votes
its 4 hours from terminal. you take the bus that has oslob/bato signage. you can tell the bus conducter you need to go off at seafari, theres a signage of the hotel from the left side of the road, as soon as you see the stairs coming down the beach that is where you need to go off..
There are more places to choose from in the Oslob area.
PRICE RANGE
₱2,061 - ₱2,805 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
PhilippinesVisayasCebu IslandOslob
NUMBER OF ROOMS
30
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.
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