Okay, I didn't know this resort would be mainly couples and honeymooners as I went with 2 friends. We weren't uncomfortable though and met lots of nice people from across the globe and 1 couple from the US. This resort can only be reached by boat, so it is very secluded. We stayed in bungalow #2. It was rustic, but beautiful and right on the beach. Everyone who worked in the resort was friendly and very accommodating. We ate most meals at the resort which was pretty good. We had happy hour at the pier bar every day which was from 4-7pm. They had half off certain drinks and food specials. It was very nice relaxing, enjoying a great drink and watching the sunset. You can snorkel right in front of the resort which was so cool! We snorkeled for 2 hours!! The best is right by the floating bungalows where they did massages. Speaking of massages....OMG! It was heaven!! Very affordable and different. When you lie face down, you look into a cut out in the floor, so you can view the water and fish swimming by. I loved it!! We did an island hopping tour and it was not an issue coming from this resort. When we got into Coron town and passed by all the hotels in that area, we were so glad and thankful we chose El Rio Y Mar. Coron Town is very dirty, dusty, full of young backpackers and the hotels look subpar. It's fine if you're on a budget. I get it, but us girls/mom/friends wanted to treat ourselves. That we did! One day we went on a guided hike to the top of a closeby mountain. The view was fantastic!! I highly recommend this resort and would definitely return.…
The best customer experience we ever had! the school of fishes within the resort are amazing, very quite, very clean and well maintained rooms and outdoor surroundings. Our island trip organized by them is one of the best experience we had in our Coron trip. Kudos to El Rio highly recommended
The photos on TripAdvisor truly do not do this resort justice. Almost everything about our stay here was perfect, especially the beauty of the property and the welcoming staff. GETTING THERE The property is only reachable via boat, so you need to arrange transfer via the resort. We flew into Busuanga Airport and were happy that it only took a ten minute car ride and ~20 minute boat ride through mangroves, which was perfect after a long day of travel. When you arrive at the resort, there are musicians who welcome you with a song and a host who greets you with a cold drink and towel to give you an overview. ROOM/SUITE We stayed in a Cedar Cabana, which was perfect and homey and felt like we paid way more for it than we actually did. We appreciated touches throughout, such as a huge walk-in closet, super comfortable bed, air conditioning, and a porch with a hammock, dining set, and beach chairs. It was also kept extremely clean by housekeeping. The only complaint I have about this property is that we couldn't get the hot water to work in the shower, even after maintenance came. Not sure if we were just being lazy or what, but it was only a minor drawback to us since we didn't spend much time in our room anyway. FOOD AND BAR Since the resort is so secluded, you have to eat at the restaurant for all meals. All the food was delicious and affordable and there was a huge variety to choose from. I also have to give a shout-out to the awesome musicians who go around taking requests during dinner, they are truly talented and I really enjoyed listening to them every night while we ate. There are also two bars, our favorite one was at the end of the pier as you could watch the fish swimming by at night while enjoying a drink/snacks. POOL AND BEACH We made a lot of use of both the pool and the beach during our stay. The beach was fairly small but there weren't a lot of people at the resort anyway so we never felt crowded. There are also some corals/fishes in the water that make for decent snorkeling trips. The resort also has kayaks, stand up paddleboards, and other water equipment you can borrow at no charge, which we appreciated. TOURS We did the Coron Island Tour and our tour guide made it truly fantastic. You visit a hot spring, three lakes, and a snorkeling site. While we felt going to three lakes in a row was a little bit repetitive, we still enjoyed the tour overall and the lunch that was provided was delicious. What made it a five-star tour was our tour guide Andrew, who went above and beyond multiple times to make it a fun tour for everyone involved. We had an elderly woman on our tour and I watched Andrew carefully guide her through all the stairs, swims, and getting on/off the boat so she could enjoy the tour like everyone else. At the snorkeling site, my husband's brand-new snorkel came unattached from his mask and we thought it was lost for good, but Andrew spent most of the visit looking for it and dove deep to retrieve it for us, which allowed my husband to enjoy the last few minutes of snorkeling with everyone else. We had a very peaceful and enjoyable time at El Rio y Mar. If you are looking for a fast-paced, party place, this is not for you. If you are like us and looking for a relaxing place to unwind. this resort is perfect. I hope we can return again soon.…
Last-minute booking and were lucky they still had a spot for family of 4. While it was already highly-rated on TA, I must say the whole family was still impressed when we got there. From its idyllic location - secluded and in a cove with nice hill backdrop, to the welcome we received, through to the staff attentiveness and service. Thet, & Erica, and the front desk team - top service! Kuya Darren was our guide for a day - couldn't ask for a better guide. Day trip was very organised: transfers, boat hire for the day, snorkling gear, fins, vests, lunch, and the must-see itinerary for first-timers like us. As we had Darren to ourselves, we were able to tweak the itinerary slightly to our liking, ie stayed in some spots longer, and skip the Coron town proper for souvenir shopping. The rooms were clean and well-maintained. Wouldn't mind if they've refurbished by my next visit though :). As the resort was isolated, you had to rely on their restaurant, but they did have a good choice selection, and they mixed up their breakfast buffets daily. The second (and last) night of our stay, they celebrated Chinese New Year. Nice buffet setup on the beach, with cultural program, and fireworks. They charged more for this obviously, but we were just out there to enjoy the whole experience. The whole family had an amazing time here - keep up the good work guys! Rene…
We started our honeymoon here after a colleague gave rave reviews of the resort. The photos do not do it justice. It’s a beautiful, well-run resort on a quiet bay with friendly staff. You can snorkel or kayak in front of the property, lounge by the pool, see an amazing sunrise from their hiking trail, get massages, and arrange day trips for diving. This seems to be a popular spot for families with young children so expect kids playing games in the pool. The food was good and reasonably priced. There’s a variety of western, Chinese, and Filipino options. All in all, we loved our time and wish we stayed longer than 3 nights!
My only difficulty with this place is that it is isolated, so you have to use their restaurant for all meals which only opened at meal times. (I could not do my usual late lunch / early dinner at around 5:00 pm.) The advantage of that is that I could order a bottle of wine and drink it over several meals. The staff felt as if they really wanted you to have a good stay and I liked the food at their restaurant. The breakfast buffet changed daily, and they made egg dishes to order. Some of the cabins are a five minute walk from the restaurant / bar. I was quite happy with that as it meant they were quieter, and I'm always happy to walk, but it could be a problem with some people. A long way from the most glittering resort I ave stayed at, but I prefer the smaller size and more rustic charm. The snorkelling was not overwhelming, but I am finding few places are any more.…
The hotel is situated on a little island side in Coron far away from the town - which was very convenient for us as a getaway vacation. We loved the little beach and nice pool - staff were really awesome and friendly. Food was quite good and of nice variety. Views from the room were brilliant although the room itself is old and outdated - nothing fancy here but yet it was comfy and clean. We would go there again as the experience of small hotels has its advantage over the big ones.
Stayed at the hotel for 6 nights to unwind after visiting several islands in the Philippines. We took the 4 hour ferry (Interesting experience - not to be repeated) from El Nido to Coron Port and arranged a pick up through the hotel. Really enjoyed the 10 minute boat ride to the hotel and the wonderful welcome by the musicians and staff. Stayed in a Casa Deluxe room on the first floor overlooking the sea. Spacious, clean and comfortable with a fridge, coffee making facilities and a balcony. The food at the hotel was great - relatively inexpensive with a wide range of both local and international cuisine. We also enjoyed the breakfasts. We made daily use of the paddle boards and kayaks and the sea was calm and easy to negotiate. Found the snorkelling a bit disappointing as I was stung numerous times by small plankton/jellyfish, and this was at the end of the jetty. I understand that is a seasonal problem - so cover up if you snorkel in November. There is a walk at the back of the hotel up the steep hill to a peak which afforded great views of the hotel and surrounding islands. This walk is not for the faint hearted - especially in the heat! There is a resident doctor at the hotel who was charming and very helpful. My wife enjoyed two massages - one on a floating massage hut a short boat ride from the jetty. We both enjoyed having cocktails during happy hour at the jetty bar. What is outstanding about the hotel is the level of customer service - provided by all staff - which was excellent at all times. And the resident trio of musicians made every evening dinner a worthwhile and enjoyable event. Thank you.…
We went for our honeymoon there and it was such a great experience. Starting from how they welcome you until you leave, everything is amazing. People, food, location and facilities everything was great.
If you're looking for a beach wedding reception, this is your spot! We stayed at El Rio y Mar for 4 days in October for a wedding reception and had the most amazing of times. The place was heavenly, everything was maintained nice and tidy. The staff and service were outstanding on all levels, most especially the service on the evening beach wedding reception event. Special shout-out to Erica at front desk, Thet, Cyrine and the talented guitarist titos! The food was superb, it was also nice that the buffet variety was different every day. It was great to be able to rent snorkel and paddle equipment for free. And also, there's a nice hiking trail up a mountain near the resort, perfect for early birds to start off the mornings with. El Rio y Mar is also a perfect place to "disconnect" from the world for a moment, and I dream of going back in the near future just to do that.…
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