First, I would like to say that our family (a group of 13) enjoyed our short stay at the resort this past month. The place is beautiful and serene. We visited during a non-peak time of the year and were lucky to have the place to ourselves and a few others. I did send an email to tugawecoveresort@gmail.com but did not get a response yet.
What made our visit worthwhile aside from the scenery is the warmth of the staff and their willingness to go above and beyond their duty. Rio (sp?) deserves kudos for his management style and customer service. He handled issues well, such as an issue with a guest who had a clogged toilet.
His efforts to make sure that we did have a pleasant stay eclipses the minor inconveniences which I will mention in this email.
Our trip started with some items that I hope management will take seriously in rectifying.
1. We were picked up late from Goa, a town a few kilometers from the port. Despite very specific directions (including a map and a phone call), the driver sped past our residence.
2. Despite the number of guests specified in our reservation, there was only one boat docked and ready to transport us. We refused to leave in a boat equipped to have 12 person maximum occupancy for safety reasons. This is a huge liability for your company if accidents happen. I understand that the Phil Coast Guard May issue a citation in such a circumstance. You may want to consider having an office in Talisay to troubleshoot issues like this.
3. The resort brochure advertises the convenience of wifi in the game room when there was none. I understand that this was a complaint in 2013. With people, particularly the young adults, being so dependent nowadays on the Internet, management should consider looking at viable options to have it or delete the wifi amenity from the brochure altogether. The beauty of the resort and the neighboring islands should be enough to draw more clients and not false advertising.
4. The advertisement needs to provide a disclaimer regarding the terrain for the seniors and the handicapped. I believe that there is a lift for this purpose but it was out of order.
5. More entertainment options in the game room like playing cards, mahjong, ping pong. More music options, so the guests do not have to listen to a short, recycling playlist.
6. The bathrooms in rooms 210 and 209 and maybe others, do not have a sliding door to contain the water in the shower. They may originally have it. As a cheaper alternative, maybe shower curtains can do the job. A wet floor that can cause falls may be a source of law suits for the resort. I think this should fall high in management's priority list of to dos.
7. Periodic maintenance, if not done routinely, should also be high in their list. Our TV was not working but a technician fixed it within an hour of our call. Our toilet was ok but one of the cottages our group occupied needed work.
As I mentioned, these were minor inconveniences. These were the great points:
1. The welcome banana fritters and the lemonade were a hit.
2. The food was great. Service was wonderful - with Jeramie as our frequent server. She was pleasant and very professional.
3. The island hopping experience was awesome according to the kids. Jomar did a phenomenal job leading the activity.
4. Erwin was also very helpful and very knowledgeable.
5. Again, Rio deserves the accolades. He clearly is empowered to please his guests. During our checkout process, there was a starter malfunction with one of the boats so 10 out of the 13 people in our group were stranded for 4 hours. He was quick to offer a complimentary lunch with our choice of dishes including the famous banana fritters as the dessert. He also asked Erwin to give us a tour of the lighthouse area and the observation deck. That was a nice touch.
6. The massage service was very relaxing. Mercy and Judy(?) were efficient and very professional.
I am open to recommending the resort to friends and family. I believe my sister has already made plans to come back with her husband and kids. The resort services and facilities may not be as fancy as a 4 or 5 star entity yet but it is on the right track. I am proud that Bicolandia has a resort such as Tugawe Cove Resort.
