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hotelreview77
Vienna, Austria

Good for diving .. Great Black Labradors!

3.0 of 5 bubblesReviewed Dec 23, 2021
Great diving location in Bauan. The divers seemed to be happy with what they saw and the PADI instructor couple that also runs the accommodation side of the business. I have not gone diving in at least 40 years so I can't comment on the diving part. The accommodation side of the business was very owner/family-centric and ran as an extension. As with all family-operated businesses, there were functional and dysfunctional aspects. A good building needs a good foundation to upscale as does a good business. Some of the staff are very helpful whereas others give you instructions to do the work they are responsible for. I found the front desk very confused and poorly coordinated. Food was good and they try to accommodate your needs when the "right" person is in the kitchen. The trip from Manila takes a good 3.5 to 4 hours and Lipa City traffic in the direction of Manila during weekdays is a good 4 hours plus. They have a nice secured parking lot where you can leave your car. Internet is a bit of an issue and they charge P300 for wifi that's only accessible in the common area with speeds of 700kb. Globe data plans work well enough in the rooms. They keep two very well-behaved black labrador dogs that are delightful. Do come here for the diving. Thank you, Candy and Shale Mae, for your sincere efforts to make us more welcome, and wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Date of stay: December 2021
Room Tip: Avoid rooms next to the common areas. Guitar practice starts at six a.m. and someone else plays...
1.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
3.0 of 5 bubblesService
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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.
Carmela Sevilla, Owner at Portulano Dive Resort, responded to this review
Responded May 31, 2022
Thanks for your review, we will try to figure out how to improve based on it.

In case you still find time please do tell us the experience you had with our frontdesk that was not quite in place so we can improve. You can email it to carmela@portulano.com.

We have also been in the process of transition and re-training due to the up and downs during the pandemic, all the way up until 2022!

We will do what we can to get better, thanks again for the feedback.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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      Reviews (149)
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      All reviews dive resort read a book keep coming back no frills relaxing getaway short orders best kept secret cozy place sunset view short min puerto galera min boat ride great weekend learn how per person bring your own manila
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      12 - 17 of 149 reviews
      Reviewed May 26, 2021

      perfect place to relax and get away from city during this pandemic time,
      best to place to scuba diving at take a scuba diving course, The food is delicious and there is more to choose from, pool is perfect for non scuba diver and it is a salt water pool.

      Room tip: best view from the room. ocean view in front of the room
      Date of stay: May 2021
        • Value
        • Cleanliness
        • Service
      Thank pgheredero
      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.
      Carmela Sevilla, Owner at Portulano Dive Resort, responded to this reviewResponded June 1, 2022

      Thank you for your support and feedback, a real encouragement for us.

      Report response as inappropriate
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
      Reviewed February 7, 2021

      This place is around 2 hours 15 minutes drive from Manila. 10 minutes boat ride provided by the resort. Great place to stay over the weekend even if you are not divers. However, I regret I didn't try. I will definitely come back and try to dive. The place is very calm, rooms are charming with Spanish-style decor. Food is excellent and they accept special requests. From the minute we were there it feels like we are in friends or even a family house. Kitchen open and friendly. You can make a coffee or tea anytime or just hang out there. No tv in the rooms, but they have one in the open space. But I doubt anybody will have the desire to use it when you have such a beautiful view from your balcony. Love everything about it.

      Room tip: We stayed on the second level. The room and view were excellent. You don't need A/C. It's fresh and cool from the ocean breeze.
      Date of stay: February 2021
        • Sleep Quality
        • Cleanliness
        • Service
      2  Thank AnastasiaP
      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.
      Carmela Sevilla, Owner at Portulano Dive Resort, responded to this reviewResponded June 1, 2022

      Thank you Anastasia! Glad you enjoyed your stay and we appreciate your kind words.

      Report response as inappropriate
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
      Reviewed January 19, 2021 via mobile

      My husband and I stayed at Portulano Dive Resort for two nights in November. There was ample parking provided and we were picked up by their small boat. The boat trip is only 5 to 10 minutes up the coast line. The moment we arrived we felt welcomed and at home, the check in procedure was seamless.
      The room we stayed in was clean and a generous size, with a very comfortable bed and a beautiful sea view. We chose a room with no air conditioning and were pleased to have the doors wide open all night, enjoying the fresh sea air. Mosquito netting was provided, which we used, but we didn’t notice any mosquitoes at all. There are also rooms available with air conditioning.
      The rates include 3 meals a day. The food is delicious and there is enough of a selection to please everyone. On the first night there was a seafood barbecue which was a delicious surprise! Breakfast is cooked for you, while you wait. The kitchen staff were friendly and helpful, they let me know what the gluten free options were and took care with my food! Much appreciated!!
      The resort has many cozy nooks to curl up with a book or have a nap. There is also a pool table, dart board and children’s toys in the open air, recreation area.
      The salt water pool is a decent size on the waters edge. The dive staff are extremely professional and the equipment was good quality. You can dive and snorkel right in front of the resort, if you choose to.
      We were pleased to meet the friendly owners/operators of the resort and must compliment them on how well run and clean the resort is. We have just booked a second stay and are excited to go back!

      Date of stay: November 2020
      Trip type: Traveled as a couple
      Thank 531yvonneh
      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.
      Carmela Sevilla, Owner at Portulano Dive Resort, responded to this reviewResponded June 1, 2022

      Thank you for your kind words, we are glad you enjoyed your stay.

      Report response as inappropriate
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
      Reviewed June 23, 2020

      Just a "short" 2-3 hours from Metro Manila, Portulano is a resort that offers both divers and non-divers an opportunity to take a break from the bustling city. The food was good but the mango float that's usually served at dinner is great - make sure you're not too late for dinner else you may just miss it.

      I especially like that you can just jump into the waters in front of the resort for some decent snorkelling - no booking needed, just snorkelling gear. Or even for a light swim.

      Internet connection is not great so do not plan to work while on a break. Cellphone reception is okay but these are all fine as we're usually here to just rest, read, swim, dive and disconnect.

      The rooms are well kept. No airconditioning or fans required as the sea breeze is just nice. The place reminds me a little of Santorini, Greece, and Kenting, Taiwan. Been here a few times in the last 2 years and looking forward to visiting again once movement restrictions are eased.

      Room tip: I like the rooms on the lower deck near the common area.
      Date of stay: February 2020
        • Value
        • Cleanliness
      Thank bananatan04
      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.
      Carmela Sevilla, Owner at Portulano Dive Resort, responded to this reviewResponded October 3, 2020

      Thank you for your kind words. We hope you can visit us again soon, celphone providers have set up towers in the area so we have better internet now, thanks to a few new wifi products they've launched as well.

      Hope to see you here soon!

      Report response as inappropriate
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
      Reviewed February 23, 2020

      I've been to Portulano for diving now four times, including AOW course. I highly recommend - amazing diving, excellent instructors, top dive guides. I enjoyed the food, atmosphere and I wish I could return more often.

      Date of stay: March 2019
      Thank madriac
      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.
      Carmela Sevilla, Owner at Portulano Dive Resort, responded to this reviewResponded October 3, 2020

      We're glad you enjoyed, hope to see you here soon!

      Report response as inappropriate
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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