Name: Mantinloc Resort in El Nido, Palawan Philippines - Beautiful
Item: Matinloc Resort
Rating: 5
Author: R7713VEjeffm

9 - 14 of 293 reviews

stephaniebA8581PG

Santa Barbara, California

Reviewed July 13, 2023

Paradise in the Philippines!

I highly recommend this peaceful little resort. One can snorkel right from the sugar fine sand beach and see a large variety of tropical fish swimming in crystal clear waters. I loved hopping on a kayak and paddling down to a sandbar beach to continue snorkeling. Viewing sea turtles majestically swimming beneath me was sublime.

The staff were fabulous and took very good care of us. Jason, the front desk manager, was incredibly helpful and kind. The waitstaff were so lovely and attentive.

Our rooms were gorgeous and well maintained. The views were unparalleled to none!

Date of stay: June 2023

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marc a

Zurich, Switzerland

164

Reviewed May 14, 2023

Great experience

We (2 adults, 2 teenagers) had a great time (4 nights) at the Matinloc resort. The transfer from El Nido Airport went very smoothly. We had first a very relaxing day on the beach and pool, including free kayak and snorkelling. The second day was an island-hopping tour organised by the hotel. Of course this was more expensive than the tours provided in El Nido Town, but our boat was much less crowded than the others, and Ian, our tour guide, customised the tour so that we avoided the crowds. The last day was again some relaxing time at the beach, and discovering some other snorkelling spots next to the beach. The food was good. Sometimes the menu was missing some choices, but this was very understandable for us, knowing that we were in a lost island. The absence of alcohol didn't bother us at all. Our family-room was great. Everything (including Air-Conditioning) was working perfectly. The staff was extremely nice and helpful. Special Thanks to Ian, who has been such a great tour guide. The transfer-back to El Nido Airport went again very smoothly.

Date of stay: April 2023

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O4685HNdonnak

Wake Forest, North Carolina

Reviewed May 8, 2023

Not worth your money

** NO ALCOHOL AT THIS "Resort"** We found this out as we got into the van at the airport. After informing us of this fact they offered to take us to a store to buy some. The store they took us to must have been someone's family store. No selection but when I asked for some Absolute Vodka they said they could pick some up at a different store. One I had to give the driver my money because they wouldn't drive us to the other store- he would have to get it on his own. (very weird as he was back 3 minutes later- clearly he walked to a different store). From there we see the room. It's spacious but dated with stains on the rug and the chaise lounge. Not small stains, either. The bathroom was also very dated. The furniture on the deck was uncomfortable plastic chairs and a plastic table. This hotel considers itself a luxury resort- it is not. The staff was very friendly and the food was delicious but.... I would not recommend this resort to anyone. Luckily the next resort we went to which was across the bay was the same price and absolutely gorgeous!!!! If I had reversed the hotel stays- I wouldn't have stayed all three days at this resort after seeing how much better other resorts are. Consider yourself warned.

Room tip: I paid $700 a night in February. It was such a rip off. The next place we stayed was the same price and worth every penny!!!

Date of stay: February 2023

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Climber31394840017

Bucharest, Romania

Reviewed April 12, 2023 via mobile

A good place to enjoy El Nido area

The hotel is very nicely positioned very close to the main El Nido attractions. It is also built in between tbe impressive El Nido island rocks.
We had a room up in the hill/rock, the view from up there is awesome. But be aware you have to take more than 100 stairs till up there. We took this as a welcomed workout and enjoyed it evey time.
The hotel has also rooms at the sea level.
The hotel is not so big so they’ve had troubles to include us in hotel organized shared tours but the management agreed us to take tours from an agency from the mainland.
The room is big, spacious, with a large bathroom and with a nice terrase to enjoy the view from the clif.
I must point out the staff which was very nice and friendly. Many thanks once again for your service!
One last important point: the hotel is isolated and does not serve any alcoholic drinks (healthy life…). But they allow to bring with you alcohol from the mainland. Moreover, the waiters can buy you some alcohol from the mainland (available in the next day by the evening).

Do not miss:
1. Big lagoon (rent the crystal cayak there)
2. Small lagoon (rent the crystal cayak there)
3. The Passndigan Cove
4. The Paradise Beach
We took the private tours from the Gea travel agency (local, El Nido) - great service, recommended.
We intend to come back in few years to enjoy more other attractions in the El Nido area.

Room tip: Bring with you alcoholic drinks :)

Date of stay: April 2023

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AkterC

London, United Kingdom

Reviewed March 30, 2023 via mobile

5 star service

5 star service, the staff went the extra mile. I would have to give a shout out to Jed who made our stay extra special, but Ian, Jason, Vin, David and the others were also great.
The food for me was exceptional, they had a wide variety of cuisines and I was there for 5 nights and didn't have a bad meal while I was there. Breakfast is included but you have to pay for lunch and dinner, it is more expensive than you would pay on mainland El Nido but we felt the food price was very reasonable given the location,service and quality of food. On average meals for 2 people came to around 3,500 to 4,000 peso per day.
We had the beachfront rooms and it was the best place we have ever stayed. Rooms were HUGH, you can watch the sunrise in the morning from your bed.
We really wanted to relax on holiday as we had done a lot of activity before we got there. The resort offers kayaking and snorkelling which is all complimentary, you can pay for additional excursions. There is a bit of a mark up on the excursions from the hotel Vs if you booked them on the mainland, we ended up booking the sunset cruise where you take a speed boat the the other side of the island and watch the sunset, again this experience exceeded my expectations we were accompanied by David who had exceptional knowledge on the area and the history and watching the sunset it to the vast sea was a very moving experience and I would highly recommend.
The reason I had to give a 4 star and not a 5 star is that it looks like some of the facilities were damaged (I believe the resort was hit hard by the typhoon having only just come out of Covid) so it's understandable but once management are able to fix these issues such as, caution tape on one of the pool ladders, uneven floorboards next to the pool, windows a bit grubby. Once these slight issues are fixed this resort will absolutely be 5 stars in my eyes.
Tips:
*Buy alcohol before you get to the island as they do not sell alcohol but if you bring it yourself they will serve it for you. The staff will actually offer to take you to a shop before they take you to the island
*Enjoy the free activities, snorkeling and kayaking
*Resort provided unlimited bottled water so no need to take your own
*Try the chicken adobo!!

Room tip: This resort is for travellers who are looking for a slow pace and switch off, if you are looking to do a lot of activities and entertainment then this might not be for you

Date of stay: March 2023