Bantayan Island Hotels

• theguardianangel
• Reviews: 218

User Rating

Helpfulness

Budyong Beach Resort: Bantayan island's best place to stay

We arrived in Santa Fe port at around 3pm. We rode a jeepney going to the resort; fare is 20Php that only took us less than 10mins to arrive. The room rates differ in the location and type, if the rooms are situated on the beach front, the price is a bit high but I guess you wouldn’t mind if a beautiful paradise is just in front of your room. You can choose rooms with/without air conditioner. We chose to stay on a beach front room; we paid 1600Php, for 4 pax, non-air conditioned room while our friends beside us paid about 2000Php for 4 pax, air conditioned room.

My friend made the reservation online and paid through Allied bank.
The room is big, w/ private bathroom. The resort staff gave us 2 towels w/ soap & shampoo. The resort has a restaurant, and kinda a bit expensive like all the bars & restos in the island… the brewed coffee costs 55Php, the meals costs around 125-220Php.
You can buy hot water if you prefer to just buy a 3 in 1 powdered coffee in one of the “sari-sari” stores outside the resort, hot water costs 5Php and they can let you use their cup.

The only thing I didn’t like is their slow service we had on our 3rd day. We ordered 8 cups of hot water for coffee and took us about 30mins before the staff served it in our room.

We thought that if we eat outside the resort, it’s cheaper but we found out that they have same food prices! There’s this carenderia (small eatery) that sells local foods & grilled barbeques that the price is more affordable than the restos around. But the carenderia only opens on a late afternoon and the best time to eat here is dinner time.

There are numerous beach resorts in the Santa Fe beach club and one is Budyong Beach resort. I believe that this resort has the most beautiful location in the island.
All rooms are near the beach.
Budyong has the only clear view of the beach, like there's no boats in front... it gives you a clear view of it. The rest of the resorts has many things parked on their beach front... boats parked in the sand, something like that.

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Related to: Beaches, Sailing and Boating, Diving and Snorkeling
• Written February 8, 2012

welcome!

4 more images

---

Was this review helpful?

• wavesport
• Reviews: 43

User Rating

Yooneek Beach Resort: "For the Simple Life" - Yooneek Beach Resort

I stayed at the Yooneek (pronouced "unique") Beach Resort  for a couple of nights in mid-November 2011.  I wish I had scheduled for a longer stay since it was one of my favorite places in the Philippines.

I stayed during the high season so the room rates were higher.  I opted for their cheapest room which is a standard at PHP 1,890 per night (no credit cards accepted so be sure to bring enough cash ).  The rate seems high if you're solo, but a bargain if you're rooming with another person.  The room has two double size beds so you don't have to share a bed unless you want to.  The shower has lukewarm water.  There's no TV or room safe (bring your own Pac Safe to secure your valuables).  You can upgrade if you must need a TV.

The standard room is large and comfortable for two adults, but simple and sparsely furnished.  The room has A/C.  There is free Wi-Fi, but the signal is weak in the room.  The Wi-Fi signal is stronger around the beachside restaurant/bar which is a better place to be than your room. The Wi-Fi is turned off between midnight until 6:00 AM, but I'm  not 100% sure about the exact time period.

The room rate also includes a complimentary continental breakfast.  I always upgraded to a full breakfast and paid the small difference.

The resort has its own open-air restaurant and bar.  The food is decent.  The prices for the food and drinks are reasonable and comparable to prices elsewhere on the island.  There are other restaurants and bars a short five-minute walk away.

The resort is owned and managed by a  German ex-pat so many of the guests are Germans with a mixture of other Europeans and Aussies who seemed to know each others since many are repeat guests.  I found the other guests open and friendly to me as a non-European.  The staff is friendly.

The resort  rents out bicycles and motor scooters for a very reasonable rate.  The island is flat and there isn't much traffic so a one-speed bicycle was adequate for me.  If you want to go farther and quicker, a motor scooter is a good option. 

Getting to Bantayan Island from Cebu is fairly easy and cheap.  You can take an A/C bus from Cebu to Hagnaya.  I opted to take a taxi for a fixed one-way rate of PHP 2,500. By speeding taxi, it was a two-hour ride. By bus, I expect it would take longer since my taxi kept passing buses over and over again. 

From Hagnaya, there's a ferry shuttle every hour.  The resort will pick up guest at the ferry terminal in Santa Fe.

Bantayan is an uncrowded, slow paced island with clean sandy beaches and warm sea water.  Unfortunately, there's no interesting sea life so snorkeling was a bust.

Cities in the Philippines can be stressful for tourists with its horrendous traffic, pollution, beggars, and stifling heat and humidity.  For me, Yooneek Beach Resort was the ideal place to escape and unwind.  At times, it felt as if I was on the Big Island of Hawaii especially watching the local kids trying to catch stranded fish at low tide.  I remembered doing the exact same thing at their age.

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Related to: Budget Travel, Romantic Travel and Honeymoons, Beaches
• Written November 28, 2011

View of Yoonek Beach Resort

---

Was this review helpful?

• hanspeter_W.
• Reviews: 1091

User Rating

Helpfulness

beach placid santafe: beautiful small cottages

beautiful economic priced cottages straight at santafe beach in bantayan island
very friendly helpful service
excelltn food in restaurant

• Opinion of Price: less expensive than average
• Written October 13, 2010

infront of beachplacid santafe bantayan

2 more images

---

Was this review helpful?

• shanen10
• Reviews: 1

User Rating

• charriecalalang
• Reviews: 1

User Rating

Helpfulness

Budyong Resort: best beach front

the rooms did not have television sets, hot shower or wifi but these will not stop me from recommending it to anyone or even naming it the best place to stay at in sta. fe. the staff are friendly and always trying to make their guests' stay as comfortable as possible. and every so often somebody is clearing the beach front for the enjoyment of their guests.

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Related to: Family Travel, School Holidays, Beaches
• Written July 11, 2010

budyong's restaurant

2 more images

---

Was this review helpful?

• kemisteryoso
• Reviews: 326

User Rating

Sta. Fe Beach Club: cave experience with pool

I visited the resort because of Ogtong cave.I can tell the place is for luxury travel because it's expensive for me. The look of their accommodation and the landscape is very nice and so are the staff. The pool looks good and they have a big nice dining area. But I'm not that too impressed about their beach area.

Nice pool and with a little cave

• Opinion of Price: more expensive than average
• Related to: Beaches
• Written July 4, 2010

4 more images

---

Was this review helpful?

• kemisteryoso
• Reviews: 326

User Rating

Helpfulness

Sugar Beach Resort: Sugar Beach is really sweet to my taste

If you are looking for a nice, wide beach area at the same time affordable, Sugar beach is the right resort in Bantayan Island. I stayed at sugar beach for 2 days and 2 nights.
It lacks extravagance and not much landscape to see but it is indeed blessed with nice and widest beach in the whole of Bantayan Island. For me they have the best. Just be careful of falling coconuts because it is abundant on every corner of the Resort.

They have single and double fan room much nearer to the beach lined behind the cottages than the 4 aircon room that is located near the gate. I chose the aircon room that can accommodate up to 4 persons with its own balcony and cottage in front of each room where you can have a drink with your friends. It is few meters walk towards the beach. The price is just 1000 per night during lean season. The room is clean but the tiles of the toilet are not well-maintained and cable TV is not included. You have to bring your own toiletries because the resort won’t provide. I didn’t know that Bath towel is not included so I don’t have one with me. I requested for one and they provided. Thanks.

There is a store just right outside the gate aside from the one inside Sugar beach so things and liquor you needed are not hard to find.

One can dine at Bising’s Carinderia also inside the resort. You can fill your tummy with local dishes for only 60 pesos. Aling Bising is actually the caretaker and she’s very helpful including her entire staff. My favorite are Kinhason(a kind of clam), Bam-I(local pancit) and Humbang tiil.
They have a videoke too If you want to sing your heart out at night while drinking their 30 pesos San Miguel light or a 70 pesos Red Horse beer.

Ogtong Cave of Sta. Fe Beach club is walking distance from Sugar beach.

Widest and most beautiful beach area and cheap

• Opinion of Price: less expensive than average
• Related to: Beaches
• Written June 26, 2010

4 more images

---

Was this review helpful?

• khaeyose
• Reviews: 5

User Rating

Helpfulness

Kota Beach Resort: Spectacular Beachfront

Has one of the best locations in Bantayan Island, IMHO. A great beachfront view, you can wake up to a breathtaking sunrise or enjoy a silly evening with friends at your own veranda. This review was long overdue, since we were there Dec of 2007, but the place was just so memorable and I can't pass up the opportunity to give it a much deserved praise :) Enough supply of water, staff were such friendly people, you would think you're visiting old friends who would easily grant your requests in no time! However, if you are staying by the beachfront, expect the waves to hit your veranda over and over and over again lol until the tide subsides, so make sure to keep your stuff kept inside your room, don't leave your foot wears lying outside cause might get lost in the sea. All in all, Kota Beach Resort is one of the few places i would highly recommend!

Just a few meters from the shore is a sandbar, great for a pictorial :) For those who enjoy sports, you can play beach volley as much as your body would allow.

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Related to: Beaches, Road Trip
• Written March 18, 2010

1 more images

---

Was this review helpful?

• barbie_sunrise
• Reviews: 125

User Rating

Budyong Beach Resort: Beach Resort

Very accomodating staffs. We've got the beachfront room at affordable price.

They also offer other activities such as Snorkeling, Island Hopping, Boat Rentals, Motorbike rentals and BIcycle Rentals.

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Related to: Budget Travel
• Written February 21, 2010

me with winnie in front of Budyong Beach Resort

1 more images

---

Was this review helpful?