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My family recently spent a weekend in Siargao and we stayed at Ocean 101 Cloud 9 Surf Resort. To help you decide whether or not to stay there, here’s a list of what we loved and didn’t love about our accommodations.
Pros
- Location — 5-minute walk to the Cloud 9 boardwalk, where the fiercest waves are
- Peaceful area, spacious, never crowded even at full capacity
- Beachfront
- Family bungalow can house up to a dozen people
- Chairs and tables inside the room
- Hot water (shower)
- Several places to hang out within the resort, including a gazebo with a hammock
- Wide, grassy, well-tended lawn
- Good restaurant — extensive menu (lots of vegetarian options, kid-friendly food, etc.), reasonably priced dishes, generous servings, attentive staff
- Resort staff helped us put together a group to go to Sohoton
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Cons
- The family bungalow did not offer enough privacy. The curtains were too thin, allowing passers-by to look into the room. Voices from inside could be heard outside as well. It was located right beside the resort gate (and not directly beachfront, as you might misconstrue from the description).
- The family bungalow definitely does NOT have a patio overlooking the sea, as stated in the room description.
- For such a big space, the room had too few conveniences inside. No cabinet; apart from a medium-sized table and two thin racks, there was nowhere to store our things. No fridge; not even an electric kettle. This would have been okay if the room was cheap but it wasn’t.
- The air conditioner was located a bit too high up and there was no remote control.
- When we arrived at 3:30 PM, the room still hadn’t been prepared. (Check-in time was 1 PM.)
- One of the people sweeping the grounds directly dumped the leaves he swept into the sea.
- The beach in front of the resort had sea grass, brittle stars, small crabs, even a sea urchin or two. It’s nice for biodiversity and all that but not too fun to walk on (so adjust expectations accordingly).
- No WiFi in the room — free WiFi only in the restaurants.
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Would I stay there again?
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This one is hard to call. There were a lot of things that we loved about Ocean 101, particularly the peaceful, spacious, beachfront location and the good restaurant. But there were also a lot of turn-offs. I particularly didn’t like the misleading description (eg, the patio overlooking the sea) because that’s how you make your decision on where to stay, on whether the amenities are worth the cost. At a price (including taxes) of P4,000 a night — considering the lack of amenities, misleading description, and grassy beach — I would probably try staying in another place next time.
Alternatives
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The top-rated accommodations in Siargao (based on TripAdvisor ratings as of 20 Feb 2016) are as follows:
Hotels
- Buddha’s Surf Resort
- Dedon Island Resort
- Kawayan Siargao Resort
- Island Dream Palm Paradise Resort
- Siargao Paraiso Resort
- Siargao Bleu Resort and Spa
B&B and Inns
- Bamboo Garden Bar and Lodging
- Greenhouse
- Kermit Surf Resort Siargao (formerly Kermit Surf & Dive EcoCamp Siargao) — many friends loved it here
- Sagana Resort
- Siargao Inn Beach Resort
- Reef Beach Houses
Specialty Lodging
- Bravo Beach Resort
- Paglaom Hostel
- Turtle Surf Camp
- Jafe Surf and Sail Camp Resort
- Romantic Beach Villas
- Isla Cabana Resort
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What do you look for when choosing a place to stay? What was the best resort you’ve stayed in?
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Where to stay in Siargao
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