Upon Arrival
We arrived early because we took the earliest flight from Manila to Bohol.
We were welcomed by the owner, who rudely asked, “Oh, you’re three people?” Yes, it’s indicated in our booking and then said, “You’re too early to check in.” We explained that we were aware of this and were only there to leave our luggage, as is customary at other hotels. Her staff began asking for our IDs, but the owner interrupted and said, “No, no, no! Later at 2 PM. Check-in is at 2 PM. Just come back.” We responded politely, saying, “Yes, we know. No problem.”
Check-In
When we returned to check in, the staff member assisting us was pleasant, unlike the owner. Our booking was for December 23-26.
Swimming Pool
While swimming, I experienced itchy skin and discovered algae in both the villa and common swimming pools. (See attached photos.)
Sun Bed Foam
The sunbed foam was full of mold and clearly hadn’t been cleaned.( see attached photos)
Housekeeping
On our second day, we placed the “Please make up room” sign outside and also informed the front desk to clean our room. However, no one came. When we returned to our villa at 3 AM, we noticed a housekeeping cart outside our door. We called the front desk to ask why the room hadn’t been cleaned, and they claimed they didn’t have an extra key to enter.
Towels
We used the gym and asked for towels, but they gave us floor mat towels that are meant for feet.
Guards and Cart Drivers
The staff, including guards and cart drivers, were inattentive. Guests are supposed to park in the designated parking area and request a golf cart to the villa, which is fine. However, there were times when it took a long time for the cart to arrive.
Breakfast
It was just okay.
3rd day breakfast we noticed ants all over the ladle for the pumpkin soup. See attached photo
Beach
Tracks of a tractor on the shore? What is this, a construction site?
And also full of algae in the water too
Phone Inquiry
No proper phone etiquette. Even the owner sounds like she’s answering her personal mobile phone. No “Good morning,” “Good day,” or “Good evening.”
Villa Key
Is this what you call luxury??? See photo
And to the owners of this Resort
The lady owner was illogical, rude, lacked emotional intelligence, and clearly did not understand the meaning of "customer service”
The Worst Part: Christmas Day
We went out for a family dinner on Christmas Eve and returned to the hotel at 3 AM. At 7 AM, our phone rang. My husband answered, irritated, and I overheard the conversation. A staff member rudely told us we had to leave because someone else would be checking into our villa. The guy on the other end of the line was very rude, not even apologetic or pleasant to talk to.
We were shocked at how insensitive they were, especially calling so early in the morning. Frustrated, I went to the front desk and confronted them. I asked, “Do you know what time it is? It’s 7 AM on Christmas Day! Is this how you treat your guests?”
After a few minutes, the owner arrived, and instead of apologizing, she was rude. I asked her again, “Do you know what time it is? Is this how you treat your guests?”
She replied, “Yes, because you arrived at 3:30 AM last night, and we don’t allow that in our policy. We have a curfew until 11 PM.”
I was shocked and asked, “What is this, a jail? Why weren’t we informed about this policy from the start?”
The owner replied, “That’s our policy because some people just loiter inside the resort.”
I told her, “That’s not our problem.”
The owner then said, “There are guests checking into your room today.”
I replied, “What guests? We’re booked here until the 26th. That’s not our problem—that’s your problem. Why did you wake us up? Fix your system!”
The owner tried to shift the blame, saying we should’ve contacted Agoda to sort out the booking. I told her, “You’re the resort owner. We don’t know your system. That’s internal—why should we contact Agoda?”
She was telling us that we shouldn’t be talking to the front desk because the front desk is not the one who processes the check-in, but Agora Online? They’ve been in the hospitality industry for so long, and they’re telling us that? Come on! That’s standard protocol.
She continued to talk nonsense. My husband told her, “If you had informed us about these policies from the start, we wouldn’t have stayed here.” The owner replied then don’t book here again. Wow! The audacity!
The owner then offered to transfer us to a “very nice villa.” My husband said, “We don’t need an upgrade. It’s fine if we transfer to another villa of the same rate.”
Later, the front desk called and said we could stay in our villa while the other guests would be accommodated elsewhere. What a joke! They completely ruined our Christmas Day, which was supposed to be a relaxing holiday. Their rude behavior and poor service were unacceptable, especially on Christmas Day.
This is not the luxury villa they claim to be. Wake up, Eskaya! You are far from being a luxury resort in Panglao. We’ve been traveling here every year since 2019 and have stayed at various resorts, but this was by far the worst experience. Don’t waste your money on Eskaya. We paid premium amount and this is what we got. A complete joke. Sell it to professional corporations and leave it to the experts. The view has potential, or better yet, you might as well close down.