El Rio y Mar Resort

Let me give everyone overall warning. This hotel is 1.5 hours from coron. It's very isolated and very very overpriced. There is only one restaurant and that's all the choices anyone has when staying here. I spent more money here in 4 days than the rest of my two weeks jumping all over Asia. I don't mind paying if the price is double in this case it can be as much as 6 to 8 times what it would cost normally. So be forewarned. The staff does provide excellent service. I did complain to someone on staff several times that their prices are way overpriced. Staff said they will look into it but nothing happened. It will cost an eve rage of 400 dollars to 500 us a day. Heard a bunch of the other guests at the hotel complaining but we had no choice.

the place is isolated. you need a 20 minute banca ride plus another 20 minute van ride thru bumpy trails for airport transfers and to get to town. for this, you have to pay P1500- per person, per roundtrip. the buffet food is 500 for breakfast, 700 for lunch and 900 for dinner, but the selection and the taste is not that great. the native cabana where we were billeted was dark. the bathroom, so-so. we paid for a "casa" which was the most expensive cottage, but they erroneously placed us at the native cabana which was a so-so. however, they refunded us for their error. nothing to do at night.. the staff, however, were friendly and eager to serve. will think twice, thrice, before going back to this place. every move has an unreasonable pricey charge.

Peaceful accommodating people gorgeous place and warm weather and pacific water. If you are looking for a relaxing uncrowded place this is the place to be. Try it out you won't regret it!

First thing to note about this hotel is that it is on its own island so if you like the hustle and bustle of streets then this is not the place for you. The town is a 25 minute boat ride and 1 hour drive and if you ask to go they can take you for PHP7,000! The resort has a nice pool and the beach is part of where the river meets the ocean so it is not the cleanest or safest either. There are jelly fish and we even saw a sea snake which are the most venomous kind. The water however is really clear and you can feed the fish at the pier with rice. They provide free paddle board, kayak and rowing boat which is really fun. All the staff here are really accommodating Sam boy accompanied us on the hike up to the mountain and then took us on a Kayak tour through the mangroves around the island, the staff offer to play volley ball and there a table tennis and pool tables as well as a DVD list you can choose from. Glen the head waiter is also really accommodating, he lets you change the menu to suit and it is nice that he remembers certain preferences each day so you don't have to repeat yourself. Each night there are 2 singers that are really good, they go around to individual tables and sing your song of choice. These 2 also sing you a welcome song when you arrive and when you are leaving. Alex and Charmaine are also very friendly and efficient. We stayed in the cedar cabana which was really beautiful and clean. We booked our room with expedia and were not aware there were packages

Staff were great, food was okay, just expected more bang for my buck. We stayed a week and it became quite expensive, thought the Philippines was supposed to be cheap. Air con kept us both awake at night and the sooner they replace them with split systems the better. Not good enough for a place pretending to be 4 and a halve, 5 star Resort. What's a holiday when you cant get a good nights sleep?

Nice hotel although overpriced. Did not realise how remote it was as you can only get to it by boat despite being on main island. Hotel wanted 150 American dollars just for a ride into coron town. After some hard bargaining they agreed to get me there for 2 dollars ! Had to stay night in town once got there as last transport back was at 4 pm so only go to this hotel if you want to remain in the resort!

It was good.! Very quite, great surrounding and beautiful scenery.

Was surprised to find that a hotel charging these prices does not provide free pick up. There really is no alternative way of getting to the hotel other than by the arranged transportation. The best thing about the hotel are its staff - really friendly and helpful. Always smiling. Food choices on the menu were limited (particularly for me, a vegetarian). Since there is no way for you to go elsewhere to eat, you were basically stuck with that menu for the entire stay. Rooms were clean, but had no TV, phone or wifi. No TV or wifi I can live with, but it was inconvenient not to have a phone to contact front desk when there was something wrong. You have to walk to the reception area (we stayed in one of the furthest huts) and then back again if you wanted something. Should also think about providing free shuttle service to the neighbouring sister resort. As there is limited things to do at El Rio itself, then a trip to Club Paradise was a good way to kill some time. Waters would have been fantastic for snorkelling, if only there weren't so many jelly fish around. Apparently good for diving though.

Stayed for 3 days & 2 nights, including new years eve. From the Busuanga airport, had to travel 20 mins by land and more or less 20 mins by boat. It was exciting. The whole place is one perfect romantic getaway. Not crowded. Hotel people are so nice and friendly. We were welcomed with their very own El Rio song upon arrival. Food was great but quite pricey (for people with small apetite, just go with their ala carte menu). Had so much fun snorkling. Their Coron tour package was a bit pricey as well but it was worth it. Thanks to our guide, Ronnie, we had enjoyed the whole trip. Overall, I would recommend this place to those who plans to visit coron.

This hotel is located in beautiful surroundings. The charming bungalows are situated on the water edge with lovely views of the bay. However, the maintenance leaves a lot to be desired. We had rats in our native cottage and we were told that they were part of nature and that they lived in the roof. We insisted to move into another room, but we found a rat there as well. Finally, they moved us into a concrete bungalow where there were no rats (except on the verandah, which was fine as long as they didn't get in). I believe it's unacceptable to sleep with rats in a 4* hotel. I have stayed in many eco-friendly bungalows (many of them cheaper and more basic than those at El Rio Y Mar) in the tropics but I had never seen seen a rat in my room before. The service leaves a lot to be desired too. The staff is overall friendly but, with some exceptions, ineffective and not knowledgeable. However,they did a great show, dancing and singing, on Christmas eve; they also played pool very well. Besides, the tours are overpriced (about 3 times the price you would pay in a resort around Coron, like Discovery Island Resort, or Balinsasayaw resort, where we stayed after) and not well organized (we came back from Calauit island at night on a rough sea because the boat had left the resort too late; no one on board enjoyed the experience...).