Playa Tropical Resort Hotel

The booking process is easy through Agoda. I booked a room earlier this month for a 2D1N stay on 8/29. Unfortunately, it's the same day Goring is closest to Ilocos Norte. We ended up staying in our room the whole time because it was raining heavily and swimming is not allowed nor is there any other activity to do. The room is okay. It was spacious, a little bit dated, and clean. The staff are consistently nice and accommodating. The breakfast was so-so. We had lunch at Cafe Amara on our first day which is the only restaurant in the resort or at least in the area. The food is okay, a bit pricey and the servings are small. They have a game room which we were able to utilize and enjoy since there are only 2 or less other guests/parties in the resort. The location is good if you want to be far away from a busy area. There is a 7/11 2 minutes away. The internet connection is very strong. This place is good if you are planning to work while staying. Overall, our experience was good. We could have enjoyed the amenities like the pool or the beach if only the weather was okay.

Beware. This is NOT a 4 star hotel. I'm writing this review during my actual first night at the hotel. When we arrived, I immediately noticed that the place looks rundown. Similar to a house that has not been taken cared of for the last year or so. Then after that, I noticed the staff looked nervous. I felt they were not confident and were hiding something. Nonetheless, we proceeded with check in. And there it is. Nothing looks similar to the photos published in their website and social media. Worst, we felt a "presence" in the old wooden cabinet in room 110. My wife and I tried to shrug it off but we were only able to bear it for 10mins before we got goosebumps just by laying in bed. We're both sensitive to these things and this is not the first time we experienced this in a hotel. But this time around, the presence that we felt was heavy. We asked to be moved and we were surprised that they did not even hesitate to move us. At the same time, the family next to our room also requested to be moved. As we let our situation sink in, we started investigating more about the hotel. Turns out since 2018, the hotel has already been getting really bad reviews and the experience from those reviews are the same experience we've been having during our stay, except for the presence. In summary, the hotel is nowhere near the photos in the internet, food is really pricey, rooms are really dirty (you're better off at a motel). To be fair, staff are nice. But that's not enough to compensate for the rest of the hotel experience. To be honest, the vibe here is similar to the vibe of those haunted hotels you see in American movies. If that's your thing, you'll be very much welcomed here. Rooms in the main bldg are mostly adjoining rooms. The other room tried to open the door between us in the middle of the night. Rooms are also not sound proofed. You can hear everyone walking and talking in the hallway as if there’s no door. No hot water in the bathrooms as well. We came on the start of a holiday weekend and most of their food are out of stock. This is a warning. Stay away from this hotel. We probably won't stay for the 2nd night. Just not worth it.

Pictures are not current!!! Upon first checkin, room was super humid with wet walls and musty smell. Airconditioner struggled to work, maintenance were called but only turned it off and on again and said it was working, blowing hot moist air…..I did a complete reset and it slowly started to work. Once the moisture was removed from the air and walls, the smell became better, till the bathroom exhaust fan was turned on and the smell drawn into the room from the drains left us most uncomfortable. Black mold covered the joins in the updated bathroom, but I think the darker tiles were hiding things quite well. The view of the moss from our window on the concrete block wall gave something green to look at…. The food was average and varied in quality from night to night and they didn't have half menu in stock!! Beer and drinks were often warm. The Ilocanos meals were quite good, but varied in ingredients. Breakfast was ok, but you can’t expect much for free! The beach, well…..best to avoid. The amount of rubbish and debris made it a struggle to get to the water…. Please also be very careful in the car park area, the large stepping tiles may leave you with a broken ankle!! Please update this place, it has great potential, but the website appearance and the reality left us feeling very disappointed.