카루나 엘 니도 빌라

Our stay could not have been any better. We were in the Lumbung Villa 2 which had a beautiful ocean backdrop nestled in the hill. Staff were extremely helpful, great food and amazing views from every corner of the property. The shuttle running into town made getting around super easy as well.

You are getting exactly what you think when you book here. This place is a dream. We stayed in Joglo 1, it was a very well decorated and huge villa. The view was beautiful and nothing I have experienced before in a hotel. We even saw monkeys come on the terrace. The hotel is up on a hill so expect a steep walk up to get from the reception to your room. Although joglo 1 is one of the first villas close to the reception. It’s a good location as it’s not too far from the dining area either. This place as mentioned in previous posts wouldn’t be recommended for someone unfit to walk steep hills. The in unit water dispenser was a great unexpected addition. Since you can’t use the water to brush your teeth or drink. They had drinks to purchase in your fridge already in case you wanted. The staff were always so prompt to help us, especially Le mer RV and Cyra in the dining area. The food for breakfast that was included was delicious and plentiful. Lunch & dinner options were also great and the food was always good. We had a 60 min Filipino massage on our last and really enjoyed it. There are shuttles that go into el Nido town that are complimentary which was a bonus. Sometimes we took a tricycle back home if the wait was going to be long but that’s okay it costed about 150pesos… which is likely more expensive than it needed to be but that’s okay.

Loved it!

We stayed in the Joglo Bungalow at Karuna El Nido Villas, and overall, we had a wonderful stay. The room was beautiful, the views were breathtaking, and the resort itself was peaceful, clean, and well-maintained. Every member of the hotel staff we interacted with was friendly, welcoming, and accommodating. We only had one minor concern at the restaurant. One of the chicken dishes we ordered was slightly undercooked. We informed the staff, and they immediately replaced it without any hesitation. We truly appreciated how professionally and promptly they handled the situation. Our only unfortunate experience involved the scooter rental partner recommended by the resort. We rented a scooter through the resort’s partner because we trusted the recommendation. Everything went smoothly during the rental, and we followed the agreed terms. We also paid the required extension fee for returning the scooter beyond 7:00 PM. Since we knew we would be attending church and would finish around 8:00 PM, we sent a message requesting that the scooter be picked up around 9:00 PM. We sent the message to the contact number printed on the sticker attached to the scooter, as this was one of the contact numbers provided to us by the owner’s daughter, who personally assisted us during the rental. She told us that if we encountered any concerns, we could simply send a message to any of the contact numbers provided. Unfortunately, we later found out that the SIM card connected to the number printed on the scooter was no longer active, so our message was never received. We had absolutely no way of knowing that the number they provided was no longer in use. Instead of first asking what had happened, the owner immediately called my fiancé while he was driving. Because he was on the road, he couldn’t simply end the call. Throughout the conversation, my fiancé remained calm, repeatedly apologized for the misunderstanding, and tried to explain that we had already contacted the number provided on the scooter. Despite this, the owner continued shouting and repeatedly used offensive language, including saying “F* you**.” He also threatened not to return the driver’s license. When we expressed that those words were hurtful and unacceptable to us as paying customers, we were told that they were “just expressions.” Regardless of the intention, those words were disrespectful, unprofessional, and should never be directed at customers. To avoid making the situation worse, we paid every amount requested, including the extension fee and the scooter pickup fee, even though the misunderstanding resulted from an inactive contact number that was still being provided to customers. Although the issue was eventually settled, the emotional impact remained. We even considered filing a police report because of the threats and the way we were treated, but we decided not to because we had an early morning flight to catch the next day. This was the first time we had ever experienced anything like this despite renting scooters on many of our trips. It was heartbreaking that what should have been a relaxing vacation ended with such an unpleasant experience. This review is not directed at Karuna El Nido Villas. In fact, we genuinely appreciated the resort, its beautiful accommodations, and its outstanding staff. Our only hope is that the management carefully reviews its partnership with this scooter rental provider, as the behavior of business partners can significantly affect a guest’s overall experience. We left El Nido with many wonderful memories, but unfortunately, this incident became part of our last day. We sincerely hope no future guest has to experience the same treatment. 😭

Close to town, and cheaper than the rest