An undesirable stay at Alobijod Cove, Guimaras
I already tried reaching the cellphone number of Raymen Beach Resort, months prior to our trip to Guimaras. But since I wasn't getting any response from them, I tried looking for an alternative. That's when I found Alobijod Cove on Facebook. I sent them a message on both Facebook and through SMS, and was able to get a response on the latter. There weren't many photos to convince me to book. But I felt like I had no other option since we really wanted to stay by Alubihod beach. Anyway, the booking was settled after a few days. I was able to reserve 2 nights, and wasn't required to put in a downpayment. Great, right?
When we arrived in Alobijod Cove, we went straight to the resort's small tindahan (store). There we met this lady (probably in her 50's) who we introduced ourselves to. Odd as it was, she still had to ask me what room I had reserved. Although she read from the guest list that I was to be expected that day. Anyway, I told her that what we got was a Fan Room (Php1,000/night).
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| Construction site -- building new cottages. |
Our room wasn't ready yet since they were expecting us to arrive by lunch time. We got their at 8 am. But after waiting 10 minutes or so, she finally handed us a key to our room. Here's what welcomed us upon entering the room:
The bathroom looked old and really needed an upkeep. The door knob was really rusty too. It felt dirty just grasping it. Even the shower system had rust on some areas.
Glitch #1: Not many choices from the resort restaurant
After checking-in, Rubel and I asked the lady caretaker if they were selling hot, cooked meals from their restaurant. She said yes. But after stepping foot into their bare-looking restaurant, and after finding out that most of what we wanted to order from the menu weren't available, we took it upon ourselves to go out of the resort and to check elsewhere. That's when Raymen Beach Resort came to view. We were welcomed there as if we were their own guests.
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| That's the restaurant. No one's around to eat here, even the few guests who were there (I think we were 2 pairs) |
Glitch #2: No hot water. Water was running low.
When breakfast was over, Rubel and I went back to Alobijod Cove to freshen up. That's when we realized that there wasn't any hot water. The water from the shower was also running low. So I urged Rubel to ask the lady caretaker for updates. Then more water came rushing from the shower head right after we called their attention. But the mishaps didn't end there.
Two thumbs-up for their resort's food!
When Rubel and I woke up from our afternoon nap, we swam by the beach and then headed back to Alobojid Cove for our late lunch. This time, we gave the resort a chance to impress us. So we ordered some grilled pork, corn & crab soup, rice and each a soda. The cook/waiter told us that we'd have to wait 45 minutes before our food gets served. Since we weren't in any hurry, we waited. But thank God the wait was worth it since everything that we ordered were hot, tasty and very hefty in serving.
Glitch #3: Getting locked out of the resort at 7pm!
After lunch, we went by the beach again. It wasn't until night time when we walked back to Alobijod Cove. It wasn't 7 pm yet when we realized that the resort gate was already chained and closed. Thankfully, it wasn't chained all the way. Rubel was able to untangle it, giving us the chance to enter the premises. That's when we approached the lady caretaker and asked about the gate rules.
We didn't like how she replied to us when we asked her politely why the gate was closed. She said "'Hindi naman kayo nagsabi. Kung nagsabi kayo na lalabas pa kayo, eh hindi sana kayo nasaraduhan." (You didn't tell us anything. If you just told us that you were still going out, then we wouldn't have closed it.) She then told us that the final time for closing the gate will be 10 pm. So after being oriented with the time, we told her that we were just going to eat dinner at Raymen's. But we promised her that we'd be back before 10 pm. She just nodded.
Glitch #4: Getting locked out of the resort before 10 pm!
So after having dinner at Raymen's, we headed back to Alobojid Cove almost immediately. But lo and behold... the gate was chained for real this time! We were complying to the rules. We were already at the gate at 9:30 pm since Raymen's was just a short walk away. We had no means of calling anyone's attention since the caretakers were so far from the gate --- but we could see some of them singing from the restaurant's videoke machine. Rubel had no choice but to climb up the wired fence and call for someone to open the gate for me. 5 minutes after, the chain was unlocked.
When we walked towards our room, we locked eyes with the lady caretaker, while giving her that questionable look "we just talked about the gate closing time earlier. Why were we still locked out?"
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| A photo that I took of Alobihod Cove's gate during lunch. |
Anyway, it was the last straw for us. I had to text Ms. Michelle (the lady who I was in constant correspondence with) that we needed to leave early the next day. She didn't reply to any of my text, so I went to talk to the lady caretaker with my concern. I told her that we needed to check-out the next day. And being the cranky lady that she was, she just shrugged us off and just told us to settle things with Michelle (who clearly wasn't replying). It was only back in Iloilo, when I finally got some internet connection, that I found out that Michelle did reply to my SMS. But she replied to my CHIKKA Messenger, which I had no means of checking since Alobijod Cove had no Wifi.
Glitch #5: No Thank You's.
We got up real early the next day to eat breakfast at Raymen's and to inquire if they had an available room for us. Thankfully they had several. So after packing up all of our stuff, we paid our balance to the lady caretaker who was at the store at that time, and then headed out of Alobijod Cove. We left the resort without hearing any 'thank you for staying with us'. The lady caretaker walked us out and was about to hail a tricycle for us when we immediately declined to it. We just had to tell her that we were still eating lunch at Raymen's and wasn't ready to leave yet.
My Verdict
I felt a bit uneasy when we were thinking about leaving Alobijod since I initially booked two nights with them. But after the unpleasant experience with the unkept facilities and rude customer service, I knew that leaving was justifiable. My kuya even told me not to worry about them. It was my vacation, so my stay with them should've felt like one. I shouldn't have to worry about anything. It's their fault why they lost my business -- why we left unhappy.
As soon as we got a room at Raymen's, everything started to feel more comfortable and peaceful. It felt like I was on vacation again. Thank God this beach resort was able to lift our spirits up after a not-so-good, first day in Guimaras.
How about you? Have you experienced any unpleasant lodging stories while in Guimaras?
Explore & Be Free!
Mai
63 comments
Raymen! Nothing to complain about their service on the two occassions I've stayed with them. Next time we go back, sa kanila ulit tayo magstay. ;)
ReplyDeleteCharge it to experience na lang sis. On the bright side, you've shared great inputs here to others in case their planning a trip to Guimaras.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's true! :) Sana future vacationers will find this post helpful.. :) Thanks for dropping-by Rizza! :)
ReplyDeleteButi na lang OK yun foods. However, the service matters as always.
ReplyDeleteButi bumawi sa foods however the service matters as always dapat.
ReplyDeleteI would have done the same!!! and being locked the 2nd time, after asking permission was definitely the last straw for me!!!.. kawawa naman may ari, di maganda management ...
ReplyDeleteAng tindi naman pala ng experience nyo sis, . Good thing you kept your cool, If that scaling a fence just to enter the resort premises happened to me, for sure, away nyun. Sana prospective vacationers will read this posts.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of glitches but I'm sure you were able to catch up after the bad first day.
ReplyDeleteOMG...Alobijod Management better find a way to address this problem. Hope they can read this post.
ReplyDeleteTerrible management. I don't need to say this, but please tell the world to never visit that place. Instead of getting some rest, all you had was stress!
ReplyDeleteOh, this is once again a sad experience. But this is part of the adventure.. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
ReplyDeleteIf I were there, I would have taken a lot of photos of the customer service crews and those locked out gate as well, including all other things worth posting online. Then write this kind of upfront review of their lousiness. ~ http://the-urban-walker.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteNo wonder they have few guests. I probably would have transferred to the other resort sooner than you did so you did give them a chance to prove themselves. So that's one less resort to go to in Guimaras.
ReplyDeleteone more for the experience. at least you know where not to stay.
ReplyDeleteGrr! and vacations aren't suppose to give you stress! tsk tsk.. I just hope management takes care of that lady caretaker.
ReplyDeletewow ang pagkain. yan ang mga gustong gusto kong mga pagkain sa ganitong lugar.
ReplyDeleteNgak ang pangit! I will never ever book there. Baka masampal ko yung babae. At bakit may time? Vacation mo yun. Resort sila. WTF.
ReplyDeletewhat the heck! they should not be in business with poor costumer service and all. And the toilet shown in the photo is nasty, WOW.
ReplyDeleteI cannot answer your question since I haven't been to Guimaras yet. How embarrassing. Hahaha
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing about this. This is going to save a lot of people from the stress and discomfort that Alobijod is serving. I hope more people read this post.
ReplyDeleteOne word: OUCH. I hope management reads this, licks its wounds, and improves.
ReplyDeleteThat was really incovenience Mai at least Raymen had change your mood and still you enjoy the vacation. I think this article is enough to remind them how bad there customer service is.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I would bitchslap that lady caretaker if I was there. kaka-stress tignan yung restroom.
ReplyDeletethank you so much for posting this.
I initially judge a room based on its washroom and the availability of hot shower. Not that I'm expecting a grand washroom but I want it to be as neat as possible. Anyway, the way they treated you was so inappropriate! You told them that you'd come back before 10 yet they still chained the gate. They should look for another business instead since they're obviously not good in being accommodating.
ReplyDeleteRude staff are the just the worst, it can make or break your stay in a place. Luckily okay naman yung stay namin sa Guimaras, we stayed at Villa Igan and had a grand time :)
ReplyDeletewell, obviously the resort is somehow cost cutting in terms of hiring professional personnel...keep your cool so you can still enjoy your stay no matter how unfortunate the situation is. Yahweh bless
ReplyDeleteIt's unpleasant. You're not satisfied! Nevertheless, you've promoted the place. That's a kind gesture of yours. Now at least, when anybody from the said place may happen to read this, this resort may be maintained since it is posted in the Facebook. Anyway, your undesirable impression of the place had been neutralized by the good foods. Isn't it?
ReplyDeleteYes, the service makes all the difference too. :)
ReplyDeleteOo nga po.. grabe ang frustrations namin that day. :(
ReplyDeleteOo nga po.. my beau was really angry na the second time we got locked out. Pero since we were on our vacay, umiwas na kami sa gulo.. Sabi ko na lang talaga, last night na namin yun at talagang lilipat na kami.
ReplyDeleteWe sure did Franc, thank God! :)
ReplyDeleteWell, I hope they get to read this. Their management should get the proper training if they want to attract more clients. No wonder Raymen had more guests compared to them.
ReplyDeleteI made sure to blog about my experience.. as I can never ever forget staying there. Being locked out was really the last straw for us. :(
ReplyDeleteI know sis.. hopefully we don't get to experience any more mishaps like this on our future trips..
ReplyDeleteI was actually thinking about taking photos. But my anger and frustrations got the best of me na. I really had to calm myself first.. I just hope this is enough for them to change their ways -- if they ever see my post.
ReplyDeleteYes, no wonder po talaga. And yes, less one resort..
ReplyDeleteIndeed chef!
ReplyDeleteI hope for the same thing too, Che. :) May God bless her na lang for her unruly ways.. sana magbago na siya on how she treats her future guests.
ReplyDeleteSadly, those were her words. It was really frustrating to be told in that manner. Mabuti na lang talaga may mas matino kaming nalipatan. :)
ReplyDeleteTrue Ms. Tess! I made sure to blog about my experience. I hope di nila ito makita as a paninira. I only wrote about this for them to know how bad their management is. Sana they'll improve their services and facilities soon. That's if they still want to be in business.
ReplyDeleteI hope for the same thing, Michelle! :)
ReplyDelete"I hope management reads this, licks its wounds, and improves." Love the delivery.. true that! :)
ReplyDeleteTrue Sky Summer.. so when you do find yourselves in Guimaras, try Raymen's ah! :)
ReplyDeleteYikes! That I cannot see myself doing.. hahaha! Na-stress out talaga kami.. But we were calmed down with the thought na lilipat na kami ng resort the next day. :)
ReplyDeleteIronic for a resort to be like that, right? Their management and their facilities should be taken cared of, if they still want to be in business.
ReplyDeleteI know, right? How was your stay in Villa Igang? We were initially referred there. But I wanted to see the famous Raymen Beach Resort first. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, we did keep our cool Sir Ralph. We were just glad that we got to leave that resort the next day.
ReplyDeleteYes Sir Gil! Their food was actually good. But it was the only good thing about them. :( Sadly, they weren't able to deliver even at least a 1-star service. :(
ReplyDeletethe suppose to be stress-free days became stressFULL vacay, lesson learned anyways... In one way or another travelers is bound to exp such unexpected circumstances
ReplyDeleteSometimes you have to experience this sort of disgusting, awful and nasty (whatever!) account in your life and then forget about everything. You just have to actually SHIFT/DELETE to permanently remove it to you recycle bin. Hahahah!!! 'Feel better now??
ReplyDeleteI like that, Ms. Marri! In other words.. let's not keep stuff like these in our hard drives na! :)
ReplyDeleteYes.. this was our 'bad moment'.. hopefully, future Guimaras guests will find my post helpful. They be the judge na lang.. :)
ReplyDeleteSabi nga nila that Guimaras is a good place to go to.. ANd to see that there are more to enjoy in this place, it might be a good place to go to!
ReplyDeletehayyy, never been to Guimaras yet...but now I know where not to stay ;)
ReplyDeleteAt least, there's one good beach haven in Alubihod, Guimaras. :)
ReplyDeleteYikes! So sorry to read about that terrible experience you had here. One thing I've learned whenever planning for a trip is to go with my gut. Never mind if sometimes that gut feeling will cause me to end up spending a wee little more. It's more easy to deal with that rather than having such a terrible experience and dealing with grouchy hosts.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! :)
ReplyDeleteNo worries!
ReplyDeleteBumawi lang sila sa food, nothing else. :(
ReplyDeleteYes, except for this resort that we stayed in.
ReplyDeleteI know.. glad we transferred resorts! :)
ReplyDeleteJust stay for over night kagabi..
ReplyDeleteAt the rate of their rooms is not really worth to spend..
1-Walang wifi..
2-No tv channel to watch only a movie on save parang airplane lang puro reading subtitles pa..
3-No telephone yo call reception kung ayaw mo lumabas to order lalabas ka yo do that..
4-Walang tubig ang ang sink...
5+Walabg hook either sa banyo or sa room mapagsampayan ng wet towel..
6-Maingay till midnyt may videoke pa napaka lakas..
7- then food not really special ang mahal..
This place not recommended for me..
It's sad that they've never done any improvements.. tsktsk!
ReplyDelete