Isla Amara Resort

Check in was long but we came in early so we understood the 5 hour wait. BUT the day we checked out which was supposed to be 2 pm, theycalled us around 12 pm lunch time telling us it was time to check out. VERY disappointed they tried to kick us out early. 2 pm was check out time. Early arrivers should wait like we did. Overall, breakfast and staff were good. You need to ask for wash cloth and toilet paper. Pool was very warm. They should put a cover. Restaurants and proximity to beach was great! Unless they kick you out early.

Location to Lio Beach and restaurants is great . Lio Beach we would recommend staying at if you are looking for a more relaxed vibe then El Nido town which is a backpacker haven. In terms of the hotel, the staff were friendly greeting us whenever they saw us. Daily housekeeping we had to ask for towels and toilet paper with them taking the dirty towels but not replacing with clean towels. We ended up just getting pool towels one night. The rooms are extremely noisy when guests returned at 0200 each night you could hear all their conversations as they made there way to their rooms and then doors would slam. We were on a ground floor room and could hear the footsteps above us as guests moved around their room. The room itself is basic with a firm mattress. The pool needs some cover to provide shade as the water was very hot and not a refreshing dip in the pool like you would think. Not a lot of options in Lio Beach area, so I suppose it is doable if you want that area.

We were undecided on where to stay in El Nido but kept coming back to Isla Amara and decided to book. We are so glad we chose this hotel. We were given a family room. It was clean and spacious. Breakfast was good and different every morning. Now for the location - WOW. STUNNING. 50 metres from one of the most beautiful beaches I have seen. Palm trees, white sand and crystal clear water very safe for swimming. Lots of restaurants and bars with gorgeous views and all the lanterns from the palm trees at night gave it a magical feel. The sunsets were beautiful. It's about 20 minutes by trycicle from El Nido town but feels a world away. I would recommend Isla Amara and Lio Beach if you are looking for a relaxing getaway.

The Check-in was smooth / we were late getting to resort so didn’t experience any fancy welcome or drinks but that’s okay. The room was large clean and well designed. The staff were attentive and friendly. The location is away from the busy town centre and the resort is very quiet and private. I highly recommend. 300 peso flat rate to town centre / 450 peso to zip line. We did tour A & C island hoping / it was breath taking beautiful there were just too many people on these beaches for my liking during these tours. Did them once / won’t do them again. I would stay and enjoy this fixity more if I could have a do over

Staff were poorly trained, little idea of what good customer service is, they tried to charge us twice for a transfer to Puerto Princessa. No hand towels in room, only bath towels. Very disappointed for an upscale boutique hotel. On the positive the rooms are great and bed is comfortable.

Pros: - Excellent beach proximity with clean shores, ample seating, umbrellas, stunning sunset views, and easy access to Lio beach. - Abundance of restaurants in the vicinity. - Reservations staff (Ms. Ehzyl) and Front Office staff (Ms. Shaira) showcased efficient work, prompt decision-making, and exceptional customer service. Cons: - Requested connecting rooms, received non-adjoining rooms on different floors despite advanced booking. - Initial room had unpleasant odor, leaking air conditioning, and insect presence. - Engineering attempted fixes while we were out, but water leakage and odor persisted. - Overnight Front Office staff (Shaira) was swift in addressing concerns, successfully resolving issues within 45 minutes. Breakfast: - Limited breakfast choices presented as a buffet, lacking proper ventilation, leading to lingering food odors. - Poorly managed breakfast venue, including incomplete table setup and delayed opening times. Guest Room: - Room floor was sticky and dirty. - Thin and flimsy hotel slippers. - Absence of face towels, only bath and floor towels provided. - Clipped fingernails under the lamp desk - TV has no channels Overall: - Attractive location. - Staff displayed kindness, but additional hospitality and professional development are required for a more satisfying experience in the hospitality industry.

My siblings and I celebrated our birthdays in El Nido and we chose to stay in Isla Amara. So happy with our decision! Quiet and relaxing vibe in the resort, nature-vibe with a lot of plants and trees in sight, perfect for those who just want to stayput the whole day or those like us who spent fun but tiring days on local tours and needed to rest afterwards. Afternoon and evening swim are our favorite. The pool is not that big but we never felt too crowded even with other guests around. We spent a lot of time in the pool and in the poolside area. the The pool lounge beds are so comfortable. Bonus: free ice cream in the afternoon! Isla Amara is only a very short walk to Lio beach. You can actually view the beach from their bar area. We love Lio beach, not too quiet but not too loud, no big crowd, it’s perfect! There are a few restaurant choices in the area and our favorite is The Red Crab, which is beside Isla Amara. The resort is 10-15 mins ride via Car and 15-20 mins ride via Tricycle going to the town center. For tours, we were picked up and dropped off at the resort. Isla Amara booked us with Go Paradise tours and we highly recommend them! On days we wanted to try other restaurants in town, we needed to ride the tricycle. It’s easy to get one, just ask the front desk. It’s ₱300 pesos one way. It’s definitely a fair price for the distance alone. Personally, we preferred to just eat in the restaurants nearby, so we can just walk back to our room or stay in the beach area chairs to relax before calling it a night. Hopefully more restaurants open in the area for more choices. Our booked room is not that big but spacious enough for 3 adults. The beds and pillows are comfortable. The room is clean and smells really good. That’s actually the first thing we noticed when we entered the room. The wifi in our room is bad so we used our 5G most of the time. Not much of a big deal but could be improved. Wifi in the reception area is strong. Overall, we had a pleasant stay. Would definitely recommend to family and friends! We would like to give special thanks to all the staff of Isla Amara. More than everything else, they made our stay worthwhile. Thank you for the El Nido hospitality. 💚 P.S. Thank you for the birthday surprises. We didn’t expect it but they’re highly appreciated! We felt like VIPs. Thank you for the effort. Definitely made us happier!