HIGH BEACH WHITE THE VILLA COLLECTION

White Villas Resort in San Juan, Siquijor offers comfortable beachfront villas, a small pool, and friendly service. Guests enjoy easy access to local cafes and beaches, making it ideal for a laid-back island getaway.

We just spent 7 days / 6 nights at White Villas in Siquijor. Before arrival: Communication with the resort from booking to arrival was prompt and helpful. Rooms & facilities: The rooms were OK. Hot water, air conditioning and fridge, kettle all worked well, and unlimited free drinking water was a nice touch. Internet was intermittent at best, likely due to limited bandwidth when the hotel is full. It worked for me most of the time, but my travel companions in the other room were not able to connect most of the stay. We would have appreciated a clothes cabinet, as we otherwise had to live out of our suitcases. Room naming & expectations: We stayed in what was called a beach bungalow. Based on the name, we expected a standalone bungalow directly on the beach, so on arrival we were a bit confused. In reality, these are 2 linked double rooms next to each other positioned in a 90 degree angle on the beach, where only the last room has a beach view. Our room, like our travel companions’, faced the garden. There are also beach villas, which are larger and standalone, but they are even further from the beach. Overall, the room names are misleading - what we had would typically be called a Deluxe Garden View Room at most hotels. Food & drinks: We had one dinner and one lunch at the resort. Dinner was quite good, but lunch the next day was disappointing, which led us to eat elsewhere for the rest of the stay. The burgers were very basic and dry, and the kinilaw did not taste like it was made with fresh fish. There is a very generous happy hour until 9 pm, with a wide selection of drinks, which we enjoyed several times. However, the hotel next door played loud music most evenings, making conversation difficult. This is not controlled by White Villas, but it does affect the experience. Breakfast: Breakfast is basic and exactly the same every day: eggs, pancakes (powder-based American style), porridge, bread, jam, and a limited fruit selection (pineapple, watermelon, and often overripe bananas). It would benefit from more variation, especially better fruit (papaya and mango is widely available) and healthier options such as yogurt, granola, or smoothie bowls - items readily available at other places along the same road. Staff & housekeeping: The staff are attentive, helpful, and consistently friendly. Rooms are cleaned every two days, with the option to request additional cleaning if needed. The beach: The sand is indeed white. Unfortunately, the beach is not suitable for swimming. At low tide, which is most of the day, the seabed is exposed, muddy, and very shallow. At high tide, the water depth is only around 20 cm. This is not just a White Villas issue - the whole stretch is like that. Kayaks and SUP boards can be rented at the resort to reach the drop-off about a kilometer out for snorkeling; considering the beach limitations, it would be reasonable if these were offered free of charge. Value for money: We enjoyed our holiday, but overall, White Villas was not quite value for money. More transparency about the room names and the non-swimmable beach would have helped manage expectations. White Villas is on the expensive side, and since beach swimming is not possible, it may be better to stay at cheaper but equally good places with better food and views, even if they are slightly further from the beach.

Misleading booking and poor service. The photos and descriptions on booking websites do not match reality. Booked a garden villa but was given a noisy room facing the street, right next to the garbage area. Rude staff and an owner who refuses to take responsibility, instead blaming Booking.com. The food is bland and of poor quality. The beach has a muddy bottom (previously mangrove) and is barely suitable for swimming. Not recommended.