Al Faro Cosmio Hotel Palawan

Al Faro was the highlight of my trip to the Palawan region. We were lucky enough to get the top room in the tower, which had the most amazing views. The pool was great, happy 3 hours between 3-7 was very good value and the staff were absolutely amazing. There is a steep climb to the reception area when dropped by boat here, but that climb was very much worth it. So much better than more expensive places I stayed. Pizzas are great too

Das Al Faro Cosmio Hotel ist eine Unterkunft mit herausragendem Service und einem besonderen Flair. Die Zimmer sind als Bungalows gestaltet, die an einem steilen Hang verteilt und von vielen tropischen Pflanzen umgeben sind. Die Fenster der Bungalows sind nicht verglast, sondern haben nur ein grobmaschiges Gitter, sodass es keine Klimaanlage und nur einen Ventilator gibt. Durch einen angenehmen Durchzug vom Meer her kann man aber dennoch sehr gut schlafen und die Ufo-artigen Bungalows schaffen eine einzigartige Atmosphäre im Hotel. Die Angestellten sind sehr zuvorkommend und haben uns mit Namen angesprochen; es gibt nur ca. 12 Zimmer, sodass das Hotel nie voll wirkt. Zum Hotel gelangt man nur per Boot, der Transfer auf das Festland ist aber jederzeit möglich und kostenlos. Da sich rund um den Anlegesteg am Festland nur ein weiteres Café befindet, ist man de facto zu jeder Zeit auf das Hotelrestaurant angewiesen. Auch bei der Fahrt vom/zum Flughafen hat man praktisch keine andere Möglichkeit, als den Flughafentransfer von 2,000 PHP zu wählen. Die Preise des Hotelrestaurants sind zwar unter europäischem Preisniveau, aber doch 2-3x so teuer wie das normale philippinische Preisniveau in Restaurants und Cafés auf der Insel. Als Gast sollte man sich dessen bewusst sein und ein ausreichend großes Budget für den Aufenthalt im Al Faro Hotel einplanen - uns hat diese Situation etwas überrascht, aber dem Genuss des Aufenthalts keinen Abbruch getan.

I stayed here while on a diving trip and a recomendation from a friend. Restaurant & Food: Inconsistent best describes it. Great Pizza and Pasta. Vienna Schnitzel and 2nd Bruschetta were awful as were the fries. Schnitzel was so tough it was impossible to cut. Bruschetta had no garlic and was on soggy bread. Drinks were generally ok. Coffee press ok but the stuff they served for breakfast was more like brown water. Staff could do with some extra training as they frequently forgot basic things. Juice for breakfast, cuttlery missing etc. Some guests were smoking in the restaurant. Staff did nothing about this in spite of it being illegal in the Philippines. Room: Unique would best describe it. But it was not the room I booked! Adequate size with open windows. This was nice but allowed wildlife in the room and mosquitos. Poor finishing and annoying lighting system outside the room as the adjacent room had no ceiling so complained about me putting the light on. Not my fault!. Nowhere to hang clothes as advertised and no bidet as advertised. Shower ok but no hot water and sink water pressure very poor. No aircon but not needed. Staff: Very nice and friendly but could do with some targeted extra training. Wifi: Useless. But if you can "persuade" the staff to give you the password for wifi#34 that works fine. Transport and access: Car transfer from airport then short boat ride to resort and a climb up a mountainside. Driver is dangerous being regularly on the wrong side of the double yellow lines in the middle of the road. Sooner or later he will have an accident. The yellow lines are not a decoration ! The resort is accessed up a very steep hill and is not suitable for anyone with mobility issues or cardiac issues and would be dangerous for small children. Be warned there is an environmental fee scam starting as you exit the airport and again in each town. This lines the local potiticos pockets and has nothing to do with the environment. Pool: Small and nice but should be exclusive to resort guests and no outsiders. Price: Price was fine if you pay cash. They have an illegal 4% surcharge on all card payments. I guess they get away with this as most guests are foreigners and dont know the laws in the Philippines but the BSP rules are very clear on this so unless you want to be scammed bring cash. Im sure management are aware of this but if you do get surcharged you can complain and get your money refunded by submitting a complaint through the Bangko Sentrals website and the establishment will be warned to cease this or risk cancellation of business permit. Overall a very nice place with great potential just needs a few things fixing as outlined and will be perfect.

Best of the best The ultimate place to stay.

Unique rooms and stunning views. Had a wonderful stay. Perfect place just to relax after a busy 2 weeks travelling the Philippines. Highly recommend it if you are fine without some luxuries like airco - the very unique rooms and views to die for make up for it through and through. As anywhere in the Philippines - the most wonderfully and friendly staff ready to assist with anything.

Fabulous location Fabulous location with spectacular views. Great food fairly priced.