Boracay, touted as having one of the best beaches in the world, is known as a party place.
People go to Boracay not only for its beautiful white sand beaches, but also to enjoy its nightlife. As a result, a lot of hotels are situated in Station 2, which is considered the island’s center of activities.
If you want to stay at a place that’s quite “far from the madding crowd,” and yet affordable and accessible, head to Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham. Located in Diniwid Beach, it’s a good 20-minute (free) shuttle ride away, although it’s only a 10-minute walk to Station1 if you choose to go by the beach.
For party goers who love the din of an almost-24/7 nightlife, Microtel’s location might be a disadvantage. For those who prefer a quiet place that’s a beachfront property, however, with great food, helpful staff, and excellent amenities, Microtel is the only place to be.
One of 13 branches in the Philippines, Microtel Boracay’s primary selling point is its amenities and facilities. There are 51 rooms you can choose from: queen double, queen double with a beach view, and queen suite.
All rooms have individually-controlled aircon, a very comfortable bed with a “chiropractor-approved mattress,” fluffy pillows, cable TV, IDD and NDD phone, and heavy drapes to keep out the sun if you want to sleep in. All these make for a nice room that’s surprisingly affordable.
The queen double room starts at P2,950/$67, depending on the season, with free breakfast, free shuttle (until 10pm), use of pool, 24/7 coffee at the lobby, and Wifi in public areas.
If you want ultra comfort, though, take the suite, which has everything already mentioned, plus a personal ref, microwave, electric tea kettle, coffee and tea supplies (if you don’t want to go down to the lobby for the free coffee there), and a sofa. There’s a bathtub, too, if you want to have a soak.
I had the chance to stay in all three kinds of rooms, and I would definitely recommend the suite (photo above) and the double room with a beach view (photo below).
According to resident manager Ace Infante, newly transferred from their branch in Tarlac, one reason that they were able to bring down the price was the fact that they cut out the frills so as to pass the savings on to their customers.
There’s no carpet, for example, and except for the suite, there’s no mini-bar. The bathroom toiletries are also basic: just soap, toothbrush, and toothpaste. You won’t find any L’Occitane products in Microtel, because their priority is to keep prices down while providing the exemplary service one can usually find in 5-star hotels.
When I talked to other travelers who had stayed in Microtel Boracay, they all agreed that the service is topnotch. One night, for example, I decided to buy a 24-hour Wifi connection in the room. I was able to use it for one hour, but when I restarted my netbook, it stopped working.
I called the front desk and although it was almost midnight, there was still someone there, and she sent in a staff to troubleshoot my connection. When the connection wasn’t restored (probably because of the storm the previous day), the receptionist just waived the fee, which was reasonable of her.
I ended up working in the lobby, which was fine with me because the sea breeze made sure I was comfortably cool, and I had easy access to the free coffee (choice of cappuccino, latte, and black).
Another thing I loved about Microtel Boracay was its onsite restaurant, Mama’s Fish House. I highly recommend sharing; their servings are big. I had the grilled yellow fin tuna steak (P390) for lunch (below); it was huge!
Headed by Chef Sunny de Ocampo, a Filipino-Australian who looks more like a surfer dude than a TV personality with his own cooking show, Mama’s Fish House is popular even with non-Microtel guests.
They specialize in seafood (of course), but they also have a lot of meat, veg, and pasta dishes to choose from. Aside from the tuna, I recommend the tasty and wonderfully presented croquettes (below).
If I were to go back to Boracay with family or friends (read: Is Boracay for Solo Travelers?), I would definitely stay at Microtel Inn again. I’ve had a very restful stay there; when I needed to hear some party sounds, I just used the shuttle to go to Station 2 (or walked along the beach), and came back needing and getting the rest I’d wanted (tricycle fare: P25).
All in all, Microtel Boracay lives up to its aim of providing topnotch service and amenities for budget-conscious travelers.
Going to Boracay soon? Search for other hotels in Boracay via Agoda.
Disclaimer: I was a guest of Microtel for three nights. Their generosity did not affect this post; all opinions here are mine alone.
14 Comments. Leave new
Aleah, how is the beach in Diniwid? I’ve been there several times but didn’t take much notice of it. Now that I’d rather stay there, I’d love to hear your opinion. 😀
That looks like a fabulous place to stay, my kind of place: quite but still close to the action.
The food looks absolutely delicious. I hope to be able to visit there one day.
You would love our islands, Freya, especially now that it’s (almost?) freezing there in Belgium!
OH MY GAWD!!! That Yellow Fin tuna steak looks AMAZING, Aleah!! I swear my mouth is literally drooling right now for that! My partying days are long over (waste of time and energy) and I would absolutely want to stay somewhere quiet and beautiful! Did I ever tell you that my buddy’s mom (remember they are Filipino) bought me some banana ketchup for me to try?? I asked them for it after your post way back when. It wasn’t too shabby 🙂 I hope all is well with you!
LOL That was very nice of her, Mike. Did you like the ketchup or did you throw it away after one taste? haha The tuna was ABSOLUTELY amazing. I was full after eating half. Next time I go there, I will bring a friend. The servings are too big for one.
I’ve always wanted to go to boracay! Your pictures look divine.
Boracay’s really lovely. Go visit, you’ll have a blast there 🙂
Hello. :)) Nice travel post. I actually have not been to Boracay ever since. I hope to be able to go someday, and I will surely visit this place. Read my blog too.
Thanks for dropping by, Marc. 🙂
Looks world class. Someday I hope to see myself partaking of all that Bora offers.
How’ve you been?
Go go go. Boracay has a lot of charms, especially in a quieter area like Diniwid.
Wow, that steak was an increible value, considering the price is less than $10 American …. I also love the quiet, so I might have to stay here when I get to Boracay!
Hi David. For the price, it really was very good. Split in two servings, it would only cost $5. Crazy value!