Mandarin Bay Resort & Spa

My husband and I stayed at The Mandarin Bay Resort and Spa for 6 nights. We understood the hotel to be in the midst of a soft opening and expected some services to not be up and running which was fine by us as Station 2 has every amenity needed. Below are the pros and cons of our stay. Pros: The staff: They are the main strength of the hotel. Everybody we encountered seemed to be a part of a working team and were so helpful and thoughtful. The room: It was spacious and comfortable. Little treats were left on the table each evening. Water was replenished as frequently as you would like. There was a lot of storage space, and details like flip flops and umbrellas were in the room. A retractable clothesline in the bathroom would be helpful for hanging daily beachwear. Location: If you like to be in the middle of it all, this is the place for you. Everything you could think of needing was a few seconds away. Breakfast food: This was by far, the best breakfast buffet I’ve had! For 6 days there were no repeats! Egg station, soup station, and carving stations in addition to regular breakfast foods and so much more. Someone serving water, tea, and coffee would help alleviate the long waits for the drinks. Cons: The noise level outside: This hotel has music playing all day at the pool/pool restaurant/check-in waiting area. Sometimes it is coming from the pool speakers, sometimes from a DJ, sometimes from a performer, but it is constant and loud and at times two different songs playing at the same time. Along with the music, there are also drums being played each time a new van load of guests arrive. It is important to note that the layout of the hotel with rooms surrounding the pool creates a kind of echo, so music, drums, whistles, and voices are amplified. There is no sanctuary in the hotel. Boracay, in general, is loud, so I was hoping to come home from the bars or restaurants or beach to read a book or relax by the pool but this was not possible. Looking around, it seemed loud at other hotels too, so maybe it’s just me that was hoping for a relaxing space and I should not have been in Station 2. I did not realize that it was loud INSIDE the hotels and resorts in Station 2. The noise level inside: Our room was near the stairs and elevator area that carried noise and echo. When the service began early in the morning, trolleys and voices offer an early wake-up call. The layout: The hotel is 5 or 6 stories high surrounding the pool. Many rooms look from the balcony over the pool and directly into the other rooms. It seems they tried to squish as many rooms as they could onto the land and did not make room for a pool deck. There are about 20 chairs only for the entire resort. If you book a ground floor, direct pool access room, know that people will be swimming on your outside space, so don’t forget to close your curtains! Beach: There are 20 chairs only for Mandarin Bay guests but they hand out beach mats for people who did not score a chair. Unfortunately, between the months of January and May Boracay has its Lumot season and there was an abundance of green algae. Overall, I would recommend this hotel to people who love the resort style of stays, but know in advance that it is not a calm, quiet spot.

Everything is amazing in Mandarin Bay from the staff, food, transportation and facilities! Definitely will be back with my family🙂 and THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE!

We’re amazed with our stay in this Hotel. Worth the Penny!