Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel

i love that they have their own van & speedboat. it made our transfer hassle-free and faster than the regular transfer. the weather on the day was bad and we were suppose to DIY from the hotel to kalibo airport but decided to take advantage of the airport transfer. we had the van & the speedboat all to ourselves. it was a quick ride. convenient for a bad weather. pricy, but hey, how many times can you get a ride on a speedboat alone? staff were super helpful and friendly. we arrived early at the hotel and despite the check in time at 2pm, they let us get in an hour early, and ---- the lava cake from the greetings was delish!!! breakfast buffet have different types. they have rice for filipinos who love tapsilog. i always go for filipino food in the morning. its something i find satisfying. but for my husband, he goes for cereals & breads and some continental. they have a ton and the menu changes daily. unlimited brewed coffee is one of my fave. coz i need to have at least 3 cups to finish up my breakfast. also, they provide beach mats & beach towels so it was pretty convenient getting a beachfront hotel. we also have a balcony so we ordered drinks from the bar and had it delivered in our room, chillin' at the balcony listening to the live band and what i love most is I got a pair of flipflops as souvenirs :) overall, we love to go back there again and spend more nights and get another cute pair of flipflops, in our robe, drinking cocktails at the balcony listening to the live band not worrying about our transfers at all.

i was expecting it to be the same as the one in the flyers they were handing out but because of the renovation, we didnt get to see the ocean as part of the balcony view, only the roof of the extension. I also didnt like the spa much, the smell is weird and the massage was not as I was expecting. I prefer the locals (the best one I tried) offering at the beachfront than the spa masseuses in Mandarin Spa, its cheaper too..

Very nice location. Nice staff and good breakfast. I love their cheeserolls!

Bed and pillow very hard. Not comfortable at all. We asked for softer pillow and they gave us 4 soft pillow which is very nice.

Staff was exceptionally polite and attentive. Specially those serving in the restaurant.