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4.0
#1 of 2 villas in Santa Fe
Location
Cleanliness
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Value
The Coral Blue Oriental Beach Villas is the most beautiful bamboo style accommodation on the island. We are located on the Tropical Island with an absolute beachfront, sees the rising sunrise and a picturesque view. The Suites and Villas are made of Bamboos and local material roofing combined with a European touch on our room, bathroom, and features. Each room is provided, with air-conditioning, ceiling and desk fan, a private bathroom with a hot and cold shower, a safety deposit box, a terrace with sun lounges, and a hammock.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Romantic
Charming
Languages Spoken
English, Filipino
Location
Batiancilla Street, Santa Fe 6047 Philippines
The Coral Blue Oriental Beach Villas & Suites
147 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
The Coral Blue is a great place to stay. It is a little more expensive than other places we considered, but the atmosphere is special and worth the cost differential. It is ocean front and even sitting on the porch looking out over the ocean in the rain was special.
We enjoyed the town of Sante Fe and the beach between rain showers.
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Date of stay: March 2022
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Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This was a hidden gem, small resort in a perfect location. The rooms are “Bali” style and the view is unbelievable. The staff were all amazing. I will return for sure. Try one of everything on the menu! You will not be disappointed. Do not forget to get a daily massage! Wow wow wow.
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Trust me - it’s magical! Make sure to get a massage and a land tour.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lovely resort. Close to the ferry, yet seems miles from anywhere. Very friendly staff, they were always willing to help, with a smile. Nice room with stunning sunrise views. Clean. Food was good.
Very enjoyable.
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Date of stay: May 2022
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My favorite thing about eating in the Philippines is buying various street foods and eating them slowly in my room.
However, the rules here do not allow them to be brought in.
That rule took away the pleasure of dining on a large balcony with an ocean view in the most expensive suite here.
I had no choice but to go to this restaurant. Some American with no sense of taste reviews that this restaurant is delicious...
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Good location, but that's it.
Wi-Fi is very slow.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I decided to take a week off and travel to a quiet island, where I could rest and disconnect from the busy world for awhile. After reading some traveller's reviews I chose Santa Fe and decided to go for The Coral Blue Oriental Beach Villas & Suites. This decision was mainly based on how fantastic the bamboo construction looked in the photos and, most important of all, how close the facilities were from the white sand beach. It turned out to be a good decision, and I'm sure I'll be back to the Coral Blue!
Here is a quick topic review that you might find helpful. I went to Santa Fe short after the Yolanda Typhoon, and there are probably several things repaired and working properly today.
LOCATION: Fabulous. This is probably one of the most valuable things… you are directly above the beach. I stayed at the Suite number 3, and all I had to do was walk down a stairway, and I was with my feet on the beach sand. You can sit in your spacious balcony and watch the sunrise, with an open space view… unforgettable. You are also nearby several commercial shops, where you can find a wide range of things. It is close to the port, but far enough to miss the boats passing by. A lot of people warned me about the mosquitos… but I had NO problem at all, barely noticed any.
ARCHITECTURE: Bamboo cottages. You love it or you hate it. I love it! This was exactly what I was looking for, so it worked perfectly for me.
ROOMS: My room was clean, tidy, and spacious. The view was unbeatable, big windows/doors provide good light if you wish.TV was not working… but who cares about TV in paradise anyway? You have aircon equipment if you like, I didn't use it at all. Much better to sleep with the door open, feeling the sea breeze. By the way, I always felt completely safe, and never worried about sleeping with the door opened. And everything was ok. If I had to point something wrong in the room, I would say that the hot water system could be verified for better performance. It was somewhat time consuming to find a good balance between cold and hot water. Of course that, for me, it was no problem since most of the times I used cold water… so refreshing in such a hot climate!
FOOD: I must point out that the food was excellent in lunch or dinner time. I really had great meals here, the cook is very good. I did find the breakfast somewhat mediocre though… However, you have many places to choose from outside the hotel if you wish.
SERVICE: I really loved the staff! They were friendly and efficient from day one. They made me feel at home, and understood my resting intentions during my stay. Unfortunately, I had to anticipate my return due to a weird bad weather in the last day, and the hotel manager took care of everything for me, including booking a hotel in Cebu. I have absolutely nothing negative to point, they were excellent, congratulations and thank you!
FINAL THOUGHTS: I can't wait to be back to the Coral Blue again. This hotel completely fits my purposes. It's a small and quiet hotel (even in it's max capacity, you won't feel it crowded), beach front (really!), with that bamboo cottage feel. I had the chance to stroll around Santa Fe, and I can assure you won't find anything like this in this style. If this is your thing, then I strongly recommend it!
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Date of stay: March 2014
Value
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Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:Suite 3 is probably the best for wifi connection… it's located above the manager's office.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed three nights in one of the beach front suites. The room was comfortable except the bathroom that were too dark and the floor stayed wet during the whole time because of the uneven tiles. We didn't feel that the staff were committed to make our stay as good as possible. The restaurant is far from good and there are much better options a few minutes away. We got a promo rate for our stay but I would not consider paying the regular rate for this hotel.
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Date of stay: January 2014
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Location
Cleanliness
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Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We came here as a family of 4 for lunch as walk in diners. We were quickly shown to a table and looked through the menu which is of a similar composition as most places in Bantayan Island. We were told there was an order before ours, which was ok so we settled in for a drink whilst we waited. My wife had a mango daiquiri which tasted ok until you got near the end where there were many stringy leftovers from the mango husk. As time went on without our food, we were offered a complimentary snack...dry toast and a sachet of butter. Nice sentiment, poor execution. When the food finally arrived, an hour an a half later, to say we were disappointed is an understatement. The tempura prawns were breaded, not battered, and the majority of the dish was breaded prawn head. Appetising. The main dishes arrived at the same time which is irritating, and were dreadful. The French fries were extremely greasy and I'm not sure how much potato they had ever been near, my stuffed squid could have been the tread for a local motorbike, the chicken curry was inedible due to over cooking but also awful taste, and somehow the chef had even managed to ruin rice. In the middle of our hardly eaten meal, the waiter was cleaning a nearby table and managed to flick some of the leftovers onto me. Nice. We then had to have an argument over what we would and wouldn't pay for with the manager after which we left. The dirty looks sent our way as we departed were pitiful, but not as much as them watching us along the beach for whatever reason they had. The place is crawling with street cats who defecate where ever they want, including under our table. What a dreadful restaurant, service and attitude. Highly recommend avoiding at all costs.
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Date of stay: April 2017Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I spent 5 nights at Coral Blue in Bantayan Island. The sorrounding area seems like a small sleepy village and is just stunning. I am unsure if this was because we travelled in the beginning of the rainy season (mid May) and there was less tourists than usual but the beaches were quiet and generally not many tourists at all which was great. The hotel is located right on the beach, about 7 mins ride from the ferry port. We took a tricycle to the hotel and the cost was covered by the hotel which we did not expect as this was not arranged or advertised by the property, but we seen it as a very nice touch.
The check in process was quick and smooth, we received refreshing welcome drinks and a sort of sea shell necklace which was also very nice.
The rooms are extremely dated and in desperate need of refurbishment. There is such a great potential with the location and setting but the whole property needs some attention.
The AC was very old and barely working. It was also insanely loud! I mean seriously REALLY loud. It was cooling the room but just enough to make it bearable. The massive gaps in windows and doors did not make this situation any better.
The bathroom was a great size but very dark and only had two tiny windows which made it impossible for fresh air to get inside leaving the space very humid. There was only one small mirror over the sink and it would be very useful to have a full length mirror too.
There was no actual wardrobe in the room, only some shelves which makes the room look messy at all times.
There was a TV in the room with cable tv and foreign channels which was nice however this also stopped working on our final day.
Be aware the rooms only get cleaned upon request rather than everyday which is a standard in every hotel in the world. There is no toiletteries apart from a shampoo sample sachette (very bizzare).
What really disapoints is the general feeling of the management trying to cut costs as much as possible and being very cheap with the way the "hotel" is run.
The breakfast is incredibly poor with only one choice standard set breakfast including two eggs (scrambled, sunny side up or omelette), ham and bacon (off cuts of fatty bacon and SPAM, both deep fried), toast, coffee and ONE canned drink. Second drinks require a payment. Any changes to the breakfast, ie. a slice of cheese require additional payment. The whole meal is very greasy and heavy. Really awful! The staff speaks very little english which makes it more difficult.
We did not dine at the restaurant as the horrible breakfast experiences left us unwilling to risk another culinary disaster. This is a shame as sometimes after a whole day we were quite tired and it would be nice to just walk down and have a dinner however we were not prepared to spend any more money in this place and the breakfast showed the restaurant had very low standard. Also the place closes at 10pm which is very early for a hotel restaurant. There is no room service as well.
On one occasion we got a whole pineapple from one of the street vendors hoping to have it later. As we got to the reception we asked for a knife to cut it up. We were told not food and drinks from outside were allowed in the hotel. Despite there was no mini bar in the room and no fresh fruits offered by the restaurant menu. It just shows how cheap and greedy the hotel management is. Also it makes no sense to have a fridge in the room if no food or beverage is allowed in the rooms apart from those bought from the restaurant. This is illogical.
The internet connection in the room is also very slow and poor so if you are looking to work while being away you need to re-consider the acommodation.
The hotel has no actual beach in front because of the way its positioned. The low tide starts about 12 o'clock making it impossible to swim unless you are willing to walk over coral for about 5-7 meters just to reach knee high water. Local fisherman use the space in front of the hotel to park their boats which also makes it impossible to swim. We walked 2-3 mins and used the Marlin's Beach Resort sun loungers. They only charge 50 pesos a day for guests not staying in their hotel and the beach is beautiful and quiet. No boats parked in front of the beach too. They also offer a slightly overpriced but very nice restaurant and very attentive bar service. The rooms at Marlin's are only a tiny bit more expensive but much,much better than Coral Blue so I would highly advise spending a little more and staying there. There is also a resort called Reyhana just next door which is actually cheaper than Coral Blue but also much better quality.
All in all Coral Blue is a lodging (not hotel due to the lack of basic amenities such as room service) place with really great views and basic service. It is highly overpriced for what it is but if you are not looking for a high standard acommodation you will not be dissapointed.
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Date of stay: May 2016
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed in 2 rooms at Coral Blue Oriental Beach Villa and had the time of my life! I first stayed in the Beach Suite for 2 - which has a queen bed, gorgeous stone bathroom, and a deck on the beach - complete with hammocks and chairs. It was gorgeous!!! The room was unique, air conditioned, clean, and romantic. One of the best places I have ever stayed in! The second night I stayed in the Beach Villa for 4 people - 2 bedrooms with a living room and 2 bathrooms. The views from the balcony are exceptional. The real reason to stay at Coral Blue is because of the service. They offer transportation from Cebu Airport to their resort (~$70/person round trip). This was incredibly easy to book at there were people at the airport (2.5hr drive), Hagnaya Port ferry (1 hr ferry), and then from Bantayan Port to the hotel (5 min in a tuk tuk) with our names written on a piece of paper. Everything was very smooth. Coral Blue has a fantastic little restaurant (I recommend the chili garlic prawns - don't worry it's not spicy) and is within walking distance to other bars and restaurants in Sta. Fe (the little town where it is located). The beach front is beautiful, especially when you walk along the beach to the left to a gorgeous sand bar.
I have to say, I saw the #1 rated hotel was the Bantayan Nature Park and Resort. DO NOT STAY THERE OR YOU WILL REGRET IT! We visited there for a day trip and had a horrible experience. Besides a disappointing cave pool and boat trip, the resort itself is remote, the restaurant tacky with drunk locals singing loud KTV at all hours, tiny beach area, and horrible customer service. There was a dispute because our boat driver tried to charge us extra money in a pre-paid all-inclusive tour and the staff did not care to help us on the refund. I was highly disappointed. Regardless, it is too remote so you couldn't walk along the beach (it is surrounded by cliff areas) and you can't explore a town. Also, the prices were high. It turns out that a boat tour of Virgin Island by Coral Blue (45 min away from the island) is the same price as a boat tour by Bantayan State Park (15 min away from the island). Also, the Coral Blue boat trip included lunch for 2.
At Coral Blue Oriental Beach Villa: -Wake up for the sunrise -Walk into the small Sta. Fe town -Rent a boat to Paradise Island or Virgin Island (1250 php/person including lunch, 9am-4pm) -Rent a boat to take you wherever for 4 hours (1500 php total - we just had the boat stop at remote beaches and jump off the edges into the water with snorkel equipment) -Rent a motorbike (450 php for 24 hours)
I insist, stay here!!!
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Date of stay: September 2014
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:For 2 people, I highly recommend the beach suite!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
First of all I just want to say shame on anyone complaining about the state of the beach or hotel after it was hit by Yolanda/Haiyan. I'm appalled that people have the audacity to complain about electricity or tv problems when most people in the area were living off of aid and had lost their homes and businesses. Maybe next time you plan your vacation, take into consideration the lives of the people who live there, especially after the world's largest typhoon hits the area you're planning to visit.
Now that that's out of the way, my boyfriend and I had a lovely relaxing stay (2 nights) here the end of July. We got lucky with the weather and enjoyed walking along the beach and rented a motorbike to ride around the island. The food at the restaurant was delicious and breakfast was just enough food (I'm not a big eater in the morning). The staff were kind and more than hospitable, going out of their way to meet our needs. They even gave us a ride to the ferry on our way home. The building was beautiful, our room was well air-conditioned and the balcony looked out over the ocean and beach. The wall mentioned in a previous post was actually just a step down to the beach from a mini beach in front of our room. During high tide, the sea came up to it so I saw it as a necessary safety precaution given the amount of typhoons that hit the area and threat to wash out beachfront areas.
Overall, a great stay and very quiet and relaxing getaway after spending a week with my boyfriend's family. Keep up the great work! Daghang salamat!!
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Date of stay: July 2014
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Place has gone down hill since nee manager got it, they will do anything for you but charge you an arm and a leg,,
stay at another place,, so many nice places there.. less money and pleasant staffs, the staff there are not trained and could care less if you stay or go
There are more places to choose from in the Santa Fe area.
PRICE RANGE
₹6,878 - ₹9,394 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
The Bamboo Oriental
LOCATION
PhilippinesVisayasCebu IslandBantayan IslandSanta Fe
NUMBER OF ROOMS
5
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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