Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao

Facility old but well maintained. Staff were polite

The grounds and facilities where fine. There are limited restaurants near by within walking distance, without getting harassed by the people begging for food. I felt uncomfortable outside the grounds. The breakfast was good with many options, the pool area and the staff were fantastic. Every time i walked into my room it smelt fresh and clean. I would definitely stay there again. The showers could have been warmer is my real only complaint.

looks good,

Everything was great, check-in was easy, the staff was amazing. The rooms need upgrading.

Staff was excellent. Pool conditions were unacceptable but hotel started to make improvements.

It’s old but they have maintained it very well.

I recently stayed at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao and appreciated the quiet atmosphere, friendly staff, and convenient open parking. However, I did encounter an issue on my second day when my used towels were not replaced; instead, they were left air-drying at the end of the bed, and the floor towels were not cleaned or replaced either. I hope the housekeeping team can improve in this area to enhance the experience for future guests.

peace and quiet. staff are super nice.

Bathrooms need updating. Connecting door transfers noise from next room. Breakfast can be busy but good quality and quantity. Always something going on for entertainment. Good position on shore away from city center.

When we booked we booked a room with a bath and no stairs to get to the room as ny partner has a disabled hip Neith of these things where considered and there was no way to get to our room with out climbing a steep start case and no was provided as we requested

Great

Early accommodation would have made my stay way more than excellent. It was because i arrived earlier than expected but the checking in was not so accommodating, it was by the rule anyways, so not to blame on the hotel. All is good

This was my second visit to Waterfront Insular. Kind and gracious staff. Comfortable and clean accomodations. Lovely relaxing property. Excellent value.

The staff was the greatest! The spa, the amenities, the atmosphere, the restaurant, the room... everything was perfect! We were traveling throughout the Philippines, and this was the first perfect, solid, night sleep I had!! Excellent climate control.

Awesome

The place does not have elevators, and almost everything in this hotel is dated and old. Lights are flickering, rooms are dark, food room service arrived cold and late.

The property was beautifully kept. We enjoyed the older style appeal to it. The staff were polite and always ready to help you. The rooms were spacious. The two rooms we had seemed untouched by renovations, more specifically the bathrooms. Faucets were crooked, the bathtub was cracked and paint peeling off. We did not have all the towels (no bath towel, hand towel, pr wash clothes) The shower water handle didn’t operate like it should and made it hard to get warm water. We did not say anything about the bathrooms to the hotel because we are not people to complain and usually can make do. We enjoyed the in-room massage option. We were unable to get manicures due to staff not available. The food options were great. The pools were nice and the cabanas were enjoyable. Some suggestions: more cabanas around the property that have lounge chairs or even hammocks. Putting up sunshades around the property for people to enjoy outside more. Having a small book exchange (library) and/or game area (board games, card games, yard games, etc).

The room was so hot, the air conditioning was not working well. I chose the waterfront hotel to stay in because it is the legendary hotel in Davao. I was not expecting everything to be old style. They don’t even have an elevator. Poor people who work carry our luggage using stairs to get to our room.👎

I recently stayed at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao and found the overall experience to be quite pleasant. The staff were courteous and attentive, ensuring a comfortable stay. The amenities and location by the waterfront added to the charm of the hotel. However, I did notice that the floors could benefit from deeper cleaning, as they appeared a bit neglected. Overall, it was a good stay, and I would recommend the hotel with the hope that the cleanliness issue will be addressed.

Excellent service

Needs an entire renovation

Service was excellent and the property was clean. Close to Davao Airport. Mostly housing around the property.

It was fine, though the place is old and run-down. There was a leak in the bidet which we reported, but nothing was done. Staff were helpful though and very friendly

Bbgg

Staff are very accomodating and attentive overall.

Very warm staff and the cleanliness!

The hotel is very old, bathroom fixtures very dated so appears dirty. Thanks to whoever cleaned our room while we were having breakfast our first morning. We were pleasantly surprised by the promptness of it. Breakfast buffet is great & worth the money we paid. Hostess & front desk should not call it complimentary breakfast since we paid when we made reservations. I corrected them but it fell on deaf ears. I guess it sounded better to say complimentary breakfast. Upon registration the waiting lounge was being used so the front desk lady told us to sit on the restaurant in the foyer area. I explained to the waiter we were only waiting for hotel room but he gave us menu books. We just had a late lunch & my family did not want even coffee as it was after 3 pm so we did not order. After about 20 minutes a lady server told us she will remove the menu list from our table since we are not ordering anyway. I again explained we were told to wait in that area. The server did not even reply. The restaurant was not busy as there were a lot of empty tables. I did not see any reason for her to be that rude. My family anyway told me maybe they only have 2-3 copies of menus since hotel is old so they need to remove ours from our table. I told the receptionist about the waitress not having been advised we were only in the foyer restaurant to wait for our room. She apologized. Finally someone with better manners. It took over 40 minutes for room to be ready even after 3 pm.

Great staff

I love everything. It's not a 5-Star hotel resort but we love the place, the garden , the staff and buffet breakfast.

Insular hotel refused to refund 1 day's cost when we had to leave 1 day early. Very rigid policies.

Really nice resort on the water, but old and needs to be renovated. The air-conditioning wasn’t working very well in my room and it wasn’t cool enough. They came to check it but it didn’t do any good. I think the air-conditioning was just being repaired because there were people out in the hall working on it for two days banging and making a lot of noise. This is the second time I’ve stayed here, I would stay again. I think the air conditioning problem was something they will work out.

I like the ambiance of the property. Lots of greenery and staff care friendly. The rooms are getting old, needs some updating and needs to have a smart TV .

Not very helpful in terms of language barrier. No real effort to accomadate. Room was super out dated. Locals friendly just not tourists friendly. Pool was too dirty to use. Wasn't cheap either probably the most expensive for stay at all the properties we chose on this trip.

Poor lighting Unattractive view Fowl smell in hallway Limited menu Unswimmable beach Pool closed Nothing much to do or explore

Great location

The rooms are not upgraded specifically the bathrooms.

Very nice. Everything very good. Just not white sand beach, but no big deal. Great resort. Will come again.

Average

Facility shows signs of age --- not disable friendly as access to rooms require use of stairs and no elevators --- pool not properly maintained --- water shows traces of algae --- bed comfortable but a bit sag --- staff responsive to our various request

Enjoyed much the ambiance

I had fun in my stay.

My mother and sister were grateful for the fantastic services they’ve experienced from check in until the end of their stay. My mother has been singing praises after her 3-day escapade. Thank you for such wonderful reception you have shown to my family.

Hotel has done a lot of cost cutting and labor reduction causing service and hotel upkeep to be low. I would not stay here again.

I like this property, i have stayed here many times. But it is old, and the gym is pathetic. The staff is good, the food is good.

Our experience did not match the reviews.

The room is dated.. it needs renovation.

Nice resort, and typical resort with good food and expensive beer. I would stay again.

The property itself is very pretty and well maintained. The service, especially by the dining staff, is subpar. I opted to eat off property most days due to this. The room AC is loud, but does work well, and the showers do have a rain shower head, which is nice. Room towels, bottles of water, and room cleaning was inconsistent.

Very nice!

Quiet place and friendly staff and delicious buffet

The Aircon stopped working and we complained and they took forever to respond. 2.5 hrs later they moved us to another room and the aircon was making a loud noise, buzzing noise like it’s going to burst. It’s just a ran down hotel. The pool has disgusting, hasn’t been cleaned, full of algae. I have a video to prove it. My son wanted to swim but felt grosses when he saw the pool. Not a good impression for first time customer. I would NEVER go back and will NEVER recommend this nasty old raggedy hotel!

It was a nice surprise to find this gem in Davao. Kind of a back water place---yesteryear. But rooms were fine, food was good, staff was nice. For the price, it's great

I love its location coz it’s beach front plus the nice landscaping around the hotel but the only concern is the bathroom needs update. I enjoyed my stay overnight though. Thank you.

Will come back

Good staff

The property is very well kept absolutely gorgeous

The grounds are five star.. very relaxing resort.

clean. beautiful sea views. friendly and helpful staff

Great hotel, great food and great staff.

Lovely, comfortable, relaxing location. Wonderful staff. The best french fries in Davao. 😆

The place is clean and beautiful, but it badly needs full renovations. The roofs leading to the accommodation buildings have leaks. It's worrisome that if the rain gets heavier, the roofs might give in. I like the countryside vibes inside the rooms, with hardwood floors and a beautiful view, but they are really old and many things need to be changed because of the building's age. The place is clean and quiet, but it's a bit off-putting that there were only two towels in our room. Housekeeping might have forgotten to complete the room amenities. Their staff, especially at the front desk, are friendly and helpful. The style is old-fashioned, but the price and convenience are worth it. However, I hope they pay more attention to the needed renovations. We will still come back.

Overall experience was wonderful! The staff are amazing!

June 17th 2024 was the second time my wife and I have stayed there. The first being back in 2016 before we had our 2 boys with us. It was another great experience and that’s why we chose it again. The staff are amazing and friendly. The hotel grounds are beautiful with coconut trees everywhere and beautiful landscaping. The pools were an added bonus as well as the option to dine poolside. We thoroughly enjoyed the amazing breakfast buffet in the morning. 5 star stay and we’ll definitely stay there again in the future!

the location was great but building/rooms was outdated

Staff are fantastic very friendly and helpful I beleave the owners dont believe in protecting there investment when the showers work the pressure is so low it drips out not even dribbles and if you get teped your lucky normally freezing cold

Booked an overnight staycation for my parents 50th anniversary. They truly had a great time. Staff were very helpful and they enjoyed the buffet as well.

This hotel was beautiful in its prime, but is now in need of some renovation

Was very nice place

Dirty bathroom shower head not working Delay in checking in due to unavailability of towels and pillow cases

View and staffs

Staff are very friendly 😊

I hated that I had to book online the most expensive room in order to be able to purchase the absurdly expensive breakfast. I just needed a simple room and a bite to eat. Next time, I'll stay somewhere else.

Great ambience, waterfront, very nice garden & walking area, great food, awesome staff, buffet meals

Great staff service and peaceful environment!

Good!

The Property is old, so don't except top notch bathrooms, Front desk was nice, but missed my reservation. Dinning is bland, nothing to turn me on, but the breakfast buffet (included or not is top notch, I was impressed. Would I choose this property again next time I go to Davao ? Most likely NOT !!

Excellent staff and friendly

Beautiful resort the only priblem is the swimming pool is not good for swimming. Looks like cleanlinress ..wster filtration not maintained . There wete sand and moss at the bottom of the pool. We came on vacation hoping we can swim. Overall vacation was good for relaxaion

Staff were very accommodating and properly at a lovely location on the water.

Didn’t expect that there’s No lift (elevator) facilities. Felt sorry for the staff helping with the luggage. But the food is superb especially breakfast. Staff are friendly, approachable and helpful. Beautiful seaside view. Fresh and clean around the hotel area; nature at its best around the hotel area.

Awesomely recomendable

This is the first I stay at Waterfront Insular Hotel. I really really like it, Beautiful hotel.

Nice steak dinner

It’s like everyone says: it’s rundown. I won’t get into particulars. Fact. Bed was very comfortable and the room was sizable. They only give you two 350 ml of water a day and charge the equivalent of about 1 US dollar. This is odd after they ask to not wash your towels to “preserve the environment.” I suggest you have large water dispensers for consumption. The. Each is not for swimming and the pool is old looking. All in all I did enjoy my stay. The grounds are stupendously and meticulously cared for. The staff is nice and helpful.

I had read all of the negative reviews about the property. In the room we were given the Aircon barely worked. This had been stated in the reviews I had read. We didn't spend time in the room, except at night so we asked for a fan and one was provided. I work in property management and know what to expect. It is very sad to see such a fantastic property, that has been severely mismanaged. Aircon's, building maintenance, and swimming pool has had no effort placed in these areas. The grounds were immaculate, but, the buildings and amenities is where the money is needed. Under proper management, this place should stay near full!

Immensely enjoyed my stay. It is very relaxing, I felt like Paradise for me looking at the beach from afar and the coconut trees and wonderful people all over. Will definitely come back.

No other hotels in the area can beat the beach view. So relaxing, refreshing.

Good!

Love it

Waterfront Insular Hotel is a gem in Davao City. This hotel have a beautiful view of the beach, lots of trees, greenery. It is very homely. Staff are very helpful, pleasant though I can tell they are very busy. Wish I could stay longer.

Loved our stay here, great food choices, convenient location

The hotel needs to be remodeled it's looks about thirty years since it has been done. Great staff!!!

Beachfront means Beach. They do not advertise no swimming on beach. The pool was stained green, with areas on the steps worn away. Fitness center was under renovation and air conditioning was unacceptable. There were insects in the kitchenette area. My first room had to be changed. They held weddings and parties without alerting guests who fly 1/2 way around the world to relax.

Had a nice time at this beautiful hotel.

its very outdated, air conditioners don’t work well.

The Air Conditioning was barely cooler than the outside. Too bad the shower wasn't in the hallway because there was no hot water and maybe the water would have been warmer. The drain next to the toilet was clogged so every time I went to the bathroom I had to walk through a urine soup and track it through the room. I had 2 beer at the pool side bar which was 500 pesos, so that's $10 U.S. for 2 cans and I had to wait 15 minutes for my change for 1000 php because the server had to go somewhere else for the change. I could have walked the entire premises twice in 15 minutes. I won't be going back.

All in all our experience was wonderful, especially the servicing of various staff, very hospitable.

The AC blows hot air, swimming pool dirty nasty, hallways smells like dog kennel. Staff act like they never saw a girl before stare long time like perverts. The gym has one machine and it does not work. They post pictures when it was built. The food was always cold. This is not a resort Ill be disputing and referring Expedia to FTC for fraud and false advertisements. WIFI is got to be the slowest in all of Phillipines. P4900 a night is a straight rip off for items you pay but can not use

Everything was excellent including the breakfast. I arrived 6 hours before check-in and staff let me leave my luggage there while i attended to my scheduled business plans. The grounds are excellent and it's a top notch establishment.

Room and Building is too old, Water has very bad smell, Can not take a shower