On our latest adventure in Malapascua we decided to earn the Dive Master certification. We love diving in Malapascua so much that we chose to spend 2 months perfecting our skills under the sea and, to be honest, to enjoy this island we like so much. Since we had to stay that long and it was really necessary to have a place to rest well (this is particularly important in Malapascua, with thousands of roosters crowing at ungodly hours), we decided to stay at Celtis Resort and we weren’t wrong.
If you’re on the hunt for a comfortable, good value, and well‑located place to stay in Malapascua where you’ll feel almost at home, you’ve come to the right place. Here we’re going to tell you about our experience at Celtis Resort, Malapascua.
Location of Celtis Resort in Malapascua
We were clear that we needed a quiet place, but also one situated close to the dive centers and places to eat. Celtis Resort is right in the heart of Malapascua, just steps from the market, where you’ll find lots of carinderias for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for little money.
You also have the restaurant of the Guannas hostel next door (with fantastic value for money) and it’s barely a 5‑minute walk from Bounty Beach, one of the best beaches in Malapascua, where the sea‑view resorts are located along with their bars, restaurants, and dive shops.
For some strange reason, unlike what happens in most places we’ve slept on the island, at Celtis Resort you don’t hear roosters. We believe it may be because the hotel rooms are concentrated in the central area of a fairly large plot, but it’s certainly a relief if you want to sleep past 5 or 6 in the morning.
In short, it seems to us the perfect place to enjoy the island, have everything at hand, and rest.
Celtis Resort, a recommended hotel in Malapascua
Celtis Resort has 3 types of rooms: the Standard Room with fan, the Standard with air conditioning, and the Superior with air conditioning. All have a hot‑water shower (worth mentioning because it’s not so common in the Philippines), a fan, a safe, closets, and garden views.
The standard with fan rooms are located in a blue two‑story building (during our stay they were finishing the 2nd) at the back of the resort. The rooms are considerably smaller than the other two types, but they’re more than enough if you’re looking for a budget yet comfortable place to spend the night.
We opted for a Standard with air conditioning and felt super comfortable. These 6 rooms are located in the center of the hotel and spread over 2 buildings, although each has a great deal of privacy. Quite spacious, they have their own little terrace where you can sit and relax at night and, of course, hang wet clothes.
The rooms have two large windows with mosquito screens, which is ideal for ventilating without having to depend on fans and air conditioning.
The double bed is large and comfortable. Something we fell in love with is that the sheets, besides being spotless and smelling fresh, are pleasant to the touch. On each side of the bed you have nightstands and a couple of warm lights perfect for reading.
The bathroom, although not very big and without elaborate decor, is perfect. As we mentioned, the shower has a hot‑water heater, something that will come in very handy if you come back from diving and feel a bit chilled. At Celtis they leave some basic ammenities and toilet paper.
If you’re looking for even more comfort, then go for the Superiors. These 4 rooms are in a lovely standalone two‑story building. With more carefully chosen decor and a nice, wide terrace, you’ll find a small desk, larger closets, and an interesting bathroom split in two. On one side you have the toilet and, on the other, the shower and the sink.
If you’re traveling with family or friends, the two superior rooms on the top floor can be joined through a door, which means 4 people can stay comfortably.
As for the WIFI, we were very surprised to see how well it worked. For the Philippines, where we’re used to relying on mobile data from our SIM card, the connection at Celtis Resort is quite good and they have several repeaters that work decently in both the air‑conditioned and fan rooms. To give you an idea, at night it was even possible to make heavy downloads.
Common areas at Celtis Resort
Although it has the name “resort,” in the Philippines this doesn’t translate into necessarily having a pool or being right on the beach. “Resort” is understood as a larger lodging with common areas or services that go beyond those of a hostel.
In the case of Celtis Resort in Malapascua, the plot they have is huge—so much so that many more rooms would fit. Full of vegetation, among which we highlight the kalachuchi trees (frangipani in the Philippines), they have a quite pleasant garden for you to enjoy from your room.
The reception/restaurant area is set in a typical open Filipino structure. Here you have a few tables where breakfasts are served or simply to sit and chat for a while with the family, who are truly lovely. Lydia, who is in charge of everything, will treat you like a mother would.
Other services at Celtis Resort
We’ve already talked about the hotel’s great location for accessing the island’s nearby restaurants but, if you want, you can also ask them to cook you breakfast. Let them know the day before so you don’t catch them off guard.
If you want to save money and generate less plastic, they’ll be happy to bring you a multi‑liter water container for 50 pesos. In addition, they offer laundry service at 100 pesos per kilo and you’ll have your clothes clean and folded in one or two days.
Also, if you’re worried about getting hot at night due to power outages—which isn’t uncommon in the Philippines—you’ll be glad to know that Celtis has an electricity generator.
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Eating and dining near Celtis Resort
When you get hungry, you’ll only need to walk a few steps to find places to eat like these:
- Malapascua Market: packed with the typical Filipino pot‑dish eateries, you can eat for 1-2€. At dinner they serve grilled meats and fish and it has a great vibe.
- Guannas Place: in this small spot they serve hearty pasta dishes and omelets for little money.
- Bebot’s: for hearty breakfasts for little money in a pleasant place.
Does that sound good? Then you’ll be glad to know there are even more options we cover in Where to eat in Malapascua.
Summary video of Celtis Resort Malapascua
If you want to see all this we’ve told you in a more dynamic way, we’ve made a video about our stay at Celtis Resort:
Final opinion on this accommodation
When it comes to analyzing accommodations, we always ask ourselves the same question: would we go back? In this case it’s more than clear, since we spent two very comfortable months at Celtis Resort and would happily spend several more. Here’s a summary of its strengths and weaknesses:
Pros:
- Perfect location. Walkable to everything and quiet.
- Lovely service. The family treats you like one of their own and cleans the rooms beautifully.
- Wi‑Fi quite good for Malapascua.
- Spacious rooms and, although with basic decor, cozy.
- Good value for money.
- It’s a very safe place; the family keeps an eye out for anything unusual.
Cons:
- Some of the in‑room safes don’t work.
- The garden could be better maintained; it has a lot of potential.
Final score: 9/10 Filipino suns
Check price and book
Check from here the availability of Celtis Resort Resort for the dates of your trip, or take a look at these other hotels in Malapascua:
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