Our latest visit to Siquijor was the start of a new adventure around the Philippines. After so long waiting to return to our beloved paradise, we wanted to begin by enjoying a few days of relaxation by the sea in accommodation with great comforts and services. That’s why, on this occasion, we chose to stay at the White Villas Resort in Siquijor.
Location of White Villas Resort: San Juan area
The first thing we looked at when choosing accommodation was the location. The place had to meet several essential requirements: beachfront, close to restaurants where we could vary the menu, and a strategic base from which to rent a motorbike and go explore Siquijor.
Putting all that together, there was no doubt where to aim: San Juan. And once we were clear about the area, it didn’t take us long to choose the resort that would host us for more than a week: the White Villas Resort Siquijor.
White Villas Resort, a highly recommended hotel in Siquijor
The White Villas Resort offers different room types. The family villas provide space for large groups, while the bungalows, standard double rooms, and superior double rooms are designed for two people. We opted for the Superior Double Room, a bit more economical than the bungalows as it isn’t right in front of the pool, but with excellent views thanks to the upper balcony.
As soon as we entered the room, we knew we’d made the right choice. The room is spacious, clean, and has a pretty, slightly minimalist décor. The bed, very comfortable and with white, soft, new sheets, faces the balcony, from which you can see both the pool and the sea.
All rooms at White Villas Resort Siquijor have those modern air-conditioning units (split-type) that are quiet and don’t smell of dust like older models. Another plus for the hot days we happened to have on the island.
The room also has a small safe, a good wardrobe to store your things, a kettle to heat water, and a selection of coffees and teas to make in the room itself. It also offers a couple of complimentary bottles of water. But in our case, as we always try to reduce plastic consumption as much as possible, we refilled our reusable bottles using the potable water dispensers placed outside the room and the restaurant.
The bathroom is small and somewhat basic. It has a hot-water shower with good pressure, something that’s sometimes missed in the Philippines.
As for the wifi, we can say it’s above average for what you can find in the Philippines. Siquijor is one of the tourist islands with the worst mobile coverage (in this specific area it’s really scarce), and the wifi generally worked quite well except at certain moments. Not for nothing, they have 7 routers distributed throughout the hotel.
If we had to highlight a negative point of the Superior Double Room at White Villas Siquijor, it would surely be the lack of a mosquito net (which helps to air the room without needing to use the air-conditioning) and a fridge, which we later found when trying the bungalow in front of the pool (you can see it in the video at the end of this article).
The villas at White Villas Siquijor
During our last night at White Villas Resort we had the pleasure of being upgraded to one of their villas in front of the pool and we truly fell in love. There we found some of the details we’d missed in the Superior Double Room, such as a fridge to keep the water cool and a couple of windows with mosquito screens to ventilate the room without needing to use the air-conditioning.
These poolfront bungalows are even more spacious than the previous room we stayed in and include, among other things, a much larger terrace where you can relax with a good book, and a larger, slightly more modern bathroom. Without a doubt, a 10/10 room.
Common areas of the resort
The rooms at the White Villas Resort in Siquijor are arranged around its central pool. It’s a small pool, but since the hotel has few rooms, it never gets crowded. In fact, 90% of the times we used the pool we were completely alone.
Between the pool and the beach there’s an area with different loungers, chairs, and hammocks where you can stretch out to have a drink, watch the sunset, or simply rest.
They also have paddle boards and kayaks that can be rented to explore this area of Siquijor. In fact, hotel guests get 2 hours of free kayak per day. It’s a great option if you want to snorkel at the nearby marine sanctuaries of Paliton, Maite, or even Tubod.
If you’re traveling with children to the Philippines, White Villas is a great option. We saw many families during our stay and everyone was delighted. Children have a small pool for them, and the beach is very convenient for playing. Since there’s no deep water, you’ll have nothing to fear. Plus, the staff is super affectionate with the little ones.
Restaurant and included breakfast at White Villas Resort
Although one of the reasons that led us to choose the White Villas Resort in Siquijor was the wide variety of nearby restaurants for lunch and dinner, we also had the chance to try some dishes from their restaurant’s menu.
In our case, being vegetarians, we didn’t have much variety to choose from. The dishes we tried were fine. Not fireworks, nor anything to criticize their menu for either. We did meet more than one guest who dined there every day and they were delighted with the menu.
As for the included breakfast at White Villas Resort, we can say it’s VERY—capital letters—varied. They offer a self-service buffet with fruits, toast, pancakes, coffees, teas, juices, and a variety of typical Filipino breakfast dishes. In addition, you can also choose a dish from their breakfast menu to be cooked to order. It’s not a very fast service, but every morning we enjoyed a tasty mango and banana pancake included in the room price.
Beach dinners, barbecue and happy hour
Several times a week, White Villas Resort in Siquijor sets up chairs and tables right on the beach to offer candlelit dinners by the sea. In addition to the daily menu, you can add a wide variety of seafood and fresh fish, as well as different meats grilled to order.
Also, every day from 4:30 pm they offer their happy hour with 2-for-1 cocktails. They have a good variety of mixed drinks and are open to new proposals like our beloved Mango Daiquiri.
Restaurants near White Villas Resort
The main restaurants near White Villas Resort are:
- Monkey Bussines: Varied menu ranging from burgers to noodles, with live music every night.
- Dagsa: Much larger than Monkey Bussines, it also offers live music daily and a much broader menu. That said, they usually take longer to serve given the size of their kitchen.
- Dolce Amore: Our favorite restaurant in Siquijor. To get there, if you don’t want to walk a bit (10 minutes), you’ll need to go by motorbike or tricycle as it isn’t as close as the previous ones, but their homemade Italian food and service will win you over.
- Chelles Rock Bistro: a couple of minutes’ walk away, this spot is super pleasant and has a variety of Filipino dishes and Mediterranean cuisine. The pita with hummus and seitan is delicious.
In our guide to restaurants in Siquijor you’ll find more info about the main places to eat and dine on the island.
White Villas Resort recap video
Since we know it’s not the same to read about it as to see it live, here’s White Villas Resort in this video:
Final opinion of White Villas Resort
The important thing in these cases is to ask ourselves: would we go back? And seeing that we went for 4 days and ended up spending more than a week, the answer is obvious: Yes, of course we would!
Pros:
- The area is unbeatable.
- It’s beachfront and has a pool for when the tide is low.
- Spacious, clean, and modern rooms.
- Very friendly staff.
- Good value for money compared to pricier resorts like Coco Grove.
Cons:
- The price of services such as motorbike rental or laundry is higher than at nearby establishments.
- It’s a resort with great potential, but they should pay a bit more attention to small details such as mosquito screens in all rooms, a fridge in the superior rooms, or higher-quality towels.
- The garden could look much better with a bit more care.
- The beach, unless the tide is high, isn’t great for swimming and you have to head to nearby beaches.
Final score: 9/10 Filipino suns
Check prices and book
Check availability for the White Villas Resort for your travel dates here, or take a look at these other hotels in Siquijor:
