El Nido Resorts Miniloc Island

My partner & I were deciding between Boracay and El Nido for our quick socially distanced escape this pandemic. Good thing we chose Miniloc! The Ayala Hotels in El Nido all operate via a travel bubble. Meaning - all guests in one particular resort will travel together. Thus, for us in Miniloc we started together at the private hangar of Airtaxi.ph for our Airswift flight. Check in was fast. We were segregated into various waiting rooms before the flight to ensure social distancing. When we landed in the airport we were divided into batches for transfer to the resort. All guests were required to undergo an RT-PCR via Qualimed only before they can fly to El Nido. Qualimed then sends the test results to El Nido Resorts - so no faking of results! During our stay we were only a total of 54 guests! Half of the total capacity of Miniloc! That meant that the resort was not crowded or excessively noisy and there was enough personal space for everyone to do their own thing. All the members of the staff were AMAZING! They took care of each and everyone of us. They were very attentive to all our needs - from water, to pool towels, to when to serve our next course during meals, to the erratic weather! They had well planned activities EVERYDAY for everyone. They organized it in such a way that only a small number of people would be together. During our tour to the small lagoon it was just me and my partner! They also have great tour guides! Meals are served in bento boxes and the menu is fixed everyday but there are other food items available if you wish to snack on something for merienda. There is no room cleaning service to minimize exposure of guests to staff an vice versa. All the staff are tested after a travel bubble batch and before a new travel bubble batch comes. We felt safe while in Miniloc. It was a perfect place to forget about the craziness of the year! Shout out to the following staff members who made our stay great: Eds, Sir Gee, Anton, Gamie, Lyn, John, Sir Roy, Ate Angel! I highly recommend Miniloc! 5 stars!

We really had a great time in Miniloc. We didn't know what to expect during our travel especially since it happened during the pandemic. We tried hyping ourselves by watching YouTube videos about El Nido since it would be the first time my wife and I were going. And all those reviews paled in comparison to the actual thing! From booking to the actual stay, everything went absolutely smoothly! Romie assisted my wife through the whole booking transaction and to scheduling our PCR-Swab test with Qualimed. It was so comforting to know that all of those flying into the resort were tested and were going to shuttled from point to point. Also, it's salient to note that even the staff of the resort are tested before each set of guests arrive and after all guests leave. This really ensures that everyone is 100% healthy, and they also follow strict mask and shield protocols for the staff. As we arrived in the island, we were so stunned by how amazingly clear the water was, and Miniloc Island Resorts was tucked away in such a wonderful little cove. Andy, our escort on the boat, mentioned that they had majority of the tourist sites in Miniloc Island. The meals were pre-packed as opposed to the usual buffet-style, but the Filipino themed meals were so well prepared and were excellent! Don't be deceived by the term "packed meals" because we were absolutely stuffed after each seating. Roy was also kind enough to always check in on us, and we were having a great time. Angel, the Guest Activities Coordinator made sure our trip was filled with great tours and at the appropriate timing. She would advise if it it is an ideal condition to go to make sure we'd have a great time at each point of our trip. We loved having the chance to explore the tourist spots without the crowds and were assisted by Mario and Rico. Both very kind and courteous (in fact, all of the staff in the resort were of the same disposition). After each tour, we would hang around the pool and Gamie from the bar would make sure we were served with water and towels. On our last morning, for our "sunrise" activity, we made changes to our plans with Angel and she made sure that everything went smoothly for us. She arranged for our breakfast to be prepared by the kitchen and we took a short boat trip to Entalula Island where we literally watched the sun come up on the horizon. It was the most unique sunrise experience we've ever had. We sat on the beach, ate our breakfast, had coffee while the sun was creeping up over the mountains. All in all, this is our favorite island experience and tops our trip to many other islands we've been to! I'd like to also extend a very special mention to Mac and Eds for making sure my wife and I had a great honeymoon experience - from the complimentary wine bottle to a room with a spectacular view of the ocean. We are already considering booking again next year!

We really loved our stay in Miniloc Island! We spent our minimoon here during the pandemic, and they really made sure that our stay would be safe and enjoyable. Andy, Kuya Roy, Kuya Rico, Kuya Mario, Gamie, Angel and Ms. Eds were all wonderful! They made sure our experience was personalized and organized. The Resort was beautifully tucked away in a cove. Our tour to Entalula, Big and Small Lagoon were our favorites. We went at our own pace and had time to really enjoy sunrise views and breakfast on Entalula. We stayed at the Seaview Deluxe room and it was so beautiful! We had the luxury to just enjoy the view from our bed. My husband and I are already dreaming of coming back.

Our group joined Miniloc's travel bubble package. We were all tested (PCR) 3 -4 days before our trip which gave us some peace of mind knowing that everyone in our group tested negative. I understand that the entire staff of the resort also undergoes testing just before going to the island. Upon arriving in Lio, the wait was quick and unnoticeable. Their process of transferring guests (and our luggage) from the airport to the resort was also very smooth. At the resort, all meals were served in bento boxes with covers, ensuring safety while handling. The food was good and very filling. Each meal usually came with soup, bread, appetizers, 2 variants for the main course, rice, and dessert. One comment though is that the food can be too much for some, so there's a tendency that people with smaller appetites aren't able to finish their food. I'm not sure what the resorts does with left over food. But maybe they can serve smaller servings instead and just invite people to request for a refill if they want to lessen food waste. The rooms were very clean and pleasant. The resort staff aren't allowed to enter or clean your room for the duration of the stay (to minimize contact) so it's up to you to keep your room tidy. You may however request for new towels or linens if needed. The resort staff is also very diligent in wearing their face masks, which gives you that extra sense of comfort that they are putting your safety as their priority. We were celebrating my uncle's birthday that weekend, and the entire staff of Miniloc along with the Eds (the RM), Angel (the activity coordinator), Andy and GL (our boat guides), and all the staff at the restaurant and the bar took really good care of us and made sure we had a wonderful time. It was definitely a memorable weekend and all of us are looking forward to going back!

We took the resort's travel bubble package and interested to know how they will implement safety protocols and of course, we missed the beach very much and have not really been in Miniloc. Our stay was lovely. Let me just recount from the time we flew. We went via Airswift (not the best experience as they need to better coordinate and at least be able to cater to the guests and not allow them to just be standing outside while waiting) - Airswift needs to improve. I commend the requirement of having everyone tested (PCR) and this gave me and the family a level of ease as we board the plane. We checked in very easily. In fact I didn't remember checking in. We just went straight to the room. I was that fast, swift, efficient! We arrived to the island early and it doesn't matter, we were able to enjoy our room right away! The seaview suite offers a spectacular view of the ocean and the cliff - it was such a pleasure seeing it from the verandah of the suite. Try waking up to that view! The package was full-board which we enjoyed either at the nearest beach island or at our room. They tried very well to have a good spread and the only feedback I have with the food is to diversify it a bit. A suggestion can be a buffet but only 1 family or group a time can get. There was too much adobo almost everyday :) The activities that you can book almost every moment of the day are amazing! Please send kudos to Angel and Lover for their amazing hospitality and they really tried to bend and twist to make sure we are able to enjoy the activities and to be able to book them. TIP: try all the activities and you will not regret. We especially loved dimaluan beach, entalula, small lagoon! Because of protocols, we are the ones usually cleaning the room as there are no turn down service allowed. I do wish there will be soon; as guests, we wanted to really enjoy the vacation not having to sweep floors etc. Overall its a 4.5 over 5 rating. They tried tried best to make sure we have a very pleasurable experience and given all the safety protocols they have had to implement, they are able to execute in a way that we had such a wonderful island. Its one of the best trips we had. If you are looking for a safe, secure, and adventure-filled trip in the best island in the Philippines, do go here!