Where to Stay in Siquijor

Recently, we went to the third smallest province in the country for my birthday trip, and I’d like to share where we stayed in Siquijor. I don’t really write about the hotels, hostels, inns, or resorts we stay at unless the place is extra. And no, this is not a paid or sponsored post. 😉

For those who know me and my husband Rowjie, we travel on a budget. We prefer to stay in hostels with shared bathrooms or bunkbeds because we are that cheap. Ever since Ilog was born and we started bringing him to our travels, we’ve somehow shifted our choice for accommodation to the more comfortable ones.

Siquijor is relatively small, but there’s a plethora of resorts, hostels, and inns that cater to all types of travelers. I studied the map of the island to find where the beaches, the ports, the restaurants, and the attractions are located to help me decide where to stay during our visit. I’ve also asked around and my friends gave me several good options. Ultimately, I decided to book a room in White Villas Resort.

White Villas Resort

Located in the town of San Juan, White Villas Resort is a small and laid back resort with just a couple of rooms. You won’t have to worry about sharing the swimming pool, restaurant, or the rest of its amenities with many people. It is considered as one of the high-end resorts in the island with room rates ranging from $75 to $115 each night.

The resort is a 15-minute drive from the Port of Siquijor (different from the Larena Port) and offers free pick-up, which costs Php 250. There are popular eating places like Dagsa and Monkey Business and dive shops within walking distance of the resort. They also rent out motorbikes for Php 400 for 24 hours (I’ve read from other blogs that some businesses offer Php 250 – 350) and organize tours by car or taxi, which is basically a tricycle.

They offer free use of kayaks (for a certain number of hours), have a stable wi-fi connection, and the location is really great. When you step out of your room, Solangon Beach is just a few steps away. Their printed brochure recommends sunset viewing at the resort so I’d assume it’s a great spot for those who love chasing sunsets. Too bad we didn’t get to experience this because it was drizzling during our 2-night stay.

The White Villas Resort may be small but it has rooms that can accommodate couples and even large groups or families. They have villas, bungalow rooms, upstairs rooms with balcony, twin beds rooms, and a bunk beds room. All rooms have their own bathroom with hot/cold shower, split-type AC, flat-screen cable TV, and safety box. During our stay, the power went off for a few minutes but, thankfully, they have a back-up generator that covers the whole resort.

Executive Sea View

I’m a sucker for beachfront accommodation even if it’s just a tent or a spartan room without electricity. White Villas Resort has an Executive Sea View room that, well, as the name suggests, gives you a full, unblocked view of the sea. With a price tag of $105 per night, it is the most expensive among the 2-pax rooms within the resort, but, hands down, the best one.

Interior-wise, there’s nothing special about the Executive Sea View room. It’s just like any other regular resort room. It has a queen-size double bed perfect for our trio. There are a personal fridge, complimentary coffee and tea, and bottled water. The bathroom is just right. Except for the tissue paper, there are no free toiletries. The TV isn’t huge, AC works fine. Sheets are clean and pillows’ softness is okay.

What I really love about it is our view in or out of the room. Waking up to a sight of the turquoise-colored seawater, bright skies, fresh air, and the cool breeze is one of the best feelings. ‘Yung tipong hahawiin mo lang yung kurtina tapos mapapasabi ka na lang ng, “Hello world. I’m ready for you.” If given the opportunity, this is the kind of place I would want to spend the rest of my life. Hindi halatang beach person ako, no?

Here’s another view from the balcony. Suave, right?

The room has another balcony that is just opposite the swimming pool. We didn’t see the need to use it because “Hello? Siquijor?” Across the pool is the open-air restaurant of the resort, which operates from 7 AM to 10 PM.

The Restaurant

Typical of a resort or hotel restaurant, the food here is pricey. We know because we had our lunch here when we arrived while waiting for the check-in time. The menu has choices for western, Asian, and local dishes. We ordered fried chicken for the little one, calamares for me, and chop seuy for the husband. All of it, forgetful. Bland. And for its price (Php 1000+), we didn’t eat here again during our stay except for our free breakfast.

All guests can avail of the free buffet breakfast from 6 AM to 10 AM. There are porridge, toast, pancake, rice, egg, cereal, brewed coffee, and fresh juices. Nothing Masterchef-like. I failed to take photos of the buffet choices because, you know, food is life. For guests who are staying for more than one night, you can request a breakfast set from the menu instead, which we did on our third day.

White Villas Resort also gives a complimentary welcome drink (brewed coffee or fresh juice), which you can consume in the restaurant while waiting for your check-in. Take note though that from July to November it becomes windy in the island and eating here may be a bit of a struggle especially at night or in any beachfront establishment for that matter.

The Resort in General

Maybe the only thing I didn’t like about the resort is the beach itself. Unlike the other beaches of Siquijor, the Solangon Beach (or maybe that area fronting White Villas Resort only, or the season, I don’t know) isn’t great for swimming. The shore and the beach are coated with seaweed. The frequent cleaning and removal of the seaweed done by the resort staff aren’t enough for someone to enjoy swimming on it.

Overall, I had no regrets staying here. In fact, I am highly satisfied and will definitely stay here again on our next visit. If you aren’t convinced and you are still looking for an answer to your where to stay in Siquijor question, have a look at these other photos of White Villas Resort.

In a millennial’s words, lakas maka-IG-worthy.

[su_box title=”WHITE VILLAS RESORT” box_color=”#000000″] Solangon Beach, San Juan, Siquijor
+63 977 8244 677 or +63 908 1656 277
[email protected]
www.whitevillaresort.com
Rates range from $75 – $115 each night
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