埃爾尼多卡普里喬別墅 (Capricho Villa El Nido)

7/10 – Beautiful, modern villa, but disappointing service and a few practical issues We stayed for three nights in Villa 3, the ground-floor villa with a private pool. Our first impression was excellent. Everything was modern, spotless, and beautifully maintained. The villa smelled lovely, the minibar was well stocked, and even small details, like the outdoor shower for rinsing sand off your feet, were appreciated. The private terrace with its pool and outdoor kitchen was lovely, but there were several drawbacks. First, the insects. There were A LOT of biting insects in the outdoor area, not just mosquitoes. Despite using repellents, the provided citronella spray, and the ceiling fan, we still got badly bitten. It would be helpful if the property could recommend or provide something more effective against the local insects. The pool was also quite cold, as the terrace receives very little direct sunlight. We even had a cute little frog living in the pool filter! We informed the staff, but nothing was done. Personally, we found him adorable, so if you're staying in Villa 3 and he's still there, please say hello from us! The outdoor kitchen includes a BBQ area, but charcoal isn't provided. We were told to buy it ourselves, yet couldn't find any at the recommended supermarket. Having a BBQ area that guests can't easily use seems a little impractical. Housekeeping was another issue. We didn't need full cleaning, just fresh towels and drinking water. The water was replenished and bath towels were changed, but our requests to replace the pool towels were ignored twice. However, the most disappointing experience involved a dog living near the villas. She was a very sweet, partially blind mother dog whose puppies occasionally came around. I fed her throughout our stay and became quite attached to her. Before leaving, I gave the staff some food and a small tip, asking them to feed her and send me a photo. They agreed. Unfortunately, over the following days, I received excuses about rain and the dog being absent, despite her having been around almost constantly during our stay. Eventually, I received a photo showing only the dog's backside, with no indication that she had actually been fed. I cannot say whether they fulfilled my request, but the way it was handled was genuinely disappointing. It was a small, personal request that they had voluntarily agreed to, and I expected better communication and follow-through. It left me questioning how genuine the hospitality was once we'd checked out. On the positive side, the staff were friendly in person and helped us arrange a motorbike rental. Laundry service was also convenient. There are a few restaurants along the nearby beach for breakfast and dinner, with more options in town. However, the beach itself isn't really suitable for swimming – it's shallow, rocky, and covered in seaweed. You'll need to travel to other beaches or use the villa's pool. Overall, 7/10. The villa itself is beautiful, clean, and comfortable, but the insect problem, overlooked requests, and especially the disappointing experience after checkout affected our impression. With more thoughtful attention to guests' needs and better follow-through on promises, this could be a much better experience.