Karuna El Nido Villas

Great jungle location with amazing views. The price for airport transfer from the hotel is 2x to 5x the local rate of 400 PHP so be careful. Very nice staff with good ala cáete breakfast but they have lots of rules. If you follow them you will have a great time!

We had an absolutely amazing stay At Karuna El Nido Villas. This place really is paradise with amazing views of the sunset every evening. The staff were lovely and so helpful. We stayed in Studio 1 which really was beautiful and very spacious more so than the photos. The pool and restaurant was great. It is rather hilly but not a problem if able. The hotel is set above a main road but is not a problem and a short walk away from a bunch of restaurants and bars. It is also very easy to hail a tuktuk to take you to where you need to be. The hotel also offer a free shuttle down to El Nido town and very easy to get them to pick you back up again as they reply to WhatsApp within 10mins. They also offer a lift up and down to the hotel but it is quite a nice walk back up to the hotel to burn off your dinner as long as you have your bug repellent! Thank you Karuna we would not hesitate to come again and will definitely be recommending!

We left on a bad note and so our review will start on a bad note! All this place cares about is soaking you for every cent your worth without regard to your happiness. Billing meals and drinks uses a system devised in the 17th century utilizing carbon paper, a pen, and pad. No computers. How could things go wrong? On our final day we received a call from the front desk confirming our early morning transport to the airport which we had already arranged and confirmed twice. We were quoted $44 for private transport to the airport at 5 am which was already way too much for the 15-minute 4.3-mile journey. Our flight left at 7 am so I was a little confused why the resort wanted to leave so early. To add to the confusion, we were quoted $26 for a private airport transfer earlier that week. So, during the phone call we confirmed the price which now was quoted at $61! I balked at this and was requoted at $53 than again at $61. I now proceeded to the front desk to find out what is going on and talked to the manager. She showed me the pricing and indeed, if you had private transport to the airport before 5 am the cost was $61. At 5 am and after, the price was $53. However, my transport was at 5 am so it should be $53. She did not agree. So I arranged for 5:15 am and she reluctantly charged us our original quote of $44. Ok, all is well now. However, I believe that the resort wanted us to leave early for the airport in order to charge us more money. We ate dinner and we had two bottles of water. We settled our tab at 8 pm due to our early departure the next day. During the settlement, I pointed out that the restaurant had not billed us for the two bottles of water, however the desk person said that they were included and pointed them out on the tab. Great all is well! At 10:30 pm while sleeping our phone rings and the same desk person says “I know your sleeping but could you come down and pay for two bottles of water which were not billed?” ***! I said no (I was so mad I actually cursed on the phone) and said I would pay the driver in the morning. Again, I was so mad I could not get back to sleep! I cannot believe a resort would wake someone for $5 which I tried to pay earlier, particularly after spending over $2,800 on our stay. Just let it go! But the money was more important than the guest’s happiness. Our room and balcony were noisy from the main highway below and was really hot and unusable in the afternoon because the sad little AC could not keep up with the direct sunlight from the balcony even with the curtains closed. No shade at the pool. The resort is super steep so if you have any mobility issues, don’t stay here. Can’t walk to town because of how steep the road is. Housekeeping locked us out twice and confiscated our key. We had to ask for coffee in our room every morning. The hardest bed ever (ouch). Some positives: the view from our balcony was amazing, the infinity pool and view from restaurant was also amazing. The room decor was impress

This establishment is a true gem, nestled in nature with breathtaking views of the sea and magnificent sunsets. This resort, designed on a human scale, provides an intimate and warm atmosphere. We were particularly impressed by the attention paid to maintaining the lush vegetation of the gardens, which contributes to the undeniable charm of the place. The hospitality and service offered by the hotel staff greatly exceeded our expectations. Always attentive, they demonstrated incredible responsiveness, attuned to our every need. The quality of the food matched the high standards of the rest of the services, delighting our taste buds. The proximity to the beaches is an undeniable advantage, allowing us to fully enjoy the assets of the region. As a bonus, the hotel offers a free shuttle service to the city centre, greatly facilitating travel. However, a word of caution to individuals with reduced mobility: the complex is very hilly with many stairs, which could make certain movements challenging. In summary, we had a memorable stay at this resort, both for the beauty of the landscapes and the exceptional quality of service. We highly recommend it and would not hesitate to return.

Amazing views from rooms and infinity pool. Very steep driveway up but to get do provide shuttle services both into yuan and simply up the driveway. You will be grateful for that. Food at the pool is good, not great. Staff is helpful and polite. Will be among the best stays you have as the accommodations are outstanding. Expensive for the area but a good value for a splurge place nonetheless.

Karuna Villa made our first visit to El Nido a very pleasant vacation. Staff was super friendly and helpful with all our questions and needs. They were very responsive when requesting transportation to and from downtown El Nido or closer destinations. Our Joglo was roomy and comfortable enough for our family of 5. The view of the bay was amazing especially during sunsets. I would recommend staying in Joglo 2 since it is right in the middle of the main office and restaurant/pool. Karuna was a great place to stay and would recommend it for anyone visiting El Nido.

Karuna 11/10 I would highly recommend Karuna Villas in El Nido. I booked through ***********, which was very easy. The front desk receptionists were very quick to respond to my questions on *********** and ‎WhatsApp. They were able to arrange our private shuttles to and from the airport with Zion shuttle service. When we arrived, Anjie was very personable and helpful. They offered us welcome drinks upon arrival which was a nice touch. We stayed in the Studio Premier 5 room, which was perfect for our family of 4 adults and 1 child. The room had 1 king bed and 1 king sofa pull out. They had an extra twin bed frame prepared for us, but we opted to remove it from our room for more space. The balcony view was gorgeous. We utilized the hammock and outdoor bathtub. We appreciated that the bathroom, shower, and sink were detached. The room was also very close to the restaurant and reception area. The room had an open concept with high ceilings and was very spacious. We loved the design of the rooms with the high quality wood furniture. One thing that was missing from the kitchen was a microwave. The hotel had purified water in the rooms, but we bought bottled water before arriving. The hotel offers free breakfast. All of the waiters and waitresses were very pleasant. The infinity pool and view were amazing. The pictures on the website does not do the hotel justice. The hotel was very clean and well stocked. The bed sheets, pillows, and towels were very comfortable. We want to take the time to thank Anjie for making our trip enjoyable. She helped arrange our tricycles and tours on our first day. Her brother Anthony served as our tour guide of the town and tricycle driver. He took us to the Canopy Walk, Bulalacao Waterfall, Nacpan Beach, and into town to do some souvenirs shopping. The following day, Anthony showed us around El Nido for more shopping and exploring. He was so nice, personable, and patient. I recommend flying in and out from Puerto Princesa as Lio Airport/AirSWIFT cancels/delays many of their flights. One thing to note, the hotel is not accessible for people with physical handicaps and disabilities. There are many hills and stairs that you must climb. There was 1 time we were unable to get a driver to take us from the bottom to the top of the hotel. Be prepared to walk up a steep hill when a driver is not available. Thank you to everyone at Karuna Villas for making our stay in El Nido very special to celebrate our mom’s 70th Birthday!

The Karuna resort is a hillside paradise. We loved everything about the resort. The location was central and the views were absolutely stunning. Warning: there are quite a few steep hills and stairs all around the resort. You'll definitely get your workout here, but its so worth it. Our joglo was perfect. Clean and well appointed with modern amenities including comfortable beds, flatscreen TV with Netflix, fast wifi, and AC. There was plenty of room for our family of 3, along with a kitchen and large wraparound deck with views of the bay. It felt like our home away from home. We spent a lot of time at the pool, restaurant, and bar, which happened to be our favorite spots at the resort. The bar has a great happy hour and the restaurant has an extensive menu with lots of variety. One of the best things about Karuna is the staff. Lester, Sarifa, Tiffany, Prince, and Ellen were excellent hosts. They made our stay so wonderful, which made it hard to say goodbye!