he Boracay West Cove Resort is a 4 star accommodation in Diniwid beach. As a 4 star hotel, they keep to the highest standards and do everything they can to make their guests feel comfortable and well serviced. Still, this resort has more of a boutique vibe to it, as it focuses on providing a feeling of lost paradise at one of the world’s most beautiful islands.
Diniwid beach is a much quieter alternative to the busy White Beach, and is known as the best place in Boracay to watch the sunset. West Cove is located on a hill overlooking the beach, and offers some of the most scenic views you will see in the Philippines. The beach is only 5 minutes walk from the resort, and so it’s perfect for couples who want a peaceful and romantic setting for their vacation.
The level of service is one of the strongest points of this resort. Even by Filipino standards of hospitality, the staff here is super friendly and helpful. Being a small resort means you get a lot of personal attention. Whenever we had any issue, it was fixed on the spot.
The hotel is very well designed, giving a feeling of a boutique ECO resort. They do everything they can to blend in with their surroundings and create a truly peaceful atmosphere. The cleaning crew does their job well and the resort is tidy and clean, although we did notice some small wear and tear that could use some attention.
There's a good selection of different rooms, but even the most basic option is much bigger compared to White Beach resorts. We found the rooms to be clean and comfortable, with a elegant design. Each room also has a private balcony, allowing you to enjoy the spectacular view. One major downside is there's no WiFi in the rooms, only at the public areas.
There's no pool at the resort, and they don't really have a beach either, so this is by far the biggest disadvantage to staying there. West Cove is a waterfront resort, which means you can go down and swim or snorkel, but if you want a real beach you'll have to walk 5 minutes to the center of Diniwid.
The resort's location is designed to attract those is search of romance and solitude. While shops, bars and restaurants are relatively close, they still require a short walk. Getting to White Beach will take you 10 minutes by car, or 25 minutes if you choose to walk. Moreover, reaching the resort itself from the main road requires taking a walk through an alleyway and climbing up some stairs.
If you are looking for an unorthodox experience, you'll find it here. There are some clear minuses to staying at West Cove, but if you are aware of them and are fine with it – it offers guests a wonderful stay and excellent conditions. With the price being lower than similar resorts on White Beach, we'd say it does provide good value for your money overall.
The tropical jungles surrounding the resort has been carefully preserved, and no trees were removed to allow for its building. You can see exactly how much thought was put into incorporating the sea wall and the vegetation into the hotel’s design. The most impressive feature is the cliff, extending from the mainland and into the ocean. Over there, you can sit at a table and have your lunch with a front seat view of the entire surroundings.
There are only 24 rooms available at West Cove, which further helps give it a cozy and peaceful vibe. The resort is never busy, and your privacy is always guaranteed. All rooms come with air conditioning, TV with cable channels, a mini fridge and a safety deposit box. Basic toiletries are provided, as well as coffee and tea making facilities. Each room also has its own private balcony, providing a full, unobstructed view of the ocean.
West Cove is a really good example of how tourists to the Philippines are being mislead by the major booking sites. Unless you really dig deep, it's almost impossible to get a clear, honest review about this hotel. This, in turn, leads to bad reviews and more importantly, a bad experience for the guests. That is exactly why we try to be as clear as possible in our reviews, and highlight the negatives of each hotel, instead of just trying to blatantly promote it.
We honestly believe West Cove is a charming little resort, where a lot of people can have a wonderful experience. For a relatively cheap price, you get great rooms, excellent service and a truly unique surrounding. On top of that, we are yet to ever get any negative feedback from clients we sent there. That said, this resort is clearly not for everyone. You have to be fully aware of both the good and the bad things about it before making your decision.
Tripadvisor.com shows 172 reviews with an average score of 4 out of 5. 82% of guests rated their stay as above average, with more than half giving it the highest score possible. It's also worth mentioning that the tripadvisor guide is the most accurate one, and doesn't present any false information to potential customers. People here really liked the quiet location and excellent service, while complaints were mostly made regarding no WiFi in the rooms.
there are only 123 reviews on Booking.com with an underwhelming score of 7.7. Same goes for Agoda, where we found 410 reviews and the score is 7.8. A lot of that is due to the fact both sites feature West Cove as beachfront resort with its own private beach. So, naturally people are disappointed when they reach the resort and see that's not really the case. Guests on both sites did like the friendly service and the comfortable beds
West Cove is a very special boutique hotel, here's why:
With that said, there are some very distincit reasons to avoid staying there:
Next to the cliff there are stairways that lead directly to the sea. You can go swimming and the resort also provides snorkeling gear. They’ll give you a mask, but strangely they have no fins available. If you want to actually lay on the sand and relax at a real beach, you’ll have to take the stairs then walk down south towards Diniwid beach.
Another thing we really liked about West Cove is the fact it’s the only Eco-friendly resort in Boracay that still keeps high standards. As mentioned, they do everything they can to preserve the natural environment and use it to enhance the design. On top of that, they have a solar panel to create energy, which surprisingly heats up the shower’s water very well. A system installed on the roof also catches rain water, and helps with grooming the gardens around.
Breakfast is included in the price of the room. You get to choose between 3 different sets – English, Continental and Filipino. Lunch and dinner are served a la carte. An inhouse spa is also available, and you can take the treatments either at room or by the beach. Housekeeping cleans the rooms on a daily basis, and also replenish all the toiletries in them. Lastly, there’s also a laundry service available, for which the price is very fair.
All in all, West Cove really stands out among Boracay hotels as being a unique choice of accommodation. If you value your peace and quiet above all else, this boutique resort is one of the best choices you can make. Couples and families will love this place, as it offers the perfect opportunity to relax and unwind, surrounded by the beautiful nature.
The most basic category and the cheapest ones, these room offer tremendous value. At 25m2 they are much bigger than similarly priced rooms anywhere else. Each room comes with one queen size bed and a private balcony overlooking the ocean.
Deluxe rooms are slightly bigger than the standard, and offer 30m2 of space. The balcony is slightly larger, and the bathroom area is more spacious. The rooms comes with one queen size bed.
The superior suite is 40m2 and so it’s very large and can comfortably fit in 3 people. The rooms comes with a king size bed, but an extra bed can be added if needed.
There’s only one premiere suite available, so it’s best to book it as early as you can. It’s 55m2 and has 1 king size bed. An extra single bed can be added upon request. This suite has a larger balcony and offers the best possible view of the ocean.
