Just like any other employee, I was really excited and looking forward for the Holy Week. It’s one of the few moments when I get the chance to have a long weekend and get a good vacation. And knowing that Holy Week is a peak season, I already planned my vacation in Camotes in March. So, I booked my reservation with Bano Beach Resort by contacting one of their staff through text. I’ve already visited the resort before and it was how I booked my reservation so I was confident.
I was asked to pay the down payment through M LHuillier so I provided the KTPN after I sent the money. I also followed up twice regarding my reservation and I was reassured about it. When I arrived there on the Black Friday, I informed the receptionist regarding my reservation. She told me that she wasn’t aware of the reservation and asked me to sit at their waiting area first. She said that we’ll just wait for the guy (the one I texted) who holds the list of reservations.
A few minutes, the guy arrived after fetching customers from the port. He had a short discussion with the receptionist and from their facial expressions, I already knew what was going on. To my horror, they have overbooked the reservation and now there was no room left more me. What’s more surprising is that the customers he picked from the port also booked a reservation a month before through text and also sent down payment through ML.
I was really disgusted since I was really looking toward this vacation but the other guests are more disgusted since they’ve traveled from Manila only to be welcomed with this situation. The receptionist only made excuses that she’s not to be blamed since she doesn’t handle the reservations. A few minutes later, a couple arrived since they also called the day before and they were informed that there’s Bano Beach Resort still has a vacant room.
I booked my reservation in advance to avoid this kind of scenario but what happened was I still ended up facing the problem of finding of finding a vacant room during a peak season. What happened was they apparently accepted reservations through Agoda and they prioritized those who booked through the agency. And the guy we contacted happened to be the uncle of the owner of the resort.
I hope that they had been more careful considering that people need a two hour ferry-ride in order to reach Camotes Island. People are looking forward to this due to the long weekend so they really wasted our time, effort and money. The only consolation that I had that day is that the cook in Bano Beach Resort is really good.
Later that day, they’ve managed to arrange accommodations for all of us. The guys from Manila were offered a room along the hi-way. They were also provided a motorcycle that they can use for free in exchange for the damages done and so they could easily tour Camotes.
I didn’t agree to stay also stay in a room along the hi-way since I really went to Camotes for the beach and I don’t drive so it will be really troublesome to reach the beach. So they arranged my accommodation in Palanas Beach Resort, one of their branch resorts. He convinced some of their relatives to stay in one room so I could occupy the other one.
At least, some effort has been done and I really appreciate that. However, I hope that they’ll be more careful with reservations next time. They should understand that most employees only have few chances to have a vacation. People put effort, time and money for vacations like this so there’s no excuse for mistakes that could have been avoided if good management has been practiced.
Since I didn’t want to ruin my most awaited vacation in Camotes, I decided to relax and enjoy the view in Palanas Resort. They don’t have much facilities in the said resort and the beach isn’t as nice as the beach in Mangodlong but the air is really cool and fresh. It’s a good place to stay at if you’re looking for a quiet place with fresh air. I’ve also managed to take the following photos:
Palanas Beach Resort in Camotes Island
On the second day of my vacation, I transferred to Bano Beach Resort since one of the guests already checked out. Here are some memories that I captured:
Overall, I could still that Bano Resort is still a good place to stay at because of its beautiful and secluded type of beach. But because of my not so pleasant experience, I’ll prefer to stay at Santiago Beach Resort the next time I come back to Camotes. They have a much better reservation system and they always provide vouchers for guests who make advance reservations.
P.S. They NEVER expressed an apology over what happened.