Sea Turtle House

Philippines , Cebu
MOALBOAL, Lo Oc Saavedra
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50 reviews shown

6/10

Pleasant

31 Mar 2026

Michael

Beautiful views, friendly staff but below basic room and bathroom

Self

2/10

Poor

02 Mar 2026

Katherine

No electricity when we arrived, the shower didn’t work, the WiFi was non-existent. We were at the mercy of the hosts for a car or tuk tuk ride everywhere. The “food” onsite was unedible. The hosts were only interested in upselling tours or rides. When I queried the rate we had paid with Hotels.com I was given the brush off but local places were one fifth of what we paid. We requested a refund but got nothing back. We left after one miserable night. We came for the snorkelling but the current was too strong onsite. Utterly disappointing. Do not go there.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

25 Feb 2026

Hannu

The staff was great
Very friendly

Self

8/10

Excellent

11 Feb 2026

Angelina

Staff very friendly

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Oct 2025

Rosalinda

Room was cleaned, staff was courteous, the beach was right in front of.

8/10

Excellent

16 Jan 2025

Neil

The Sea Turtle Resort offered a quiet peaceful setting on the ocean with a great staff. It was a scenic scooter ride into town through the country side where Moalboal awaited with plenty of restaurants, beach and bars.

2/10

Poor

01 Oct 2024

Lien

The owner does not care about you. He canceled my reservation so he could give to someone at a hire price. The staff was very nice. You have to pay for AC. There is no WiFi. The place is completely run down. Go somewhere else. The Swiss owner is An A***.

Friends_and_family Family

2/10

Poor

26 Feb 2024

Muge

It’s a run down facility very disappointing not what the site represented.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

26 Jan 2024

Heidi

Staff and owner are very courteous. They will cook food upon your request and taste good. Place is so quiet and relaxing. Perfect view of the beach. I will definitely return to this place.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jan 2024

Timothy

Very clean and the owner was very nice and accommodating during our stay. We wil stay there again if we are in the area anytime.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

01 Nov 2023

Claudia

Very bad location,No walking distance of restaurant, shopping. Dinner charged over the price of the menu. Charger for AC using,torn bedding. Uncomfortable pillows. Advertising doesn’t show the true reality of the hotel.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

16 Feb 2020

Verified traveler

Excellent service
Some mosquitoes seen inside our room , bathroom with foul smell, got little better after sprayed with deodorizer
Food was great

Friends_and_family Family

2/10

Poor

25 Jan 2020

Alexis

The bathroom is dirty, smelly and the room is dark and uncomfortable. We wanted to check out the very moment we got in the room plus no available wifi in the room, the owner is not pleasant and very nasty plus there are a lot of mosquitos.
We will not use the property in the future not to be recommended to friends.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

07 Jan 2020

Verified traveler

Sea turtle needs help

I believe that this hotel in its hey day was well worth every penny but today isn’t that day. The restroom has a pungent urine smell that lingered our entire stay. The towels were made out of some type of material that doesn’t absorb water making it difficult to dry off after a shower. I recommend that the bed be replaced as they offer no comfort and you are basically sleeping on the frame. I would recommend you buying your own snorkel gear/ life jackets as they don’t have enough to accommodate the hotel. To add to that the the snorkel gear is full of mold and needs to be replaced. They require you to pay a deposit fee (1,000 pesos) to maintain the equipment when they clearly don’t maintain anything. They also posted terroist sign to deter you from booking tours with outside agents to keep the money in-house. I also see no reason to place political pictures in your hotel ESPECIALLY when your nationality is far from the USA. We loved the location as it is very quiet and peaceful but so many factors deter my family from visiting the hotel again. STAY AWAY

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jan 2020

Tara

A wonderful hotel with such knowledgable and friendly staff who helped us organise two incredible days out and with general advice regarding the area and travel. Would 100% recommend to everyone!

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

11 Dec 2019

Grace

Value for money - i highly recommend

Welcome reception was great. We were welcomed by stefan himself who was pleasant and accomodating. The resort staff was very sensitive to our needs too.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Sep 2019

Ariane

A place away from the crowd.

The place was totally far away from the noise of the city. The place is next to the water which I love the most. The staff are very accommodating and all smiles whenever I talk to them. I would definitely go back there.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

05 Aug 2019

Verified traveler

The staff are wonderful, you feel like you are part of the family, 30 feet from the short is beautiful corals and marine life and turtles. the staff will guide you if you would like. Snorkeling gear are available on site. Rooms are large and very clean. This place is a lovers paradise. The kitchen, Wow this place can cook. Fantastic flavor. If you are a foodie this is your place. Motorcycles are available to rent on site which is very nice to explore the water falls on this beautiful island. Airport transportation. wifi is poor.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jun 2019

Pierre-Yves

A lovely and quiet place far from the nosie of the city.
Very good advises regarding the activites.
The resort selected competent and friendly guides to take us to swim with sea turtles and whale sharks.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

13 May 2019

Verified traveler

Ease of check in and check out. Could have better signage for location address. Kitchen also closed early and nearest Restaurant was limited too. Plan ahead!

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

30 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

This place is a wonderful resort. Helpful friendly staff. Comfortable room. Away from the loud tourist area, but close enough to enjoy if you care to. Great food too. Could not have asked for a better experience.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 Mar 2019

Evan

Can't wait to come back!

Everything was amazing and only wish we could've stayed longer. It was one of the best places we've stayed in SE Asia. Location right on water was perfect for snorkeling, which really set this place apart from others. Staff was friendly and made you feel at home. Food was fantastic. Room has everything you need and plenty of space.

Partner

2/10

Poor

04 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

All is bad at this hôtel
There is scorpio in thé room
Thé bée us very bad
Thé dois is very expensive

Friends_and_family Partner

8/10

Excellent

07 Feb 2019

Michael

Lives up to its name

This is a lovely little spot on the water, with a vibrant coral life just a short swim from shore. I saw two turtles swimming my first snorkel out there! The room is clean and the area is safe. It's a good little ways from the action on Pangsama Beach, so a scooter rental is a must (unless you take a tricycle each time), but that means it's also quiet. It's a family run place and there are not as many staff as you might be used to at a true resort, so expect some wait times here and there. Ah, the kitchen cooks up delicious food for a fair price. Recommended, even for vegetarians like myself. Wifi finicky. Overall, great stay.

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jan 2019

Josephine

if you want to relax, go to Sra Turtle House in Moalboal

2/10

Poor

28 May 2018

gelay

very far. its like a farm nit a resort. bad accomodation not comfortable room. not worth the money

8/10

Excellent

25 Feb 2018

Verified traveler

Rugged charms

Remote, yet charming. The staff is extremely nice and helpful. Special shoutout to Vanessa and Shah!

10/10

Exceptional

21 Feb 2018

BARRY

RELAXING - RELAXING - RELAXING

as my title suggests - our stay was exactly that. No NOISE - other than an amorous Rooster nearby. No disco - no stereos playing all night - no rowdy drinkers. The sound of the waves could be classified as noise? Depending on your reason for visiting a seaside resort - mine was to relax as you can tell. Some of the reviews I read BEFORE my trip I can now understand but you must qualify what their reasons for their trip was. Yes the WIFI is not existent at times - but do you really need it? Some of the fixtures are old but they do function (stove - toaster) - is that important? You are off the beaten path so to speak - not walking distance to the main retail areas - but trikes are available and are reasonably priced. Food was very well presented and tasty - pricey - yes - but so are the restaurants in the retail area. If you want to save - bring your own food. The staff were very helpful and cheerful. Take a boat tour - many operators nearby and the staff can get you one. If you scuba dive or snorkel - plenty of operators for that as well - the waters are clear and clean - plenty of fish. And don't complain if you don't see any sea turtles.

Family

2/10

Poor

03 Feb 2018

david

READ THE FACTS BEFORE YOU BOOK

This resort has no beach you can sit on.
No umbrellas are on the beach.
Wi-Fi is only available at reception area during specific times when the owner turns it on. It is not available in any room.
The safe was locked in the open position- no one could fix it as only the owner had the overide key.
Shower was warm but little pressure.
Room 103 was tired - stained sheets and hard lumpy pillows...
Property is remote - nothing around - even White beach is a 15 minute walk way.
Tricycle can be arranged but they try and charge you more.
Restaurant - food was very good but very expensive - 90 pesos for a tea bag and a cup of hot water - Shallona tried hard to please.
Trips offered are poorly organised with no safety briefing on the boat and to get to the boat you wall over shallow coral with many sea urchins so you could injure yourself
During my stay 2 Chinese, 1 American and 1 German - all complaining about the lack of Wi-Fi.....
If it's only available at set times say this in your advert.
The end of a 4 Week trip in the Phillippines and this was the worse property by far and it was one of the most expensive at £55 sterling per night.
I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS PROPERTY.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

26 Jan 2018

Verified traveler

Too far from the main area. Good if you want a remote place that is secluded. However getting to any restuarants, dive shops or nightlife will cost you $10 each way.

10/10

Exceptional

15 Oct 2017

Steven

Great family run resort with excellent snorkelling

Had a great time at the Sea Turtle some great snorkelling straight out the front.Staff treated you like a part of the family and were very warm and welcoming.Would go back again anytime

10/10

Exceptional

14 Oct 2017

Steven

Great little resort in moalboal

Had a great stay at Sea turtle house have great diving area out the front.Its a family run business and they make you feel part of the family would definitely visit again.

10/10

Exceptional

27 Mar 2017

IRIS

Future businessman Mr.Junior

Amazing and really miss junior

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Feb 2017

Shqipe

A great getaway place away from all the noise

The property is in a secluded area, so it's very quiet and relaxing. You can go snorkeling right outside the property. The staff is very friendly and helpful. They have a restaurant at the property and they serve very good food. I can highly recommend either fish or chicken.

The only thing that could improved is the rooms. The water pressure is some times very low and the pillows need an upgrade.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jan 2017

Dan

enjoyable and relaxing stay

I really enjoyed my stay at Sea Turtle House. I needed a few quiet days to relax and this hit the spot. The staff and owners were very friendly and I was able to relax pretty easily. For anyone looking to relax I think its a great option in the Moalboal area.

6/10

Pleasant

22 Mar 2016

Jeanne

Not good value for money

Not easily signed from main road. On arrival they did not have my booking - took a while to sort out. Male owner not very friendly, getting angry at staff. Room was next to the restaurant, noisy. Room was dark, asked for a lightbulb for the reading light, never got one. Aircon unit noisy. Not a great first impression. On the next day I met the female owner, Niniti, who was much more friendly. Food is nice but it is a small kitchen and can take a while if other guests have ordered. Also it is expensive. neighbouring resort, T breeze 5 min walk away. Water was included with the room which was good. Hotel is far from the main centre of Moalboal - misleading on hotels.com search results. There is no beach, just rock / sludge and the tide comes in right up to the rocks so you can't walk to white beach. Had to get a tricycle to go anywhere, 200 peso to the centre. Not much to see whilst snorkelling as the reef has been destroyed by typhoon & dynamite fishing. You can take boat trips but they are expensive, you'd be better booking a trip with a dive centre or snorkelling off the shore in Panagsama to see the sardines. Please do not go to Oslob for the whalesharks - look it up, they are abused like zoo animals. Go to leyte or donsol, more sustainable.

8/10

Excellent

23 Feb 2016

Joanna

Good stay

The overall stay at the Sea Turtle House was great. The accommodation is good but I feel it could do with a little maintenance here and there.
Ninita is a great host and is willing to do anything to keep her guests happy.

Partner

4/10

Poor

03 Jan 2016

Benjamin

Hotel not recommended

Hotel was nice, and the staff was nice, but we got a knock on our door at 22:30 to tell us that we had to pay extra because we had three people in the room, even though we had booked online for 3 people, and all 3 were present at check in. When I showed the hotel manager the email stating that the room rate was already for 3 people, he said he wouldn't charge us extra, but he would not honor the breakfast that was supposed to be included. This entire experience gave us a bad feeling, and we didn't like being treated like we were not welcome. I would not recommend this hotel based on this experience.

Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Dec 2015

Georges

A family atmosphere

It was an excellent stay despite of my bad cold. I'd like to give a max of marks to the staff. So kind, so available at any time, always glad to help everyone. I really got the impression that I was invited in a peaceful family with Stefano, Ninita, Stefanino, Marilyn, Bernadette,...
The very nice park and the fantastic sea view have to be mentioned also.
Any inconvenience? No, except the absence of swimming pool.

8/10

Excellent

18 Nov 2015

John Kelly

Good Stay

The resorts along this beach are isolated from the area with resturants and shops. The roads in/out are are more suited for tracked vehicles, not good. The Sea Turtle House is clean, well managed, and comfortable. The snorkling was great and the staff was very helpful.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

22 Sep 2015

Lewis

Great place to relax

The resort is tucked away pretty far down the road heading out of Moalboal just beyond a 'toll' station (Hint: The entrance fee for the area is a one time very low fee. Keep the stamps they give you.)

I have to admit that at first glance, I was not overly impressed. Having just come from one of the major hotels in Cebu City, I was still in 'city mode'. But after a wander through the grounds, a look at the peaceful view, a chat with the lovely family that owns the resort, and enjoying one of their delicious meals, I was hooked.

The rooms are very plain, but they are clean and well kept. While the TV is local channels only, the internet is very good (and you should be out at one of the kiosks relaxing anyway). When checking in, they will give you a selection of the available rooms. Each one has its own unique good points, so pick what is most important to you.

The grounds are not huge, but if you add in the potential to just wander down to the water and snorkel, it is huge. They have kept the emphasis on 'nature' and even have a small nature reserve where you can often see many species of birds (and the occasional monitor lizard). Be sure to take a walk along the beach at low tide and check out the rocks and caves along the shoreline.

As I mentioned at the start, I wasn't impressed at first, but once you understand the place, it is amazing and wonderful. A fantastic place to just kick back and relax. I will definitely try to get back there again.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jul 2015

Thomas G

Great stay at a simply beautiful resort.

This will definitely be my first choice resort next time I visit moalboal. The price is good for what you get, we stayed at the resort view concrete room, which was pointed towards the garden / ocean. It had a very nice patio with 2 beautiful chairs, a table and even some candles there. The room had a mini fridge, AC + Ceiling fan, which when used together kept the room very comfortable. The shower was extremely simple, and seems like its more for just cleaning the sand off. The in-room safe was just a lockable cupboard, so while not really secure it does give you enough peace of mind.

There was also A LOT of places to sit down to just look at the ocean, it was really nice. There was a few hammocks, little gazebos with room for 6 people, places to lay down, a little bar, the dining area... Even if the place was fully booked I doubt you'd ever have any touble finding a nice place to look at the ocean.

I found the food pretty good, while it may seem a bit expensive you do get your moneys worth.

Room cleaning is limited, so you will have to ask if you want the room cleaned.

Overall, I would highly recommend the place if you want a peaceful escape from the city with no need for luxuries. Place was easy to get to from Cebu, I took cab from airport to south bus terminal(price depends on traffic), then bus to moalboal which leaves every 15 minutes for 107 pesos per person), then you can take a trike from there to sea turtle house for 100 pesos total.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

28 Jul 2015

Verified traveler

small family resort offers beach & diving access

Sea Turtle House is a small family run, quiet resort built on the edge of the ocean (fabulous views) and nestled in between farm land and local villages. We visited as an extended family and booked two of its soon to be completed five rooms. Great for children who can run round the garden and small playground, but equally suitable for adults. Rooms with ensuites are fairly small but pleasant, clean, comfortable and there are outside verandas and lots of hammocks. The beach is 50 metres away with fine dive sites 150 metres off the beach. Basic and somewhat over priced meals can be purchased from the kitchen but a short stroll can take you to other resorts with a range of food.

Family

8/10

Excellent

24 Jun 2015

Kerry-Lynn

A great holiday! Loved it!

We had an incredible stay in Moalboal! The roads in the area are pretty bad and the area is quite rural. The hotel is rustic and set right on the beach with stunning views out onto the ocean. The staff were amazing and so helpful. The restaurant food was very good and handy considering there aren't many restaurants or stores within walking distance. On our last day, the owners organized an island hopping tour for all of us staying at the hotel where we snorkelled and saw tea turtles and millions of sardines. Was awesome! I would definitely recommend this hotel!

Partner

4/10

Poor

26 May 2015

Verified traveler

White beach

Staff were nice but room was missing minibar and balcony as described on the website

8/10

Excellent

23 Apr 2015

Richard

Wonderful place to stay and relax.

Real quiet place and we can do snorkling in front to see turtles. We loved the place.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

20 Feb 2015

Ivan

Nice little hide-away.

Small 7 cottage hotel with very comfortable beds and A/C amidst beautiful green scenery on the beach. The staff was willing to help with anything from extra shampoo to toothpaste to calling for transportation. The restaurant has an extensive menu, but is high priced. Also, there's no direct beach access, though it's a fairly short walk. The more popular White Sand beach is a romantic 300 meter stroll away, and the nightlife area of Panagsama you'll need a motorbike to get to.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Nov 2014

Inna

Relaxing place in the coral paradise

My husband and I had a very pleasant and relaxing stay. The hotel facility is located in a very quiet area, perfect for relaxation. The hotel is on the edge of the sea - you can snorkel off or take a short walk to a white sand beach.

We snorkeled multiple times a day. The reef is one of the most beautiful in the world, by variaty and quantity of corals, fishes, sea stars and giant sea turtles (even comparing to the Grand Barrier Reef and Yucatan peninsula). We saw the sea turtles every time we snorkled, amazing! Hundreds of kilometers of uncontaminated coastline. If you love the sea world is a must place to stay. Many boats come in front of the hotel coast arae bringing the people to snorkel and dive.

The food at the hotel was great, tasty and well-executed. It takes some time to prepare - they cook from scratch and with a touch - so you may pre-order at a specific time, at your convenience.

There is lot of other things to do in the area. Ask the hotel management for tips or arrangements/transportation.

We had a massage therapist coming to our room at, very convenient - ask the hotel staff for more info.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

04 Nov 2014

Bronson

A discreet oasis of tranquility

Just a quick getaway from the big city. An absolutely beautiful location, stunning sights, a tranquil and cozy experience. No frills, but then again, none needed nor wanted. I certainly recommend.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Aug 2014

Willem

Great atmosphere

Sea Turtle House has a very nice and relaxing atmosphere to it. We are a young married couple and we enjoyed the facilities and accommodation. It is a peaceful and very beautiful location next to the ocean. The food is excellent and very tasty, we ate there most of the time and it is also very affordable. The rooms and facilities are clean and in good condition. The staffs is very friendly and helpful, we were very impressed with that. Hotel location is a few kilometres away from Moalboal, but using a tricycle gets you there in no time. I will recommend the Sea Turtle House to anyone especially if you want a beautiful location, where it is peaceful and quite. We took amazing photos and had a greatime.

Partner