Chema's by the Sea

We visited Chema’s by the Sea last June 15 for a day tour to celebrate both Father’s Day and my aunt’s birthday. This was not my first time visiting the resort, which made me excited to return especially since I had a very pleasant experience during my previous stay with my family. This time, I was with my husband’s side of the family, and we were a group of 19, including relatives from out of town who were here on vacation. Unfortunately, the overall experience this time fell short of our expectations. One of the things I appreciated during my first visit was the warm welcome, complete with cold towels and refreshing welcome drinks. However, this time we waited for more than an hour and were not given any. I personally approached the reception to ask, but the staff member barely acknowledged me, simply saying, “Just wait for a while,” without even making eye contact as she continued working on something else. After waiting again and still not receiving anything, I returned to the reception and was told that they were short on staff. While we understand that staffing issues may occur, for a resort that accommodates advance bookings and day tours, we believe guest readiness and service should still be a priority. Sadly, we left the resort without ever receiving the promised complimentary drinks, and no staff followed up. In addition, we were disappointed with the food. We ordered five servings of soup, but all of them were salty, to the point that no one in our group could eat them. It felt like a waste of money, and it would have been better if someone from the restaurant checked in with us or ensured food quality before serving (although the other food is tasty and delicious, to be fair). Another concern was the pool area on the other side of the resort. When we visited that part, the pool water was noticeably dirty and unclear, and there were no staff members around to check or maintain the cleanliness. This made it uncomfortable and uninviting to use. While the resort still has its charm and beautiful surroundings, the service and attention to detail this time were far from what we previously experienced. For a group like ours, hoping to relax and celebrate, it was disheartening to feel like we needed to constantly follow up on basic service that should have been provided from the start. Because of this disappointing experience, we can no longer confidently recommend Chema’s by the Sea. There are many other resorts in the area that offer better consistency in service, cleanliness, and food quality and that truly value their guests.

My wife and I stayed here overnight just last weekend (September 14-15) and we had a pretty pleasant experience. The room where we stayed was nice and cozy, with a comfortable bed, a spacious bathroom and good water pressure (not always a given). The grounds were well-manicured, and the pool area was both clean and tastefully declared. The food was decent but as is the case with many of these resorts, the food was not great. The coffee, in particular, tasted like it came from a coffee stick instead of being brewed, and it was not even hot enough to melt the coffee creamer. Please, management, invest in a good coffee machine, and make sure that coffee is not just warm, but hot. Finally, I respectfully suggest that in view of the fact that there are cats wandering the grounds, periodically begging for scraps from the guests, that management have these cats groomed, properly inoculated against rabies and other diseases, as well as spayed or neutered.

This was once a very nice hotel but it has fallen into disrepair. Not a place for international visitors who will be sadly disappointed in the value for money. Staff try really hard to please but the place is falling apart and not good quality. It’s a bit like Fawlty Towers in the Philippines. Seems to be run like a military camp. One had to pre order breakfast the night before and then receive it at exact time next day. If you are late food is left cold on table. Air conditioner in bed room sounds like a ford V 6 engine and detracts from the otherwise tranquil setting. Sad place to spend your hard earned dollar.

The location is easily to see and their food is delicious and the place is also amazing, perfect for weddings and anniversaries. The pool is nice and the sea is very clear, good for those people who wants to move on.

We chose Chema's as it was one of the few resorts in Samal that allowed you to bring your pets. We had stayed at Chema's a few years back, so we were not sure what to expect. We booked an overnight stay (Sunday-Monday) in July 2022. Our whole experience was decent, here is a breakdown of our stay. - To get to Chema's you have to go to Waterfront Hotel to use their pier. They will be in-charge to bring you via boat (they should give you time slots of when they travel). We were said to be there at 1pm. There was a quaint waiting area indicated for Chema's guests with seats. We ended up waiting for 45+ minutes. We speculated that this was due to the resort wanting to let guests leave as it was a Sunday. During the boat trip, we had the vibe that the crew was rushing us to the resort. This resulted to us getting splashed by the water (current and weather may be factors here). Crew helped us with our bags, which was good. - Upon arrival we were met with welcome drinks at the reception. We were sent to our rooms after a few moments. We stayed in the Cabana 1 (Sea Garden View Room) This had 2 rooms, 1 Queen sized bed, bathroom, television, small refrigerator, and aircon each. An outside couch and table is on the veranda of the cabana. The room felt secluded and private despite its location in the resort. - Chema's has a small beach front. The water has an amount of organic matter (not disruptive) and the sand is fine. To compensate for the small beach front, they have 2 pools, one on the shore and the other in the inner part of the resort. Both pools were clean and well maintained. All of the swimming areas had ample seats and tables. Take note room towels can not be used outside of the rooms and separate beach towels are provided. - Food here is good. I suggest trying their Twice Cooked Chicken Adobo and Greek Salad. Their prices are a little steep, but considering the ingredients and being in a resort, it should be fine. Dining may be done in their restaurant or at the table outside your room (preferred). Copies of their menus are available on the website. Breakfast is free for overnight stays. - Service was excellent. All the staff answered all our questions and queries. They were attentive and very accommodating. All of our requests for water while eating was responded to quickly. Our request for late checkout was dealt with well and they sent a room checker in advance to have a smooth exit. Overall, our stay was great. We felt like we escaped the city in a very peaceful vacation. I noted a number of negative reviews, but soon saw that they were all before 2019/2020. Their staff are very accommodating and friendly, greeting us with smiles whenever we walked pass them. Hopefully the delays and problems in getting to the resort will not be seen anymore, but nevertheless we will definitely want to go back!

Book here because of the good reviews i’ve read but our experience was quiet the opposite. They arrive almost an hour late for the pick up schedule.Not even a phone call to inform us their whereabouts. We decided to cancel our stay and the refund took a month which i paid cash. Very inconsiderate.