agodaHomesAguluz Homestay
Donsol Beachfront, Donsol, Philippines - See map
The car parking and the Wi-Fi are always free, so you can stay in touch and come and go as you please. Conveniently situated in the Donsol Beachfront part of Donsol, this property puts you close to attractions and interesting dining options. Massage and spa are among the special facilities that will enhance your stay with on-site convenience.
Highlights
Facilities
Airport transfer
Pets allowed
Car park
Shuttle service
Spa
Bicycles
Free Wi-Fi in all rooms!
Check-in/out [express]
A Home Away From Home”
Where do I start? Marilyn & Pepe welcomed me like a long lost relative (even though I hadn't been there before). Marilyn runs a tight ship with her staff and nothing is too much trouble for anyone there. Her niece Ana is an absolute delight - she couldn't do enough for me, I wanted to take her home with me. If I'd stayed there much longer I would have put on heaps of weight because the food was awesome and plentiful. Pepe "manicures" the lawns with hand shears and keeps the gardens in pristine condition. They can give you info on any of the sights or activities and arrange travel around the area or onwards. I truly felt like one of the family there and regard them as my family in Donsol. Thanks Marilyn, Pepe & Ana. When I'm back in the area there's nowhere else I would stay. I can highly recommend Aguluz Homestay.
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Nice family, very hospitable, some small issues”
We enjoyed our stay, even though we have never been in a homestay before. We took a tour to see the whalesharks by the help of Marilyn, the owner. We got lucky and saw 3 of them even though the season was not right. It was a great experience and we got some good video, though it was hard to catch up to them, even with fins. Marilyn was very helpful in everything we needed, she helped us in everything from getting there to doing what we want and even got liquid for my wife's contacts when she was out. They always asked us what we want to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so when they cooked for themselves, they also cooked for us. Breakfast was 150, dinner and lunch 250/person so the prices are very reasonable. Now to the cons, nothing major but might be an issue for some: A general feeling of lack of privacy might be an issue especially if you're with your wife or girlfriend. This probably applies to any homestay, but this was our first stay in one. You can hear the people downstairs very clearly at least from the room we were staying in. The prices are not always clearly stated, so remember to ask. They're not especially high or anything of the sort, but it would always be nice to be informed beforehand. We also had a little issue with our bill, which we were asked to settle long after check-out, when we were already in Manila. It wasn't a big deal, just a couple of items forgotten from the bill, but asking to settle bills after checking-out is something we haven't experienced before. All in all though, the owner handled the issue very well and was extremely friendly and apologetic of this. The internet was extremely slow, but it is so everywhere in Donsol. Seems like they only have wireless connections, no landline internet at all. I did my work in one of the internet cafe's nearby, where the connection was a tiny bit faster. All in all, a nice place and very hospitable people who are glad to help you during your stay. They food was also good.
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Amazing home stay with very very friendly owners!!! ”
Me and my boyfriend had a great stay at aguluz homestay. Marelene and Pepe are amazing hosts nothing is too much for them they make you breakfast and dinner at very reasonable prices, dinner is especially good. I would 100% recommend staying here and would defiantly be back if I visit Donsol in the future
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Warm Family Atmosphere”
aguluz is a family affair and you are indeed welcomed as part of the family. the key to staying at this homestay is to remember that it is actually the hosts' home, it's not a hotel, so if the power goes out, or the shower is leaking, it's just as inconvenient to them as it is to you, and they are sure to be doing everything they can to fix it if possible. the food is amazing and marilyn and her family do everything they can to make you comfortable and feel at home. marilyn also organised our trips for us, which was very convenient. the accommodations are basic and the house is across the road from a karaoke-loving insomniac mechanic, but if you are happy to accept that this is life as it really is in donsol then you'll love this experience.
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Helpful hosts and warm family feel”
It is wholly a family-run homestay - our hosts Pepe and Marilyn and their family cooked our meals, arranged airport transfers, whale shark and firefly tours for us. We got a Family room booked more than 5 months ago through Agoda, the room could accommodate 4 persons. It came with an efficient air-con and fan and a small cabled TV. The toilet had another door that led to a small service balcony which was good for drying our wet swim gear. The homestay had attracted guests from all around the world, and the people we met at Aguluz were some of the most friendly & fun that we had encountered in the Philippines.
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Best Homestay to stay at Donsol!”
we chose this stay, because the resorts where full. when we arived it was the warmest welcom in our whole holiday. marilyn called us by our names by arriving and the offered coffe was just delicious. she organised all tours (whaleshark/ fireflies etc). she is a really intelligent woman; we have had good interessting discussions with marilyn about philippines and the world. the homestay is really clean, also the shared bathroom is cleaned more times a day. also the lunch and dinner, cooked by the lovely staff and marilyn was absolutely delicious and authentical philippines food! we just can consider this homestay to everyone, who is open to explore, to talk, to enjoy and to beeing part of a philippine family during his stay. thank you marylin!
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Nice homestay in Donsol”
spent two nights here. very comfortable and relaxing. note that outside of the whale-shark season, there is very little else to do in donsol.
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Good location, but house quite old”
The host family were very welcoming and the hotel is located in central Donsol. You can book the whale shark tour and the firefly tour with the hostel, but there were not on time in the agreed upon time and we were often just waiting around, waited over and hour one night to go on our firefly tour. The best was clean, but there were many ants migrating through the entire house. The hotel owners definitely made an effort to make us feel welcomed.
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great homestay with lovely staff”
I definitely recommend to stay in the homestay and to order dinner, as the food is really delicious. Marilyn is very friendly and helpful. Except of wifi for free, they also do loundry and have trips proposals. nice place to stay, really.
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lovely homestay”
This homestay is really nice. The owner Marilyn will really help you to enjoy your stay here. She can book a whale shark tour for you as well as firefly viewing. Our room was clean and quiet and the food was very good although it's a bit expensive. Even if the homestay is full go to see Marilyn, she may know a friend where you can spend a night
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Warm family, but mediocre accommodation.”
this is a nice house in the centre of donsol and recommended if you like to stay with a real filipino family. the owner marilyn and her sister are very nice and helpful with your needs. we arrived late in the evening and the sister immediately asked if we had already had dinner and started cooking. the rooms are very basic and the shared bathrooms not that clean and the shower was cold. the location is convenient only if you want to stay in the centre near the bus terminal, because thee whale watching is a 20 min tricycle ride.
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Home Sweet Home”
good location, clean, there is an gardon and you can enjoy your dish there. marylin and her family are friendly , help for everything you ask. its really a sweety homestay.
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Generally friendly people running a basic homestay”
i found the homestay pretty basic but more expensive and out of the way than other equivalent accomodation available in the area. my room only had a bed and a fan(ie no seat, desk, tv or equivalent which i would have expected at the price charged) the cost of the optional communal meals was skewed above the prices locally. the homestay had 2 funeral parlors adjacent and a noisy evening mini-fair close. on the plus side the owners and staff were smiling and friendly on the whole. there were couple of cute puppies in the garden.
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we booked this homestay, but the room is full”
we booked this homestay, but the room is full,and was arranged in other's.
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great location but small room”
good sense of organization good advices for dives ans snorkeling Marilyn is very dynamic to organize the activities(but becareful about the price of each request because it could be very expensive at least)
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Friendl, great food, but a bit far from the beach”
I went there to see the whale sharks. The place was OK. Dinner was 250.00 which includes a huge crab, rice, laing (local dish with gabi leaves and coconut milk), sweet and sour fish and bananas(OK for the price I think, plus it actually tastes good). The place is near the street so I could hear vehicle sounds in my room. There's no closet in the room so you can just put your bags on the carpeted floor.
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Friendly People but far too many ants!”
this was our first homestay, and it was great to meet marilyn and her family, very friendly people. our room would have been fine, but there was an ant infestation and there were literally hundreds of ants covering our walls. thankfully they stayed at the top part of the wall and we only found a few in our bed.
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top homestay”
i was greeted like a long lost brother and everything i wanted or needed was cared for....they even arranged m.cyclehire and remember you only get what you pay for....they arranged whaale shark trip but i did not get to see one....january they may be back...otherwise top place in town....and it has wi-fi that works
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Most friendly service”
i was treated like a welcome guest from the start to end of my stay. all meals can be provided and are delicious and good value for money. rooms aren't cheap and mine was a little pokey but still a great place.
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okay place with the basic amenities ”
the place is somewhat aged and had an ant infestation. the fan room can get pretty hot during the day and if you open the windows then flies and mosquitoes rush in. luckily we had a mosquito net. the packages sold by the proprietor is a few hundred pesos more than street price.
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