Christopher C.
Yelp
Cadlao is not the place for the in-town or beachfront all-night party stay, and even though it is a resort it doesn't have a sandy beach of its own. And I found it to be the ideal place for a great stay in El Nido.
The resort is a bit out of the town center, and is totally inaccessible by island's roads. Instead, there is a path (really, a rag-tag assemblage of ad hoc paths, alleyways, and beach) that snakes along the waterfront to the north of the town. Cars and regular tricycles can't handle the path, so you'll transfer to a Cadlao tricycle with a driver who can navigate it. The initial ride along the path to the resort is almost worth the price of admission all by itself. So be sure to let the hotel know when you're coming so that the tricycle comes to get you. Once you're checked in, you don't really need the tricycle every time you want to go into town--it is only a ten-minute walk. Just look out for tricycles, motorbikes, wagons, and everything else that might run you over. Over all, I was glad to have a bit of relative peace and quiet and not be in the center of town or even the clubs of Corong Corong.
The resort itself is well-designed and beautiful, sitting on a rocky outcropping into the bay. Every room has a deck and plenty of space. The hot water only lasted for about two minutes each morning. That didn't bother me too much because I'm a Californian who's been trained by the drought to keep my showers to two minutes, but plan accordingly. I wish the beds had even light blankets and not just sheets, since I have a hard time sleeping without some weight over me. I suppose Cadlao is just trying to cut costs on air conditioning. The aircon system, by the way, works quite well and can cool the room almost instantly.
Internet service is, well, horrible. The network doesn't extend to any guest rooms; it is only available at the front office and in the restaurant. And even there, it is slow and spotty. Buy a SIM card at the airport or in town instead.
Across the path from the resort is an affiliated boutique and activity-booking operation that is unexpectedly quite nice. At both the boutique and hotel, there are plenty of staff and they're extremely helpful and friendly. If you book a tour at the boutique instead of elsewhere in town, you pay a slight premium. On the other hand, the tour boat and guide pick you up and drop you off right at the resort, which is a very nice bonus. I took one tour with the Cadlao team, and it was one of best days I've ever had.