Fort Ilocandia Resort Hotel

What a beautiful location with a beautiful history. It was great to be able to stay there. We stayed there for three nights. The breakfast was very good, also for western tourists like us, and the dinner was also very good. The beds were a bit too hard for us westerners, but we often experience that in the Philippines and we are used to it now. The rooms are well maintained but the style is outdated, but you can still see the grandeur of yesteryear. I think it has a certain charm. I think the maintenance of the building will be problematic in the longer term. The gardens, however, are perfectly maintained. There are two beautiful swimming pools, which are wonderful to relax in. What really surprised us and shocked us was the fact that non-guests are allowed to use the swimming pool for a fee. If they are quiet people, okay. But we encountered a group of young people (8) with a meter-high Getty blaster in the swimming pool twice, and I think that target group does not mix well with the group that is staying there and wants to relax. I was a little angry about it.

Significant negative: basic room interior is like a budget hotel.|The toilets for both the basic and deluxe rooms and aged, poorly kept, dark and requires urgent attention! ||Fort Ilocandia gives the impression of a once-grand hotel that has unfortunately seen better days with photos of the Marcos’s welcoming international dignitaries in the 1980-es.|| The initial entry is impressive, with a grand lobby and three chandeliers creating an air of old-world grandeur. However, as you walk further inside, the very dark, poorly lit corridor leading to the concierge desk feels quite depressing.||The concierge staff were reasonably efficient, but our stay was marred by major issues with our room, which I’ll outline below.||The main building’s large check-in area features charming old floor tiles and a lounge that doubles as the breakfast area. ||Our original room, 365, was the basic room and a poor lodgings. The room is located in a separate building—a pleasant walk through a beautifully landscaped outdoor area designed with a strong Spanish influence, centered around a courtyard with a working fountain.||First Room (365):|We were initially assigned Room 365 but had to request a transfer due to multiple issues:|•Mould on the showerhead.| • The veranda door would not shut properly.| • The metal fixture for the bath/shower diverter was broken.| • Towels were ragged, frayed, and looked more suitable as cleaning rags.||Second Room (555):|We were moved to Room 555 which was a deluxe on the first floor, which was a noticeable improvement:| • Wooden floors and a cleaner, slightly fresher feel.| • Minimal wall decor—just one painting—and no headboards on the beds.| • A pleasant view of the inner courtyard filled with flowers.||However, the bathroom still lacked basic amenities:| • No hanging hooks behind the door.| • No soap tray.| • No provided toiletries beyond basic soap.| • The towels remained rough and worn, though we requested and received newer ones.| • The bathtub was lower than usual (easier to get in and out of) but the tiles and fittings were visibly aged and in need of renovation.||Breakfast was reasonable but inconsistent:|Juices were artificial (“fake” juices) and infused water was available.|About five hot dishes were offered: beef, garlic chicken, hotdogs, broccoli, rice, and noodles.There was an egg station; the vegetarian omelette was average, with chunks of cheese rather than grated cheese mixed in.The beef was good, the chicken was dry, hotdogs were poor quality, broccoli was limp, and the noodles and rice were average.Limited fruits at the salad table: just underripe yellow papaya and ripe watermelon along with a few salad components.||A small dessert section featured banana cake, jelly, and sago cake.||Facilities:|A free 30-minute massage in a massage chair was a nice bonus.|The gym was disappointing, with a strong smell, outdated appearance, and poorly maintained equipment.|The pool was large (likely around 50 meters) and the beach had grey sand with reasonable swimming conditions, but it’s not the picturesque tropical beach you might expect in northeast Luzon.||Fort Ilocandia still retains glimpses of its former grandeur but desperately needs maintenance and updates. While the landscaping and setting have charm, the room conditions, facilities, and service standards fall well short of what you would expect from a top resort.

- The Hotel is too far from the city - No direct access to the main road. -You need to ask the front desk to contact a tricycle diver for you to get out, and it cost you 150 Php. - The Hotel was too old and creepy - I must say , the staff are friendly and accomodating. - Breakfast was average. Just a typical filipino breakfast. - With access to Olympic size swimming pool and beach front Overall, The hotel was average.

The place is nice, and has lots of plants. Have a sea view. They have a pool, gym, and big parking. You need to stay here in Fort Illocandia because the food they serve is very delicious. The best Ilocos longganisa I tried. Lastly, this hotel is rich in history.

The place is outdated. Our room smelled like molds. I gave it 3 stars because all the staff was nice and friendly. Breakfast buffet had lots of flies.

We've stayed 2 nights in here since we had a university trip, and the atmosphere was so good. Functioning naman ang mga gamit nila and the aesthetics of the inside of the room and the outside, we really felt pampered by the view of this place. All i can say is sa uulitin, next plan for my personal vacation trips ❤️

Kind a cozy and if you want some quite and peaceful stay! This hotel will be best! I love the ambiance and the staff are okay! Hussle free!

I gave it 4 stars only because some areas could use a bit of updating, but overall, it’s a great place to stay.

My wife and I stayed in Grand Ilocandia hotel for 6 nights. We both give this place a generous 1/5 stars. The hotel was recently sold and is currently undergoing new management. The iconic "Fort Ilocandia" was rebranded to "Grand Ilocandia." Bluntly put, this hotel sucks and there's nothing grand about it. Reviews will fool you if you google it. Youtube videos are probably from some locals who's unaware of their own biases. It seems like it's been let go but the locals are trying their best to keep it together. But with poor management and business acumen it's slowly rotting. It does have its perks, like the gardens, greenery, breeze; it's not totally unbearable. Lots of history. This hotel was built in the 70s, claim to be the "5 star of the north," but honestly, it's like a 1 star motel at best in today's standards. Nothing seems to have been updated from this place since the 70s. There was pink mold in the room, the beds were super firm and just old. Might as well sleep on concrete or plywood. There were some bugs on the bed as well. The entire room looks like from the 70s. Even the A/C vents had some grease. The best feature of this place is the private beach. The hotel didn't have phones and their tv is not updated/usable. I actually was born here and wanted to show my wife parts of where I grew up after retiring from the US military. As much as I'd like to advocate for this place, I can't. I have blood relatives that have been working here for 20-30 years. Even after talking to the hotel staff, they don't even recommend it. One hotel staff say they even found a snake in one of the rooms and begged the guests to delete the photo. Please do yourself and your family a favor and do NOT stay here. Not comfortable at all and it's barely livable to say the least. Furthermore, I heard from the locals Waterfront Cebu bought this hotel $50-$53M which will start renovations soon, and some kind of megaword will be built near it roughly $250m project. But currently, this hotel has terrible accommodations to offer, and we do not recommend. Maybe an airbnb option is best if you're visiting this part of the country.

I've been here twice. One just to walk around and explore and the other for the restaurant. Unfortunately my photos of the food were deleted and memories were hard to recollect but here are some things that I remember. AMBIANCE: Parking: There's a parking lot and the two times I went there, I didn't have any issues but do plan accordingly for holidays and special events. Feels: It's a pretty grandiose and well-maintained spot. There is some random decorations with some nice pictures of some Filipino popular history. The restaurant had room for about 100 people and the food was delicious - chocolate blood, lechon, adobo...good stuff. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Good. They accommodated for our reservation last minute. TL; DR OVERALL: 5 Stars. When in Illocos Norte and need a more upper scale place to stay, this is your spot. There's a lot of activities to do around here and pretty isolated from the city if you want that quiet scene. Tips: * Plan accordingly for reservations, especially during the Holidays

No visit is complete without a stay at the "Fort"! The Fort has always been home base for us here in Ilocos Norte when we're visiting Laoag. Takes: The grounds itself is breathtaking. You see the luscious gardens full of history right at your finger tips. This resort is equipped with a swimming pool, zoo, beach, restaurant, bar, fishing area, horseback riding, shooting range, archery, and all terrain vehicles, just to name a few of their amenities. The rooms could use some more love. There are only two floors (first/ground floor and second floor). For the second floor, you take a flight of stairs. No elevator. Room service is available or you can dine at their restaurants. Bathtub/shower combo has 3 knobs: hot, cold, and shower head control. Decorations are outdated so if you're looking for a modern feel, this resort is not for you. It's a great place to take your family or even just getaway from the city life. Coming here as a kid, I remember enjoying the zoo with my family. As an adult, I love walking around the grounds. Accommodations include breakfast and complimentary shuttle to/from the airport. Breakfast offerings are buffet style with an omelet station and fruit/dessert bar. My favorite dishes included ilocano longanisa (pork sausage) and sautéed white squash. Before, you had the option of ordering your breakfast, but based on our recent 2 visits, it's been buffet style. During this recent visit, some patrons used the Fort as their venue for their special functions (retreat, gala, wedding, etc). Service: Everyone at the cafe/restaurant is so courteous! Shout to Rodel who works at the restaurant! He truly makes you feel at home! Since the grounds are sprawling, go out and wander to your heart's desire! If you get lost, there's always someone who is willing to guide you to your destination. Staff at the front desk could improve their customer interaction skills. Some don't give you their full attention and are trying to multitask doing other things and aren't cognizant of their tone, which comes off as rude to customers. It's a hit or miss depending who you speak to. I've gotten better and more consistent service at the restaurant vs. the front desk. Price: Reasonable. You can book direct or go to Agoda. We've done both for our visits. Bottom line: Go here for your vacation retreat in Ilocos Norte! Highly recommended.

Second stay and still loving it. This hotel is a hideaway for me-- to feel like I can leave my cell phone in the room and check it the next day no worries no fret. It's a classic Philippine hotel, beautiful wood, good services. The free breakfast is good not to my liking necessarily. There is a secluded beach, waves are lively, watch for the undertow. I love swimming in the pool at night because the ambient temp is the same as the water. Booked the same room as last time. What I like most is the simplicity of life in the area-- visiting this province, where my parents were raised is inspiring and cathartic in many ways, then staying at FI exposes one to another plane-- the rich arts and crafts culture of the North and the history of the area. Visits: a few Tip. Best time to visit, unless you like humid heat is December - February. Flights from Manila run about $100 round trip for an hour flight. Luggage above 10 kg (22 lbs) extra charge. It's much cheaper to pay extra luggage fees when you buy your ticket online than discovering excess baggage charges when checking in. The difference could be 500%. You read it on Yelp :))

Okay, listen up. I have been here twice and it was amazing. Bad stuff: 1. It's a long drive. 8 hours on the road from La Union or Clark to the hotel. 2. Need something extra? Pay for it. 3. Don't like creepy and almost haunted vibes? Welp, this one has a lot of that. 4. Wanna swim in the beach? Not really a good idea unless you know when and what time the tide goes down. Okay, now for the good stuff. 1. The drive is a good experience. You get to dive at a seaside road with the bluest waters. 2. When you're nice, you don't have to pay extra bubble bath soaps. Really. Use the bathtub. The water's really good. 3. The old age of the place, history and the design of the place shows that it's got its stories and that makes it a good reason to stay. Learn about the place because you're staying at a very iconic landmark. 4. Why swim at the beach when you have 3 pools? Also, the beach may not be swimmable most of the time but son't miss the sunset. It's epic. Now, When you're booking for this place... *Book online. It's cheaper. Places like Agoda, Booking.com, Traveloka, or Travelbook drops is prices crazy. Book a week or two before you plan to go. *The activities in the place are a must-try. *Rent/Drive a car here and make sure to take your time travelling. The road going there is as amazing as the place. I enjoyed my stay there and felt fancy. Hella fancy. You should try to go.

Our host after strolling the city suggested to stop by here and have some good time in their casino before returning to our hotel. At first we were hesitant as we were tired for the day's activity and it was getting late but as soon we drove in and saw its vintage setting , the lush garden , the wide spread outdoor parking , it made our jaw dropped down. The hotel's elegance and classiness brought up our energy , lightens our mood and literally woke us up. It was too bad it's late and had no much time to enjoy it's entirety. The review is partial. Will update as i get revisit the place. We spent an hour I may say inside the casino. It is located on the second floor, has tight security and has welcoming staff. The gaming floor is small, basically just right to accommodate its hotel guests. It has dining area and a bar on the floor. There are some waiting room spots. I heard that there is a complimentary coffee and sandwich for players. A friend got lucky and won big in playing slot machine. Assigned personnel in our section was attentive and easily responded to our claim. The other friend just got even in Poker table. He had receive the same prompt service. l have unhappy experience as I thought I was staying in a non smoking gaming area yet it still has the smell of cigarette. Other than that, everything went fine. We all left the place happy. Looking forward to come back.

Was horrified to see shark fin soup, which is illegal in the Philippines and most countries on the planet, on the menu at the Red 8 Chinese restaurant which is in the Hotel building. I spoke to the head sales official who was the highest official I could find that would talk to me. She claimed she was not aware of the illegalities.

Stayed the weekend here after flying in from Manila. The hotel is quite secluded and away from the main streets. About 4 km out of the way. Which is nice because its quiet but there is no uber and hardly any public transportation to go anywhere, so your stuck at the hotel most of the time. In general this is a huge sprawling 2 story hotel with 3 seperate wings/buildings of rooms. Many locals are proud of this hotel touting it as the only 5 star hotel in the region. The landscape is well maintained and mostly green. There are a lot of different ammenities offered such as a mini zoo with many animals, olympic size pool and 2 other pools but i didnt see a jacuzzi, and in the pool srea theres a pool side bar. A casino, several restaurants as well as some bars. In my wing of rooms there was also a spa, a sauna and a gym. The beach is footsteps away with multiple cabanas that you can sit in and enjoy the waves. Some outdoor sports offered are archery, shooting, golfing, atv, and others. The rooms can sleep 3 or more and all rooms have a patio to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air. Heres a breakdown of the good and the bad of this hotel. First the bad: 1. Checking in at the counter was a nightmare. The pwople were confused and disorganized. Took a good 20-30 min to check in. 1 person said to pay later next day someone asked why we havent payed yet. Their confusion left an intial bad taste in my mouth 2. Hotel is old and dark. Pictures in the main corridors are from 2004. Do they know its 2018? 3. Theres random steps and road bumps in random places really making it a tripping hazard 4. Lack of food options for breakfast 5. Pool side bar had food and drinks but they called it in to a central place which took for ever to bring out 6. Theres like bugs and insects on my bed and pillows 7. Everything cost money, im talking about extra linens and instant coffe, soaps and stuff that should be free 8. How can the water fountain not have water 9. Sunset deck closed at 6pm. The sun doesnt set till 640 and they already chained it off... 10. Palms bar was dark and uninviting, didnt even know it was opened till i found the door was unlocked 11. Piano lounge to listen to music had only 4 tables... not nearly enough. But i could see why tho because the music left me wanting 12. Pricinghere is 8000 pesos per standard room per night whereas on travelocity its 55 USD per night. Do the math Now for the pros 1. Continental breakfast each day, just make sure you dont lose your ticket 2. Amenities as listed above 3. So close to the beach 4. Free wifi 5. Rooms were comfortable. Bathrooms were nice (water pressure was good). Beds were firm and didnt creak. Patio area is large and had 2 chairs and a table 6. Sprawling green areas 7. Alcohol prices are nice compared to the states. 250 pesos for a long island ice tea. 200 pesis for rum and coke, tequila sunrise, etc. Things im on the fence about 1. Lack of people which made it quiet and relaxing but also creepy and erie 2. So many little statues which made me think of dr who (dont blink!!!) Overall i understand the history of this place but it seems as though this hotel's glory days is behind it. Being here during the "peak season" i estimate less then 1/3 of the rooms are occupied. But if i had to come back to Laoag i woulsnt mind staying here again because od the cheap price and everythibg else around here probably isnt as nice... They say its a 5 star resort. US standards would make this a 3 star resort. Keep that in mind

Once a beautiful hotel. Rooms need major upgrade. Beds are worn out, bathrooms conditions disaster. Wood cracked, faucet screech, bedrooms smells,ect. The restaurant was great! Excellent staff. Went out of their wayl 10 stars!! So sad to see a beautiful hotel go downhill. Owners should wake up and promote this once jewel in the crown.

I came here about 13 years ago and had the chance to come for a few days while in the Philippines. This resort has an old school vintage feel to it, but is beautiful. The landscape is gorgeous and the hotel is extremely close the the beautiful beach and ocean. When we were here, we were not able to go into the water due to the red flag being up, meaning it was not safe. We did get a chance to enjoy some of the activities, such as the shooting range, archery, and quads. The hotel offers complimentary breakfast, which was good as well. All the staff are extremely nice and friendly. We were lucky enough to have a great room with a view of the pool. I would definitely come back.

Fort Ilocandia is one of my favourite hotels, that I've ever been in, ever. It's beauty and its grace not to mention history resonates through every square inch of the hotel. And they're only ones with 5 star resort hotel status in the north and have maintained it through the years. The hotel covers about 77 hectares of land and even though most of that are structures, it's still a long walk going from point A to point B but you won't really notice it since you'll be too busy admiring the hotel and getting some fresh air in your lungs. But if activities are what you're after then they've got tons to keep you busy till the day you check out. They have a bunch of water activities you can do like Boating, Kayaking, Snorkelling, Jetski or stay by the beach with a Beach Hut or even a Party Stage while you're enjoying the Bonfire or Play Beach Volleyball under the sun! But the more popular activity is the ATV's or the 4x4 driving, all that and so much more. You'll never run out of things to do and you'll surely enjoy your stay! I hope you love the hotel as much as I do.

Never go here. This place has been left to ruin. Activities always unavailable. restaurants's food is always out of stock. The manager is incompetent aren't able to handle their guest with utmost hospitability. There is absolutely no reason to choose this hotel from the other nicer ones out in ilocos.