Jen P.
Yelp
I stayed at the Hilton for 2 wks for work recently. The best part of the whole resort is the pool area, which has 3 different pools, a waterfall, a slide for kids, and is close to the bar, plus the beach access area, where you can rent floaty items, snorkels, paddle boards, etc, and rinse off after enjoying the sea. The water here at Ypao Bay is pristine, the beach is very clear, and there is tons of live coral and sea life to enjoy. I think their pool/beach combo is probably the best on Tumon Bay.
The check-in experience was OK; at the time I stayed they were in the midst of a) rehabbing the front desk area and b) setting up for Xmas. This meant that the entrance area was always busy, and it was a very long walk over to the makeshift 'front desk' whenever you needed anything. That said, the staff were very friendly and efficient, and they speak a variety of languages, including fluent English, Korean, Tagalog, Chinese and Japanese.
The hotel houses the Tree Bar, The Islander Restaurant (buffet), the Fisherman's Cove (seafood), Caffe Cino (coffee and sweet shop), Fisherman's Express (lobster rolls, takoyaki, chowder), and Roy's (fine dining). All of these are great dining options for the convenience, but are a little pricey.
I stayed in a twin room on the 11th floor of the Premier Tower, labeled 'Hilton Honors'. My room had two twin beds, a large bathroom with separate walk-in shower (very old, caulking was missing and door leaked) and tub (very old - looked unused and I didn't use it either), a mini fridge (caked with ice and very little space left for anything other than a water bottle), safe, flat screen TV, ample closet space, and a veranda with sliding glass doors which locked. Room amenities included shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soap, and body lotion (all by Crabtree & Evelyn), toothbrushes and toothpaste, plus robes, slippers, coffee, coffee machine, adjustable temperature controls for the AC and complimentary bottles of water. The view was towards the sun rise, of the beach.
While the room was safe and comfortable, it smelled mildewy upon my first arrival; blasting the air and opening the sliding doors helped a little, but when you are in the tropics and a room features carpet and curtains, it will always feel humid and kind of damp....the walls also featured a lot of wear and tear, as did the paint in the bathroom which was peeling, and the grout in the tiled bathroom floor (pieces were missing and a lot of the grout was dirty). I would generalize and say this is an old hotel with a great location, but it is in need of an overall facelift. And at over $180 per night, I think they could do better.
One thing I really liked was that they have a focus on saving resources, so they don't change the sheets very often, nor the towels, as long as you hang things up.
One problem I had that was never resolved: on my third day I received a voice mail as evidenced by the light on my phone; I attempted to access it but was told the voice mail was locked. I called the front desk three times about it but they had to refer me to a third party. The issue was never fixed, and when I checked my bill upon check out, they attempted to charge me for the calls to the on-island phone repair that they connected me to on the first and second complaint. I complained and the charges were removed. I still don't know what that voice mail was.
I expect to return to this hotel for at least one more visit in 2019; I am looking forward to the pool and beach, but wondering what the room experience will be like....and now that I have something to measure against, I will definitely write an update at that time.