Hotel Review: San Juan Surf Resort, San Juan, La Union, Philippines

The San Juan Surf Resort was the first establishment that emerged on Urbiztondo Beach, in San Juan, La Union. Currently it stands as a fully functioning resort equipped with a wide selection of accommodations, free WiFi, a restaurant, a surf school and surf shop.

The Rooms

I stayed at the resort on two separate occasions, initially sharing a room with two other people and later in a smaller room alone. The larger room was equipped with four beds / two sets of bunk beds and aircon; the smaller with a double bed and a mounted fan. Both rooms had television. Neither offered hot water. Although the smaller room lacked a window, the high vaulted ceiling in conjunction with the simplicity and intelligence of design offered both elegance and comfort. I slept well at The San Juan Surf Resort.

Cleanliness

The standards at The San Juan Surf Resort, a.k.a. Surf Camp (by locals) reflect Western notions of cleanliness. Nothing was lacking. The white sheets were vibrant, the rooms smelled sterile and there was no trace of the previous guests. This extended to the common areas of the resort. Bonus points: The construction of new rooms on the premises wasn’t intrusive in any way (including to the senses).

The Food

Resort prices on par with what I experienced on the entire strip. The food was tasty, clean, MSG free and the portions were large.

The Staff

Polite and reserved, the staff were generally friendly and helpful. There had been a mistake made with my reservation, which was later rectified, after my spending the night in another and more expensive room. The following day I found out that the initial room I had booked and was moving to on that day had neither a toilet nor a shower. I left to find another room along the beach and when I returned to cancel my reservation, another guest was being told there had been a mistake with their booking. Essentially their reservation had been lost despite making it in person the day before. This prompted me to reserve for one week at another resort on the strip. I had thought of possibly reserving the room I had stayed in the previous night, however the lack of organization left me uneasy. I had spent my first four nights in The Philippines in four different rooms, split between three establishments and two cities and wanted the security of knowing the room I booked would be mine. I wanted to fully enjoy the remainder of my stay in San Juan and not spend additional time on securing accommodations.

The Price

Surf Camp is by no means budget lodging, particularly for the individual who is interested in staying alone. A fan room void of toilet and shower is priced at 890 PHP ($20.83 USD) at time of writing. Please note, this includes two place settings (ordered breakfasts) which I found for no less than 120 PHP ($2.81 USD) each along the beach. When reserving, I asked if the price went down should I request only one breakfast. It didn’t, however, despite lodging alone, I was still allowed two meals.

Would I Return?

Yes, however I would prefer to do so with at least another person to ease the cost. Should this be the case, I would opt for a mid-ranged room. In regards to the food, I continued to visit Surf Camp despite sleeping at another resort.
For more San Juan hotel reviews and info, check out my post Surfing The Philippines.