Payments made by partners impact the order of prices displayed. Room types may vary.
The listings of booking offers for each property take into account the compensation paid to us by our partners. Prices shown may be for varying room types. Prices displayed are the lowest available, corresponding to the least expensive room type available, as provided from our partners as of the time of the user’s search.
Karuna El Nido Villas is a unique boutique resort that offers exceptional Villas, Joglos, Studios and Lumbungs to guests who want to experience the tranquility of El Nido and its Bacuit Bay with Karuna El Nido Villas that provides all resort style amenities to cater for a high-end vacation experience with infinity pool, restaurant, sunset deck/bar, security, services etc. Every unit is designed in an Indonesian style and completely manufactured and imported from Indonesia and Bali, from its wood to marble, tiles and paintings. LIVE IN THE ENCHANTMENT OF NOW !!
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Luxury
Business
Languages Spoken
English
Location
Brgy Corong Corong, off National Highway,, El Nido, Palawan Island 5313 Philippines
Karuna El Nido Villas
83 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
It was my first trip in this pandemic and my first time in El Nido. I booked directly and the reservation officer was prompt in her replies. It was an overall pleasant and affordable stay in Karuna. They allowed us a late checkout which we're so grateful for. We got a private pool villa with stunning sunset views for only 18K per night which can accommodate as many as 6 people. There are 2 rooms, a fully functional kitchen, indoor and outdoor dining area and a large living area. It was cozy in the early mornings and evenings but can get really hot and uncomfortable in the afternoon. You get a lot of direct sunlight. The airconditioning units need to be upgraded. I personally didn't like the open type of bathroom especially the one near the open forest. It was a bit creepy for me since my imagination's hyperactive. Wear slippers inside. I got stung by a wood bee. My toe got swollen.
Food was okay. Service was a bit slow. The market is just a few meters away so I suggest that you cook your own meals. They have a portable griller, an electric kettle, a rice cooker and a conduction stove.
The steps going to the villa maybe challenging for those with mobility problems. It will give you a good cardio workout from the reception to the villa itself. It's a bit steep. The villa is situated on a hill so tricycle drivers may decline to take you up the resort itself. What we did was to call the reception desk and asked to be picked up at the road entrance going to the resort.
Take note that this is not a beachfront resort but if you are the type who just wants to enjoy the view of El Nido - the sea, limestones and all, this is your place. I paid online via bank transfer. They don't accept credit cards.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Bring cash, cook your own food
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Absolutely loved this place and would stay again/recommend it to friends. The rooms were spacious, simple and clean. Equipped with a decent size kitchen although we only used the fridge to store drinks. The views from our studio (from the bed, balcony and outdoor bathtub and shower) and the dining/pool area were incredible. There was no need to go to sunset bars when we could have drinks on our balcony. It was a highlight of our trip to the Philippines.
It is a little walk from the main road, and a steep one at that, but this didn’t put me off the place. To put it into context my boyfriend has recently had heart surgery and whilst he had to pause a few times when we walked from the road to our studio he was able to manage it. In any case they have a car which can come and take you up/down the hill.
They mentioned they were considering giving guests staying at higher residences their own transportation - if they’re able to manage it golf carts would work well.
Bar did good drinks. Food from the restaurant was a little hit and miss. If we stayed again we probably wouldn’t eat there. Food service was also very slow...took over an hour one morning to get brekkie (and most other days c45 mins) so bear that in mind if you need to leave for a tour/flight. Could have been because they were a bit short staffed as we stayed over NYE.
All in all a fantastic stay. Michelle and her colleagues were super helpful and friendly. Wish we could have stayed longer.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thoroughly enjoyed our very comfortable stay at Karuna villas, staff were very friendly and we loved the location and the room.
PROS: Large room and terrace Comfortable bed Large selection at breakfast, freshly cooked Free transfer to and from town was very efficient WhatsApp communication is convenient (but only when tourists have wifi which is sporadic) Blackouts dealt with quickly Clean Very reasonably priced
CONS: Be aware that tourists won’t have wifi all the time so don’t rely too heavily on WhatsApp comms Weren’t sure which room we were staying in and changed last min No intercom at the bottom of the hill to the hotel (we had been travelling for two days solid at this point and were extremely tired!) Random noises coming from ceiling can be alarming in the middle of the night
We would recommend not taking the shared van transfer option and spending the extra to go private. As female travellers, being ushered into a van, collecting more passengers than the van was designed for with no communication and taking 3 hours longer than advised (from PP airport) was uncomfortable. We would have appreciated it if we had been advised by the hotel what to expect as this was an unfamiliar concept to us and caused some distress.
All in all we would definitely return to Karuna and very much enjoyed our stay.
Read more
Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We absolutely loooveeeedd our stay at Karuna! This was our first time to El Nido and the view from the hotel was absolutely stunning. After seeing the island we thought the location of this resort was ideal compared to the other hotel options we had considered. The rooms were very clean, spacious and had everything you could need. The staff was sooo friendly and VERY hospitable, they were able to assist us with everything we needed and recommended the best island tours, places to rent motor bikes, kayaks, etc. The restaurant in Karuna was incredible. The food was reasonably priced, even discounted when you are a hotel guest. We did not have a meal that we did not love. Thank you so much to the hotel staff who were all amazing, complements to the chefs and thank you to the housekeepers who were so kind and friendly.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karuna is Fantastic! Nice, clean and big room with super terrace. We lived in a "Joglo 2" with Javanese design. The Joglo was made from teakwood and stone, all the elements come from Indonesia. Built up along a hillside - so people with any kind og walking problems should not choose this hotel. There is a fridge, filtered water and a small kitchen. Te and coffee is for free in the room, with Wi-Fi and air condition. Exciting bath and toilette facilities.A bathtub on the side of the terrace with a view. Visit the restaurant/bar with infinity pool. Rodge in the bar is super with information, answering questions and serves delicious drinks. This er were you will find the most beautiful view of water, islands, smal harbour and sunset. Friendly and very helpful staff.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Joglo is bigger and have nicer view then the studios.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed here for 4 nights and on first impressions driving up the dirt track had reservations but when we were shown to the pool for welcome drinks we were blown away with the view which is absolutely stunning . Now to get to it from reception is a very steep walk so if you had mobility issues this is not the place for you. Breakfast was included which unfortunately is not great, only one choice and my first day I asked for a tuna and cheese omelette with tomato on the side but when it arrived had no cheese just tuna in this strange gravy which we have found in the Philippines they like to put it on food without mentioning it so this had to be sent back Lunch isn’t much better I had spaghetti marinara which was very dry and seafood chewy which is a shame as this is what lets the hotel down in my option although my friend enjoyed her burger and Caesar salad so maybe it’s just me On the plus side drinks are inexpensive and happy hour is 4-6pm which is great to watch the amazing sunset from your lounger with a drink in hand Free shuttle is handy for getting into town and tuk tuks only 150 pesos to get back later Vanilla beach is only 10 mins in a tuk tuk which is lovely Beds are comfy and rooms spacious and clean but we stayed in room 1 and one night we could hear very clearly someone murdering karaoke all night on the bar below and also the cockerels are noisy from very very early on which doesn’t make for a good sleep, no fault of the hotel but worth bearing in mind if you get a lower room The owner is very helpful and provided us with handy information to get the best from our stay plus all staff so friendly Really enjoyed it here and I could just lay and stare out at the view all day 😍
Read more
Date of stay: November 2024Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Note room one is a studio with 2 bedrooms but no balcony
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If I could give them less than one star I would do it We took the luxury room, We were deeply disappointed The Wi-Fi wasn’t working through all of our stay, The room was full of ants and poop of rat. The water in the shower was completely cold and their color was black in the shower and in the tab. The crew didn’t care about our concerns. I am shock that I pay to this hotel so much money.
Read more
Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Really pretty and spacious room. One minor downside was that the shower was only very hot or cold, not warm - but we weren't staying long and the hotel said that maintenance would check it when we told them on checkout. Fantastic views from the room's balcony and from the restaurant. Restaurant's food was good, with really great cocktails.
Really useful free car/tricycle service into the town. (Be aware airport transfers to El Nido airport do incur a small fee - about 1500 pesos.)
The hotel also helped us arrange tours of the area.
Being able to WhatsApp the front desk was also incredibly convenient.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2022
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed at Kurana for five nights during our 28 days in the Philippines. Most enjoyable. A huge thank you to Helmut and all his team for making our stay memorable. The views from various vantage points around the complex are wonderful, and we were lucky to catch several amazing sunsets. We made use of the free transfers to and from town, important as local tuk-tuks will not take guests to the hotel but rather drop them at the junction of the hotel access road. It would be beneficial if the intercom at the junction was functional. As others have written WiFi can be sporadic and power cuts are not uncommon. But to be fair during our five islands trip we encountered these issues in other locations as well. I am delighted to recommend the hotel to all.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Enjoy the pool at sunset, on a clear day it is not to be missed.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We loved staying at Karuna el Nido, the views are exceptional. They also have a car service that takes you free of charge to the centre of El Nido. You can eat in the restaurant with exceptional views of the sea next to the infinity pool. The room was very spacious, clean and well decorated. We have been delighted to be there, and hope to return soon, thank you very much.
Read more
Date of stay: May 2022
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:All the rooms are great
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
