金沙目的地度假村(Golden Sands Destination Resorts)

Incredible resort located on the tip of northern Cebu island. My husband and found this gem by accident. Unfortunately the reviews and advertising are basically non existent. Honestly its the best philippean owned resort we have ever been to (we live here in dumaguete). The landscaping is incredible, the rooms are modern and exceptionally clean. The restaurant serves mostly Philippine cuisine and it’s exceptional. What makes this resort really stand out is the incredible service from all the staff. Honestly speaking as a Philippina the level of service,maintenance, cleanliness of this resort is far above the standards of the majority of locally run resorts. The only issue was the state of the local beach. There was way to much trash along the entire beach. Unfortunately this is a major problem throughout the Philippines. The beaches are the major draw for foreign tourists. Foreign tourists are the ones who spend the most money. Not only at the resort but also in the local communities. Unfortunately most foreign tourists are not repeat customers. The number one reason why is trash problem on all the beaches. People do not want to spend thousands of dollars traveling 3/4 around the world to sunbathe or swim surrounded by trash. Want to increase foreign tourism? Address the trash problem on the beaches. It actually is that simple.

Very nice place and well maintained. Philippine cuisine mainly was actually really good. What surprised me the most was the level of service. Most resorts and restaurants who mainly cater to the local population totally fail in providing basic service. It’s definitely different here. I would have given this resort five stars. The only reason why I didn’t was because of the beach. The amount of trash, plastic bottles and broken liquor bottles that litter the beach right in front of the resort was totally unexceptionable. Unfortunately it’s endemic here in Philippines. People travel 3/4 around the world to visit here. They mainly come for the beaches. Unfortunately due to the amount of litter on the beaches most never return. The competition for tourist dollars is cut throat in South East Asia. Most countries realize the correlation between capturing market share (tourism dollars) and keeping their beaches clean and inviting. Unfortunately it seems that isn’t the case in the Philippines. They wonder why they are dead last in annual and repeat tourism.

Ok, so the resort itself is ok but its missing a clear concept and design. Now its like many things tailored together which dont really suit well (like the huts from the beach where people can stay). Many things are under construction and the staff is not very professional (also many OJT around). Places are breaking up and need renovation, food could be better. Staff were generally nice and talkative, plus points to the bartender.