Karuna El Nido Villas

The price is steep but worth it. Beautiful scenery, the staff is incredibly helpful, they offered rid s into town every hour, and it felt safe. Not in the noisier quarter of El Nido (which I liked). We stayed in the Pool Villa for our honeymoon and the place was just awesome. We had our own swimming pool, the restaurant was better than many in town (great burger and seafood chowder) and excellent views. 10/10 recommend if you don't mind paying a little more.

Had a terrific stay at Karuna this week and can’t rave more about this beautiful property. From some of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen, to an infinity pool overlooking the view, and massage. The entire property is built around the view, which for me, I loved. The staff was also incredibly resourceful and terrific. Especially Ellen at the front desk, super responsive, always very polite and very helpful. 5/5 for her as well. The complimentary shuttle that leaves every hour is a huge plus as it’s a long walk to downtown. Truly had a great stay.

The staff were top notch and the views are unbeatable. If you're looking to splurge a bit while on vacation, this is the place to go well in El Nido. Transportation to and from the airport was seamless (although for extra charge). Check in, signing up for tours, everything was seamless. Had great inclusive breakfast options, and many amenities on site. There's hourly shuttles to town and being picked up was super easy. Staff were communicative via WhatsApp and we pretty much had the best time. We booked the Pool Villa and it came with many perks. Our shuttle drop offs from town made it easy for us to get to our villa because the property itself has a lot of stairs. Things to watch out for (but we didn't mind as guests in our 30s: - Lots or stairs and not very accessible - You're in the heart of nature; you'll encounter geckos, their droppings, evening chirps, mosquitoes, and potentially monkeys on or in certain parts of your accommodations. - the washrooms are outside so there's more exposure to nature (with great views) but warm or easily wet from rain We would definitely come back - got to catch the intercity hotel basketball game for El Nido which the resort staff were participating and we wouldn't have known if they didn't tell us. If you're looking for true Filipino hospitality, this is it ☺️

7-night stay – absolutely worth it. I recently spent 7 nights at Karuna Villas in El Nido, staying in Junglow 5, and it was genuinely worth the money. The whole place has a private, exclusive feel — more like a peaceful hillside retreat for a small number of guests rather than one of the lower-cost beachfront hotels along the main strip. The villa itself was excellent: spacious, clean, well designed, and with a view that never gets old. The property feels calm and secure, which makes it incredibly easy to switch off. The swimming pool was also great — clean, quiet, and a perfect place to unwind after a day out. Service throughout our stay was consistently great. The staff are friendly, attentive and genuinely helpful without being intrusive. They also offer food delivery straight to the villa, which we used for breakfast toward the end of our stay. The food was much better than your typical hotel breakfast, and it made slow mornings even better. When we arrived, we were absolutely shattered from nearly three days of disrupted travel. The typhoon had thrown our plans completely off, so finally getting to Karuna was a huge relief. We don’t normally stay in more upmarket places — we usually move on every couple of days — but in this situation, I was genuinely glad we chose Karuna instead of one of the lower-cost beachfront hotels. It was the perfect place to recover and properly start our holiday. The hotel also offers on-site massage services. We didn't realise this at first and went elsewhere, but later found out Karuna’s prices were actually cheaper than the massage places in town — a pleasant surprise. About construction (for anyone worried after reading older reviews) I’d seen a few older reviews mentioning construction, so I was a bit concerned before we arrived. In reality, there was only a small amount of work for one day during our stay, and it was handled very responsibly. In fact, at one point I watched a member of the bar staff politely but firmly tell off a construction worker for using an angle grinder during breakfast — which genuinely showed how much they prioritise the guest experience. Given the location and the fact El Nido had just been through a typhoon, it’s understandable that properties need occasional maintenance. But from what I saw, the staff managed it thoughtfully and with guests in mind. We also hired a scooter directly through the hotel — quick, convenient, no hassle, and perfect for exploring once the weather improved. Overall, Karuna Villas was exactly what we needed: private, well-run, secure and properly relaxing. If you’re heading to El Nido and want something exclusive, peaceful and well managed, I’d absolutely recommend staying here.

We stayed in the Honey Trap villa and the room was lovely with a breathtaking view. The service was excellent, the staff was warm and helpful, and everything was well taken care of. We truly appreciated the attention to detail and the relaxing atmosphere. Super grateful to the staff for providing us a wonderful experience during our stay. Looking forward to visiting again soon!