After our exhausting ascent of Mt Guiting-Guiting we felt the need to recuperate in a comfortable, luxurious and most importantly, air conditioned resort. We accompanied the other climbers via ferry from Romblon town to San Augustin in Tablas (the largest island in the Romblon group) and then by jeep to Odiongan. We parted ways at that point and we set about finding our “recuperation resort”.
Our ferry en route to San Agustin, Tablas Island
A quick scan of our guidebook indicated that “Rencio’s Resort” was the one. Rencio’s is close to the town centre (around P8 per person by trike). Upon arrival we ran into a foreigner whom we had also seen on the ferry and jeep that day – he proclaimed this to be the best hotel in town, so with that the decision was made.
Rencio’s has around 12 rooms of different sizes, starting at P1200 (air con) or P500 (fan) for two people. The rooms are only of average quality for their price, with aging furnishings, tiny TV (cable) and basic amenities. They are at least clean (smelling of disinfectant) and adequately comfortable for a night’s stay.
Charlie at the reception area.
There is a large dining and entertainment area (suitable for large parties), with pleasant outdoor garden seating adjacent. There is a videoke machine and TV also in this area. The restaurant seems to be popular with the locals in the evenings, where people meet for eating, drinking and singing. Unfortunately the videoke is loud and if you are looking for peace and quiet and a good night’s sleep, this may not be the place for you.
The food we ordered (chicken curry, beef stir-fry for dinner and beef tapa for breakfast) was very good. The foreigner also tipped us that he already looked around for a good place to eat and Rencio’s was the best place he could find that offers good food. The same cannot be said of the service – the staff seemed fairly uninterested in serving their guests and more interested in watching TV and talking with their friends.
Rencio's Restaurant with some staffs glued on TV.
The advertised swimming pool in its brochure is not presently operational. Instead there are large fish ponds around the resort.
Overall, our stay at Rencio’s was fairly unremarkable. But if you find yourself stuck in Odiongan for a night you might consider staying here for its good food at least. It is also one of the few fairly good accommodation in the area. However, it is definitely not a “destination resort” and not really worth the money.
Dinner at the the resort's Garden.
