Coron Budget Accommodation: Patrik & Tezz Guesthouse

While researching for a budget-friendly accommodation in Coron, Palawan, I stumbled upon the name of Patrik & Tezz Guesthouse from Pinoy Exchange forum. By budget-friendly, I mean cheap hotel that costs only about P600 and less per night. I didn't hesitate to book with them after learning that their cheapest room only costs P450 a night for two persons.

Lovely view from the window of Patrik & Tezz Guesthouse

Upon arriving at Francisco B. Reyes Airport in Busuanga, we were picked up by a van that I had arranged with El Compass Travel and Tours to take us to Patrik & Tezz Guesthouse. From the airport, you will need to travel for about 30 minutes to the town of Coron where most of the hotels and inns are located. You can arrange for the transportation with your hotel or tour agency prior to your trip, otherwise you can just take the van outside the airport upon your arrival. One-way fare for all the vans is same at P150 per head.

The van can take you directly to your hotel so we asked to be dropped off at Patrik and Tezz Guesthouse. We haven't been to Coron before so I really didn't know what to expect. At first, I was a little hesitant to book with them when I saw how unappealing their website is. But the generally positive feedback they have on TripAdvisor and other blogs convinced me to consider them. I only communicated with the owner, Patrik, through email who responded to all my inquiries very well. We made our reservation only 5 days before the trip but we're fortunate that they have one available twin bedroom left.

As soon as we got out from the van which stopped in front of the guesthouse, other tourists we rode with in the van showed some expression of shock and disbelief and I heard one of them saying, "Ha? Dito sila titira?" We stopped in front of a small wooden gate with the sign "Patrik and Tezz" along with other houses on stilts in shallow water that looked nowhere close to a hotel or something. Based from their reaction, they were obviously staying in a nicer hotel. Honestly, I had the same initial reaction too. But we haven't seen enough so I didn't want to judge right away.

Entrance to Patrik & Tezz Guesthouse

Patrik & Tezz Guesthouse is a simple lodging house constructed over the water in Coron. It was named after the Swedish owner, Patrik, and his Filipina wife, Tezz. The guesthouse is located at Coastal Road which is about 3 minutes walk from the town center. The guesthouse has only 4 fan rooms: 2 double bedrooms at P550/night and 2 twin bedrooms at P450/night, good for 2 persons each. It has 2 shared bathrooms with hot shower and their living room has TV and mini ref. They have free wifi too. Considering these features at its price, I think it's the best bang for the buck for budget travelers and backpackers.

We were entertained by Tita Ely, the mother of Tezz, who took us to our room. When we entered the house, we actually liked it right away. It really felt cozy and homey. Its simplicity made us felt the genuine ambiance of Coron. We also loved the beautiful view of the lovely coastal village from the window and the porch area. Everyone in the house was so nice and friendly, they made us feel at home.

The porch area

The living room with TV and mini refrigerator

If you're asking how the twin bedroom looked like, don't expect it to be very spacious. Maybe because of the lack space that they couldn't fit any more furniture inside the room so we ended up putting some of our things on bed and on the floor. The room is pretty basic and what you can see inside are the two twin beds and a wall fan. The small space wasn't an issue with us anyway. I think I just have to mention that. They also provide towels and basic toiletries.

Since the guesthouse is built on stilts over the water, one may feel movement at times or slight vibration when someone walks across the floor. We even made a joke that when a couple guests does their thing, they better make sure the house is empty or they let the whole world know. LOL. The house is mostly made of native materials which evoke a rustic feeling. The bedroom walls are quite thin so you may hear things in the next room.

In our 3-night stay, the first two were a bit of a challenge. Our first day in Coron was actually the second day that the town was having problems with water and power supply. Situations like this would be very hard for a guesthouse like them but they went out their way to make their guests' stay convenient, comfortable and enjoyable. They would get us some water when needed from their storage down to the last drop of it. Since water supply was very limited, we learned to conserve water on our stay. They also have their own generator which they would switch on at night. All these made our experience more memorable and made us appreciate the simplicity of Coron. Fortunately, everything went back to normal on our third day.

Our twin bedroom

Like what I said, Patrik & Tezz Guesthouse is a great value for money. I recommend it for those who are looking for a homestay experience with a decent and comfortable accommodation in Coron, Palawan. With our great experience in staying with them, I'm not surprised that they rank #2 now for the best Coron B&B and Inns on TripAdvisor.

They also offer boat trips, island hopping tours and motorbike rental. You can visit their website at www.coron.ph for more info.

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