Reasons Why You Should Not Stay At Benjie's Kubo & Cottages in Bolinao, Pangasinan

My excitement quickly faded when I saw Kuya Benjie’s Kubo and Cottages . It was too far from what I imagined. I couldn't believe that after travelling for 6 hours or so from Baguio City, we will be welcomed by a shanty-like resort (imagine dogs roaming around the place?) If not because of Patar Beach’s powdery sand and clear water plus the food and fun and laughter from my fellow QAs, then, our team building would have been a total disaster. Kuya Benjie’s Kubo and Cottage is definitely not highly recommended so beware of other blogs saying that it’s a must-visit place. You may visit Patar Beach but do not “check-in” at Kuya Benjie’s Kubo and Cottages. To date, the place is the worst place I have visited so far.

Here are some of the reasons why you should not stay at Kuya Benjie’s Kubo and Cottages:

1. Accommodation fee is not reasonable. A Php4, 500.00 overnight accommodation fee for a cottage with a dingy “private CR” and intermittent water supply is definitely not reasonable. Room is not air-conditioned and there’s only one electric fan (prior to our trip, Kuya Benjie informed us that there are two electric fans). You will definitely not have a great sleep at the place especially if you’re in big groups, say 15- 17 heads. The cottage is also shared with other guests. There’s no privacy at all and when you sleep at night, it will look like an evacuation center.

2. Poor customer service.

3. Dingy shower area. I’m not so sure if Kuya Benjie’s Kubo and Cottage is intentionally “cutting” their water supply. I find it illogical to have water supply at the shower area but none at our private C.R. Because we don’t have water, we need to go the “shower area” and pay Php10.00. We even fetched water at the nearby “poso.”

4. According to Arjay: "Tim Gunn, a high fashion designer that he is, often said, “Make it work!” which is what we have to do in order to withstand the chaotic atmosphere of Kuya Benjie’s resort. A summer get-away should be relaxing, worry free and fun but these elements are nowhere to be felt when we arrived at the resort; without exaggeration, it felt like the world is crumbling. Kuya Benjie promised to have a decent accommodation- with beds that would suffice for a “barkada” group, with proper ventilation and bathroom and with available kitchen utensils to use for free- all these are part of a conspiracy theory to sway guests. 
"On the other hand, Bolinao deserves a round of applause for its majestic beauty. Its crystal-clear water and powdery white sand looks marvelous! Just be sure to avoid Kuya Benjie’s so called resort. 

" Overall, with no offense meant, the perimeter is a living testament of squalor where temporary dwellings are built to accommodate tourists who have been lured by the false advertisement of the resort owner."