The biggest issue we had on this trip was that we had to leave! We only stayed three nights and, with hindsight, we would have changed our itinerary and stayed longer.

The property is spread over large immaculate gardens with a beautifully clean, deserted beach that was a perfect spot to go snorkelling from.

The rooms were large and whilst not the most modern in decor were very clean and comfortable. The only feedback i would give is it would be nice to have slightly colder air conditioning.

The bars and restaurants served great food and drink and, being on the beach, had a great view.

We had a mix of people in our group - some who came just to relax and some who came to mix some relaxation with some activities. We attended the BBQ night which was fun, some went to Apo Island to swim with the turtles and most of us hired the tricycles (about 1500 peso for the day) and took a tour around the island which included cliff jumping at Salagdoong Beach and rope swings into the waterfalls at Cambugahay. The island tour was a great day out and whilst I am sure you could get it cheaper outside the hotel at 1500 we thought it was still great value.

The crowing glory at the hotel though was the staff. From our welcome at reception, the guest relations team, the bar & restaurant staff to the staff who saw us off at the end of our stay they were all superb.

Don’t hesitate - we would not hesitate to go back!

If you want to book a luxury resort this is the obvious choice. At eight hectares it's the biggest on the island by a large margin. Located on the best beach and next to a marine sanctuary. Four pools and two good restaurants, friendly, well trained staff.

Booking
I got frustrated trying to book them. The process was a bit tedious. You can't call the resort in Siquijor for the most part because it is in a part of the island with little to no network service. Their booking office in Dumaguete has landline but almost nobody ever answers it. I had to call the Coco Grande Hotel Front Desk just to get somebody to help me connect with reservation.

Getting Nensley at the reservation office was a godsend after a week or two of trying to contact them. She helped me with my reservation for my group of 17 people and everything went smoothly. They actually do faster processing or perhaps prefer everything to be via email. Not sure though. A thing to note, I wanted to pay in full via credit card before my arrival but their system would only allow me to pay 50%. Unique situation really.

Location and grounds
Beautiful location with a marine sanctuary just off the beach. Its on the other side of the island from Siquijor port but with their pick up and drop off service, it wasn't a problem at all. Very convenient.

As for the grounds, it was expansive. The resort was a full house when we stayed during Holy Week yet you wouldn't even notice it. It felt private, exclusive with its lush overgrown jungle garden feel and private beach area.

Accommodation
Due to my group size, we were spread out at the newer part of the grounds. Most of us were in the Orchid executive suites and the seniors at the Casa Coco. Bedrooms were spacious. Well aired out and clean. Very comfy.

Restaurant and food
Breakfast is part of the package but is on a plate order basis. They cook it quite fast upon ordering so waiting isn't a problem. Serving size is big with lots of variety to choose from. The fresh fruits were always delicious.

The two beach side restaurants of the resort served delicious food. It took a while to serve, especially with a full house but with the overall ambiance, it didn't really matter. You could pre order your dinner a day prior to avoid waiting and also make sure to make table reservations like we did. They have twice a week beach barbecues with performances from the staff that cannot be missed. Plus the menu for the barbecue was mouth-watering delicious.

Network and Wifi
This is the only downside. Globe has little to no signal at the resort. You'd be lucky to get one bar. Smart has signal but mostly in the open spaces only. Wifi, the resort has it throughout the grounds but the upper floors of the Casa Coco is like a dead zone. Some of us were totally cut off from civilization as the children in the group said. The rooms specifically facing the road had no connection. The rooms facing the pool had connection from the restaurant. Executive rooms at the villas had no problem at all with connection.

Staff
I'd say they are what makes the resort great. They were all awesome. So accommodating, courteous, overall helpful in just making your stay with them as relaxing and enjoyable as possible. I have to mention MJ as she just made it all the better with her service. For a group of 17, ordering is a doozy but she made it so easy for us.

Activities
We signed up for the Apo Island Day Trip as well as a Scenic tour around the island and they were all lovely experiences. They have it all figured out to the last detail. I was concerned at first as my group had small children but with their staff and the guides they assigned to us at Apo Island, I didn't have to worry at all.

I would go back to this resort. Really enjoyed our stay.