Serenity Farm and Resort by Hiverooms

This place does not live up to its advertised services. They don't respond to emails, messages, or calls, even though they read them (status shows 'read'). They don't provide transfers. Getting to the mountains is difficult because taxi drivers don't want to go there; it's a 30-minute journey with steep climbs and turns. There are no shops nearby. My husband had to arrange with locals to drive us for 2000 Philippine pesos one way. We asked them to wait for us. Half the items on the restaurant menu were unavailable. The panoramic pool, which many people come for, was not working or we weren't allowed in; it seemed to be only for locals. The safety railings on the hotel grounds, especially near drops, were either too wide or too low, making it easy for both children and adults to fall, especially when it gets a bit dark. The room was uninhabitable – mattresses on the floor, no windows, and as cramped as a toilet stall. We checked out immediately and returned the key. We had to urgently book another hotel in Cebu. We were traveling as a family – myself, my husband, and our 6-year-old son. This is the first time something like this has happened to us. A local man helped us by driving us back down. What's written online about being able to call a Grab or catch white taxis at the foot of the mountains is not true; there are only tour vehicles there. So, if you want to go to Sirao Gardens, you need to book a tour. I do not recommend this hotel; it caused us a lot of stress. We are awaiting the outcome of our cancellation; I hope Trip.com resolves this fairly, as it wasn't our fault that we couldn't use the hotel's services, despite making it there and intending to check in and relax. They are to blame for intentionally not responding to messages and misleading people. Another crucial point is that we had an early morning flight to Caticlan, and no one wanted to take us to the airport, forcing us to leave the hotel due to their negligence.