Hotel Review: Yumi Villas – one of The nicest places to stay in Port Barton!

At a Glance

Yumi Villas is a boutique, detached villa property in Port Barton. With three two-bedroom private pool villas equipped with full kitchens, it offers upscale accommodations for travelers in the area. Currently, it is one of the only hotels of this caliber in the village.

What it actually is: Somewhat simple, but comfortable and charming. It may not live up to your expectations of pool villa hotels in other Southeast Asian destinations, but it is quite elevated for the area.

What it is not: A standard hotel. It is a pair of villas managed by incredibly nice, friendly, and helpful people.

Time of Year Visited: Winter (Christmas/New Year’s)

Room Type: Two-Bedroom Pool Villa

Scores

Hotel Design: 85 – Yumi Villas is set within a secure, gated property featuring self-contained villas. Architecturally, the property offers a gorgeous blend of tropical minimalism and rustic island charm.

Location: 84 – Port Barton is a small village, and Yumi Villas is conveniently located within a 10-to-20-minute walk from most things. The property is nestled between local homes, the road leading to Coconut and White Beach, and their own affiliated Mediterranean restaurant, Mezze.

Sleep Quality: 77 – The beds were comfortable, though a little on the firmer side. While the property was generally quiet, elements outside of the hotel’s control, like local roosters, chickens, and a nearby bar on the hill did generate extra noise at times that could disrupt a light sleeper.

Service: 95 – During our stay, we interacted with the three staff members responsible for the property, and they were all amazing. On arrival, we were told our fridge was broken; within just a few hours, a brand-new one had been sourced from Roxas (about 1–1.5 hours away) and installed. Later, we asked for help calling a local restaurant where we had mistakenly left an umbrella, and the staff actually went and picked it up for us to save us the long walk. The service here is incredibly personal and friendly.

Room Design: 85 – By mixing modern polished concrete and bright white walls with traditional thatch ceilings and warm wood finishes, the space feels both elevated and grounded. The open-air pavilion style perfectly blurs the line between indoor lounging and outdoor poolside relaxing. Lush plants add excellent privacy and a great tropical vibe.

Note for travelers: The floors can get very slippery when it rains, and heavy downpours can cause the roof thatching to fall into the pool, making it quite messy. Also, while the villas feel private, there appear to be security cameras on-site that have a view of the pool area, which might limit absolute privacy for some.

Room Amenities: 95 – The villa comes well-equipped with a large private pool, bean bags, and a full kitchen featuring a mini-fridge, stove/oven, cutlery, and plates (though keep in mind there aren’t many grocery stores in town if you plan to cook meals). Both bedrooms feature their own showers. The master bedroom includes a safe, while the second bedroom is outfitted with one single and one double bed. Beach towels are provided, and filtered water is replenished daily.

Hotel Amenities: 90 – Guests receive complimentary breakfast and beach towels. The front desk is also incredibly helpful with arranging transfers, island tours, and motorbike rentals. Additionally, the hotel’s affiliated restaurant, Mezze, is just a few steps away.

Vibe: 90 – A “private” jungle oasis.

Cleanliness & Maintenance: 85 – Generally very good for a small boutique hotel of this type. The room was spotless upon check-in. Daily housekeeping is not provided, but the staff is very accommodating: one team member immediately helped us clean up a mess that some local birds made when our breakfast was delivered. During a heavy downpour, we were worried the pool was going to overflow and alerted the front desk who were very responsive and also thought it was very funny we were bailing out with large bowls! After this downpour, the pool had too much debris in and it and we couldn’t use it, but they cleaned it immediately the following day.

Value, Extras & Perks: 88 – The complimentary breakfast is a basic but a nice touch, and the nightly rates are very reasonable for the quality of the accommodations.

OVERALL SCORE: 87.4/100