Breath-taking resort, stunning views, gardens, corals, and beach... will no doubt be back for sure!!”

An absolutely breathtaking resort on the beautiful Island of Samal. This was an incredible experience for me to stay at Chema's their gardens and the resorts beach/corals are truly stunning. The quality of service here was fantastic, I stayed in an upper garden view cottage (which was truly stunning) and all the staff were extremely welcoming and very hospititable. Filipina are very kind and humble people, this was my first stay and visit to the Philippines and I only stayed at Chema's for one night, as I had my accommodation in the City of Davao for my 25 night stay in the Philippines. However, this was an incredible treat for me to experience more of the stunning island and it's people. It was very reasonably priced with great service. I shall definitely return again - many thanks to all the team... hope to see you all again very soon!!! Salamat po!!! James

THE BEST!!!”

i super enjoyed our stay in Chema’s.. location is convenient from city to samal island and they have their own boat service picking you up in waterfront hotel straight to chema’s, fare is enough for boat maintenance. Our cabana is the best, we dis enjoy the set up, the interior, the room, the bathroom and especially the little cabana where we can stay and chill outside the bedroom. The food is great, you know food resort cost something but it is worth it. The facilities of the resort is perfect, beach front, swimming pool which use sea water, those chairs and beach bed in front of the sea is relaxing. We did enjoy our stay. Just want to mention that staff in Chema’s, they are so nice and approachable. They have this positive vibe that shows respect to their guest and they are friendly. Shout out to Jenny, who welcome us in the boat deck. Shout out to Harold, who take our orders and drinks by the sea. To Irene, who serve our dinner and the pusit request, thank you so much. And of course to the person in charge in our Cabana for 2 night, thank you so much Lalang for the warm welcome, for all the request and query we asked, for the food and for assisting us until our last stay in the resort. I will recommend this to my friends, its kind of pricey if you will stay alone, better bring a group to enjoy the resort. I will be back and definitely come back to Chema’s... SOON!!!

My new FAVORITE RESORT! Drinker Friendly, Pinoy Food fanatics place and Beach Lovers paradise!”

Pros: -Beer was 70PHP -Bar is open 24/7 -You have your own person in charge of all your needs (Literally) -Beach floor is really sandy when hightide, no sea urchins nor big rocks (3PM onwards) -Have their own pool which has salt water (Still like swimming on the beach) -Food is really good and cheap! (I recommend their Pinakbet, Sisig and Lechon Kawali) -Place is really nice, no need to worry about the sun because the whole resort is shaded with trees -Rooms are super clean, good interior and spacious (Their bed gave me hard time to enjoy the resort) -Super near to the airport and seaport (Could be at the resort 1 HR or less from Davao Intl Airport) -Experienced electricity blackout for less than 5 minutes (The resort has their own generator) Cons: -Not good for senior citizens because there are a lot of stairs -No other cuisine (All Filipino food) -Low tide in the morning till afternoon (All in Samal Island is like that though)

Fantastic, It was the best stay I have ever had.”

By far the best money I ever spent, I will return to Chema's by the sea on samal for sure, its super quite, relaxing, and beautiful. The Staff were brilliant, we had our own waitress and she went above and beyond making our stay out of this world, she set up a really nice Dinner setting for us on the sea side which topped of the stay there. I even got engaged and Chema's made it all happen. I have stayed at many places before, this one was by far the best and its unique. I promise you you'll love it and affordable, normally service like this is only available to the rich folk.

Great Weekend Retreat”

I booked Chema's after having searched through Agoda. It seemed good value for money for a mid range resort in Samal Island. Having been to the island a week before for a day trip (Precious Resort), I knew for a one night stay we wanted something more. I took a friend from Europe who was visiting. The boat there took 10mins from Insular hotel Jetty and was V efficient when we called them, (200 pesos each way but didn't mind that price for personalized boat taxi). The cottage was beautiful that we stayed in (cost 4800), right by the beach 20m back from the water. I loved the classic design of the cottage - timeless looking with lots of light coming in and quite romantic. Balcony was great to as could sit, eat and drink and watch the ocean amidst the greenery. Resort provides your bare essentials - nothing to flash in terms of entertainment etc. Staff there always on hand to serve you. Beach is small but well maintained which makes a big difference. Happy to see pictures lived up to expectation as well! Will definitely return for a relaxing retreat to that cottage. Good weather helped to obviously.

not for money but for quality....”

I will make my review short, straight to d point and simple.. very well maintained resort, food is very affordable and delicious.. every guest have their own assigned staff and ours is ATE LET a worth to keep employee, we are very speechless on her care, assistance and friendliness to the guest even we request a lot of stuff.. Their resort is clean, organize and quiet.. To Sir Juaqin (not sure if i spell it right) from the bottom of our hearts THANK YOU for being a very friendly and nice owner.. Belatee Happy Birthday din po.. We wont forget how you share your success in life and inspired us on how to plant things in life.. Again Chema's by the Sea 2thumbs up and you let us crave to come back again there.. God bless!!! Salute!!

Resort worth falling in love with”

We have been to beach resorts from Pagudpud, La Union, Boracay, Puerto Galera, Iloilo, Cebu, Bohol, and smaller places in between. But none of them have made us fall in love with the place as much as Chema’s by the Sea resort. We picked this place as it was the best rated within our budget. But even if we had the budget, I would have no regrets picking this place compared to Pearl Farm or the other more expensive resorts on the island. Chema’s is definitely not high class or new, but it’s the most quaint and homey resort we’ve ever been to. It completely captures that beach cottage getaway feel you see in movies. There are only a few cottages in the resort so it’s never crowded. The beach is clear, clean, and made up of fine white sand. The two other resorts on either side of Chema’s don’t have beaches as beautiful as Chema’s; they are rocky and dirty. The service is courteous, fast, and personal. A possible downside would be the isolation. It’s far from the main road so you’re pretty much confined to the resort unless you rent a motorcycle to go to the island’s other major attractions. With respect to food, this means you’ll have to order your meals mostly at the resort. But that’s okay too, because the food is great and value-for-money. Servings are large and the cooking is delicious. There is, however, no drinking water provided; you’ll have to buy bottled water from them. So you may want to bring drinking water with you when you come. There’s also no WiFi, but the disconnection actually contributes to the restful ambience of the resort. The cottage itself looks old and a little worn, but for the resort’s age (14 years), it’s actually well maintained. The bathroom is modern. There’s a fridge, a decent TV, and even a DVD player with surround sound. The terrace overlooking the beach has a dining area and several sofas and lounge chairs where you can relax and just watch the beach and listen to the chill music playing from the resort’s speakers.

Perfect!”

We really enjoyed our stay at Chema’s. Perfect resort at Samal Island. The resort is only 5-10 min boat ride from Waterfront Insular hotel (Davao City). The location is perfect! It’s easy to locate. We also enjoyed their food especially the halo halo. They will assign 1 staff who will assist you during your stay. If you are planning to go to Talicud Island, I suggest you go back to Waterfront Insular hotel ride a taxi going to Sta.Ana Wharf then take their public transport boat instead of renting a boat from Kaputian Island. That’s the cheapest way. But if money is not an issue you just have to ask their staff to find you a multicab or habal habal going to Kaputian Island.

Perfect for honeymooners who want privacy”

I booked a room at Chema's for my parents who are both seniors and they loved their stay! I asked them if there's anything they want to comment on for the management to improve and they couldn't think of anything negative to say.. just praises for this little paradise in Samal Island. They were placed in a room with a balcony facing the beachfront. My mom loved the intricate details of the room. I was here years ago and my friends and I met the owner. Thanks to the attentive staff for taking care of my parents during their stay. :) Will visit this place again in the future!

BEAUTIFUL & WELL MAINTAINED GARDENS”

We were picked up by the resort's boat promptly from the Davao Insular Jetty. The resort was as beautiful as the pictures on the website. It was very quiet on our first night as we were the only guests in the resort. Meals were priced reasonably and portions were adequate. The best part was the refreshing atmosphere present while surrounded by well maintained gardens and the small beach area was perfect to relax in and enjoy the stunning views of Davao Gulf. I booked a private island tour on an airconditioned vehicle. It was well worth our time and the price we paid to visit the Bat Caves, Hagimit Falls and Maxima Resort. Highly recommended for anyone going to Samal Island to visit these sites.

Great place to stay in Island Garden City of Samal”

I highly recommend this resort for travellers in the Davao region. Maganda yung bungad ng resort kasi panay puno at damo. Mababait din ang mga staff. With their menu and price list, medyo may kataasan ng presyo (₱45 for instant coffee) tapos ung food is nasa ₱150 pataas. Pwede magyosi sa labas ng room at mga cottages. Maganda ung pool nila kaso isang buong direcho na 5’ lang, tapos malamig, pero araw araw nila nililinisan. Yung beach naman, malinaw ung tubig at pino ung buhangin. Di ka malulunod kasi above 5’ lang ata mamalim na part. Overall, sulit ang stay namin dito. Hope you can consider this place when you travel to Davao or Samal. :-)

i love this place!”

cottages are cozy. staff is superb! water was clean, clear, and very swim-friendly? :) it even has a saltwater pool for those iffy about the big dark blue sea. they are actually expanding! one more pool solely for guests staying with them. the surroundings are very zen! it's like bali in samal. i hope the daytrippers will be more mindful of their behavior though, most of them leave trash lying around. not just an eyesore but also bad for our seas! please, let's help keep chema's beautiful

Very Nice Hotel”

If you research this hotel, there are some bad reviews. My experience was very positive. I only stayed at the hotel one night but it was a very good night. The staff has been constantly the number one complaint in all the reviews. So I went to the hotel with smile on my face and positive attitude and that's the same response I got back from them. I think it's the attitude of the guest that ignites the bad experience with any staff. The hotel itself is a beautiful gem tucked away in the greens of the island. It's like the hotel was built around the trees....very cool. The pool is awesome. The beach is small but in high tide is very nice to swim in. I only stayed one night and the food we got was great. The fried chicken was perfect! Helpful tip, when booking this hotel, arrange transport in advance with the hotel so you can get a transport from Davao at the Watergront Hotel. Much better than taking the Ferry.

Cozy resort”

We were very happy to have chosen this resort, it met our expectations of a homey resort that is to our liking. Their food are delicious and the price is what is expected from a resort. Their staff are very accommodating and courteous. We liked the concept of using a "bell" to call for service and a staff assigned to our room for service. The place gets "full" during the day tour hours but we did not mind because we head to the beach during the early morning and late afternoon hours when the day tour visitors had gone home or has yet to arrive. Even with the day tour guests, the place does not feel full and packed. The only let down was there were insects in the rooms but we should have asked the staff to "disinfect" the room. Overall it was a very homey and pleasant experience and we will definitely visit this resort when we are in town (Davao).

Perfect for Family Getway”

I love how peaceful the resort is.We went there on weekdays and its not crowded.Perfect for family relaxation getaway.The pool uses salt water.The beach is well maintained.They have a staff picking trashes,rocks and sea creatures that will harm the guest like sea urchins. I just noticed that staff assigned in the tables in the beach did not clean up immediately the tables used by previous guest. I saw it in the afternoon it is still there in the evening. The roomhas a balinese style. I just dont like the smell of the room and the bathroom because of the smell of shower curtain.The towels are worn out.The assigned staff to our room named "Honey" is excellent in providing service to us.She is a soft-spoken young lady who attended our needs right away.And foods in the restaurant taste so good.Thumbs up!Sinigang belly,sisig,grilled malasugue,maruya,halo-halo,even their fruit juices like mango,calamansi and calamansi shake taste so good.We enjoyed our vacation in your resort.

Value for Money!”

This resort is nice, cozy, and clean. The beach front is small, so you can take advantage of Samal Island much better by renting a boat. The rooms are clean and cute! The staff are very friendly and efficient. I highly recommend this place if you're looking for an affordable and cozy place to stay. :)

Pretty cottages”

Chema's has a small shoreline. So if you're looking for a nice beach like Boracay, this might not be a good place for you. But the whole ambiance is really nice. The cottages are pretty. Food prices are reasonable. And the staff exceeded my expectations when they set up a pretty nice dinner for two at their restaurant. But one downside of the resort during our stay is that internet was not working.

For travelers looking for peace and relaxation”

Chema's By the Sea is great for travelers looking for a quick getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. It offers solitude and relaxation especially because they only have a few cottages/villas for accommodation, meaning less people, and they don't have wifi, too. The staff were very welcoming and attentive, although I was bummed about the massage therapist (there's only one so this is upon availability) who cancelled on me on the last minute. PROS: Clean and spacious cottages, salt water pool (to die for!!) CONS: Shuttle boat transfer (putting this unders cons because I was lead to believe it was for free until I received my bill upon checkout), quite expensive menu

Relaxing your brain, body and soul in an place with your family”

Lovely people ready to serve you at your room. Amazing place with nice facilities and a beach for you. You can see refs and fishes in a light blue ocean. You can eat nice Filipino food and have a massage to relax your body. The sunset is a paradise view to reflect about yourself. Only suggestion is that transfer to resort would be more clear at time you book as they have a boat connecting Davao mainland to Samal Islsnd.

Exceptional”

The ambience and staff were great. The beachfront was clean and the sand was white. Other than the difficult accessibility by land (the road going to the resort from the main street was rough; although travel by boat is available) and small food serving, everything was exceptional. The place was definitely relaxing and quiet. I just wish there was wider seafood choices. Everyone enjoyed and loved Chema's! .