Samal island is not part of Davao City, but is most accessible from here. It’s actually a chartered city now, and is officially called the Island Garden City of Samal. The past few years have seen a steady increase in the number of beach resorts on the island, the newest of which is Hof Gorei Beach Resort. The name is pronounced hoff go-rye; “hof” is German for “farm”. The resort is owned by an Austrian couple, Mr. & Mrs. Kröll, but run by the Filipino-turned-Austrian wife, Madame April.
Photos courtesy of Alex D.
Travel agent par excellence Alex, BisayaBloggers.com aggregator site’s Ayeza and I went to Hof Gorei last Sunday (26 August). We were supposed to stay only for the day for a quick look-see, but the very gracious Mme. April had different ideas for us. Good thing we let her convince us to stay overnight. And good thing Monday was a holiday!
From Sta. Ana Pier (beside Magsaysay Park) in Davao, the resort is a 50-minute to one-hour ride by motorized banca. It’s actually a couple of private beachfronts away from the Pearl Farm Beach Resort.
Hof Gorei is already open for business, but you can see that there’s still some construction going on. Mme. April is busy extending the current inventory of rooms, plus more facilities for meetings. What you can see now are airconditioned cottages and hotel-type rooms, and an expanse of greenery all around. The layout of the resort encourages you to go on a relaxing stroll around the property, and then take a stress-relieving dip in the pool.
Ayeza and I spent hours lounging in and around the swimming pool, which has a sunken bar. Beer never tasted so good! 
Speaking of good taste, the cuisine at Hof Gorei is fantastic! Featuring a fusion of European and Filipino cuisine, they serve dishes that excite the palate. We had noodles, Filipino-style steaks, chicken curry, a lumpia dish, sinigang — all of it was satisfyingly good! Mme. April says that she will always make sure that her ingredients are fresh and that they maintain the quality of their cooking.
For dessert after dinner on Sunday, we were served a durian concoction that was absolutely to die for! I’m not sure how it was prepared, but I’ll give it a shot: there was some durian meat that had been lightly cured in cognac, and surrounded by vanilla ice cream. I have no other words to describe it, it was too good!
The three of us felt well taken care of while we were at Hof Gorei, not only by Mme. April but by her well-trained staff. It’s a beach resort that’s ideal for quick getaways, or for extended stays. If you’re of a mind to relax and destress, I’d recommend Hof Gorei.
Click here for their website. For bookings, contact Alex Divinagracia via email.
wow!!!!! is it expensive there? sounds interesting….most esp. the pool w/ a sunken bar!
Hey, Blogie!
I’ve been looking for a new place to hang out in Samal. Are walk-ins allowed? Would love to spend my weekend there. Hope u can help. Cheers!
@katdalisay — The rates are reasonable: not cheap, but affordable.
@Maej — Walk-ins aren’t allowed. For reservations, pls contact their agent in Davao, Alex Divinagracia. You know him, right? :)
this looks soo fun! hey wait, is this cheaper than Pearl Farm? and do you need a reservation or minimum group before you can go there? also is an overnight nescessary or puede ba mang daytip lang?
@kasse — No minimum in a group, but I think you have to make reservations. In Davao, pls get in touch with Global Wings Travel. They’re the ones handling bookings for Hof Gorei. Tel. 3052210 or 3004210.
hi kuya blogie,
I was convinced to book an overnight stay at hof gorei becoz of what I’ve read here bout the place.my sis and bil will be here next week and I hope that they’ll have a good time there.
im depending on your reviews.hehe
Hi ody! I hope you’ll enjoy your stay at Hof Gorei. :)
>>>beautiful place…mura man og dli s samal…wala jud mi kaanha dha vah!!♥♥♥hope makaanha mi dra…bacn sa among damgo n lng…pila’ng entrance?????
@lovely — Ambot kung pila na karon ang day-tour package nila. Pero kabalo ko nga dili puwede mag-walk in ra. You have to book. Pls call 305-2210 for reservations.
Nice place. My bf and I went there last May and did island hopping and snorkling.. :)
i have been there that palce last sept. with my bf we spend almost 2weeks,woww it is very nice place, sana makablik pa ako diyan,sa hof gorei, thank you to mada’am April.. she treat us really nice,I never ever forget when my bf and I we stayed there.
have been there 3 weeks ago, we're not satisfied because the beach is not that good,muddy as will us dirty!!! it's very affordable if your foreigner but for the locals is expensive especially the foods for the small serving, not good for the big group or family that has small kids who wants to stay longer.can't bring any kind of foods otherwise they charge you a big amount. the place is only nice in the pictures.it's not senior citizens and kids friendly!!! We highly recommend the Bluewaters resort. Very nice and very affordable if that's what your looking for! but you have to book them 2-3 weeks ahead I think 'coz thier always fulluy book, that's why we got her at Hof Gorie!!! 'coz their the only beach resort that is available that time,.
even we just spent 3 nights in hof gorei,i enjoyed it.they entertained their guest very well.