Asia/ Philippines/ Travel

Where to stay in the Philippines (& how much it costs!)

Choosing where to stay in the Philippines can be a challenge – after all, it’s the world’s fifth largest island country with 7,641 islands to choose from! However, whether you’re travelling in style or backpacking on a budget, it’s possible to find tons of great places to stay in the Philippines no matter where you are!

To help narrow down your options, I’m taking you through all the great hotels I stayed in during on my two week dream holiday to the Philippines on islands including Boracay, Palawan, Cebu and more.

How much should you budget for your trip? Check out my article on the costs for two weeks in the Philippines!

Where to stay in Boracay

Where to stay in the Philippines: 357 Boracay Resort beachfront view

357 Boracay Resort, Boracay

Executive Double Room from £57 | $72 per night
This 3* hotel was the first place we arrived when we touched down in the Philippines and wow, did it feel surreal!

From leaving the UK in February, to waking up to the island’s famous White Beach right outside our window, 357 Boracay Resort is perfectly located for travellers looking for a relaxed stay in Boracay’s Station 3. That’s the nearest section of beach to the port and while it’s walkable to the busier Station 2, it’s a quieter, more relaxed place to stay – and a nicer bit of beach for sunbathing!

Our Executive Double Room was super spacious with a modern bathroom. The hotel served breakfast every day (their fresh mango is unbelievable) as well as offering a selection of tasty lunch and dinner items in the beachfront restaurant. Tip – there’s a lovely Japanese restaurant next door too!

Want to learn more? Check out my travellers guide to Boracay!

357 Boracay Resort Executive Double Room

Where to stay in El Nido

You have two choices when it comes to El Nido: you can choose to stay in the town itself or stay further from the town to feel like you’re truly in your own slice of paradise. We opted for the latter, spending one night in the paradise-esque Miniloc Island Resort and one night on Lio Beach.

Where to stay in the Philippines: El Nido Resorts Miniloc Island

Miniloc Island, El Nido Resorts

Beachfront Cottage from £480 | $610 per night
Miniloc Island Resort describes itself as an eco-discovery island with a back-to-basics Filipino coastal village vibe. Now, it may have been was relaxed but let me tell you, this is the most incredible place I’ve ever stayed in my life.

We stayed in a Beachfront Cottage: an upper-level room with a view right out across the pool, beach and sea. If you want a real taste of the Maldives, opt for an over-water bungalows.

All food comes included during your stay – you are on a private island after all – and you can catch tons of interesting talks throughout the day about the surrounding marine life. If the private beach wasn’t enough alone, there’s also an infinity pool just beyond the sand!

Miniloc Island infinity pool

The most amazing part of this resort is the activities. We went for a sunrise kayaking tour around the Small Lagoon and, with just ten of us there before the mainland tours arrived, it was incredibly tranquil. We even saw a small ray!

Check out my full hotel review of Miniloc Island Resort for what else we got up to there.

Disclaimer: I stayed at Miniloc Island on a press discount but it’s undoubtedly the best place I’ve ever stayed – I’d go back in a heartbeat!

Beach at Miniloc Island Resort

Lio Beach, El Nido

Deluxe Room from £150 | $190 per night
Lio Beach is well known if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of El Nido town for a bit of quiet luxury. The views of the area’s famous limestone cliffs are stunning from this part of the coastline – an exciting teaser for the boat trips you’ll undoubtedly be heading on during your time in El Nido!

We stayed on Lio Beach when the hotels were named Hotel Covo and Casa Kalaw. Sadly these have closed but they’ve been replaced by the gorgeous-looking Huni Lio. The Lio Estate is a really lovely place to stay and has a number of restaurants, cafes and bars serving everything from pizza and burgers to grilled meats and ice cream.

Where to stay in Panglao

Bohol is one of the Philippines’ most amazing destinations – there’s so much to do! Panglao Island is one of the most popular places to stay in Bohol, as you get to enjoy some of that classically beautiful Filipino coastline, paired with the natural wonders that’ll have you exploring more inland for a change.

Where to stay in the Philippines: Alona Royal Palm Resort Panglao

Alona Royal Palm Resort, Panglao Island

Deluxe Queen Room from £62 | $79 per night
I mean, this gorgeous tropical-looking pool area says it all right? As well as the stunning poolside area, Alona Royal Palm Resort also served up really tasty food – we enjoyed our breakfasts there a little too much! This was one hotel we really loved spending time at, chatting to the owners and fussing over their gorgeous furry friends.

The resort was in walking distance from the town and beach – perfect for when we wanted to head out for dinner in town – and they had a great selection of tours on offer too. We actually booked a recommended driver via the hotel for a private tour of Bohol’s best attractions and it was one of the highlights of our trip!

Read more about our Bohol tour in my two week Philippines travel itinerary.

Where to stay in Cebu

Lex Hotel Cebu City

Lex Hotel, Cebu City

Business Class room from £60 | $76 per night
In contrast to the other island destinations, Cebu City is fast paced and noisy so we were looking for a hotel that still felt a little tranquil. While it was in a great central location, Lex Hotel offered a respite from the chaos with its stunning rooftop pool and bar – allowing you to swim away the dust from the city streets.

Rooms in this hotel are a little more corporate looking, but still really spacious and offer everything you need for a comfortable stay. Don’t miss out on a swim with a gorgeous view – including lovely sunsets! – and a cocktail as the sun goes down.

Where to stay in Donsol

Elysia Beach Resort Donsol

Elysia Beach Resort, Donsol

Superior Triple Room from £52 | $66 per night
The final stop on our itinerary was our firm favourite. Travellers make their way to lesser-visited Donsol to swim with whale sharks and Elysia Beach Resort is the place to stay in Donsol. It’s secluded, but not too far out of town – although its own restaurant is delicious! – with really spacious rooms laid around surrounding the beachside pool.

The sand here is a little more volcanic but you’re not here for the beach – but having said that, you will catch an amazing sunset! The whale shark centre is just a few minutes away and of any experience you have during your trip, that’ll be one you’ll remember forever.

Girl watching sunset in hammock

Read more about Elysia Beach Resort and our whale shark experience in my Donsol travel guide.

I pretty much always use Booking.com for my accommodation when travelling – their Genius discounts reel me in! To check out more places to stay, you can search for stays in the Philippines right here:

 

Laura x

You may also like:

A travellers guide to Boracay
How much to budget for two weeks in the Philippines
A traveller’s guide to Donsol

El Nido Resorts Miniloc Island Review

Sustainable tourism in El Nido

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Where to stay in the Philippines

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