Puerto Galera
If privacy is your goal, look no further than this classy hilltop place on a private cove between PG town and Sabang. The 10 old-style rooms, with capiz…
Must-see hotels in Philippines
Banaue
This long-running concrete hulk is an easy top pick if you're looking for comfort and amenities. The capacious lobby features lots of wood and a humongous…
Boracay
The ground-floor garden and upper-floor sea-view rooms here are good (value is debatable in high season, while low-season rates are deals), but are…
Around Manila
The Oasis Boutique Hotel is integrated into the GK Enchanted Farm community in Bulacan, a 1½-hour drive north of Metro Manila. It's a pleasant retreat…
Siquijor
A quiet spot in a landscaped garden with stand-alone cottages (some have kitchenette) and no-frills rooms in a small concrete building. There's no real…
Bohol
European-owned hostel-style place with a social atmosphere on a lovely white-sand cove beach with good snorkelling offshore. It's not exactly a party…
San Juan (La Union)
If you want a dorm bed but sleep is still important to you, this should be your first choice. The multistorey, modern building is right in town and has…
Bicol
Gota Village is the sprawling seafront resort at Gota Beach, about 5km from Caramoan town (P120 and 20 minutes by tricycle). These 50 wooden chalet-style…
Eastern Visayas
This waterfront resort in Catmon, 7km south of Naval, has fine-value, very comfortable rooms, plus a great bar loaded with booze and bar games. Rooms have…
Cebu City
The celebrated Mad Monkey chain has filled a void in Cebu City – a high-volume hostel that can draw a critical mass of backpackers for fun excursions…
Manila
Junction is an 111-bed poshtel with a distinctively urban feel. There are murals on the walls, industrial fixtures and boutique dorm rooms in a mix of…
Banaue
While not a traditional hostel in that it lacks dorm rooms, this place nonetheless gets kudos for its friendly owners, food, sociable atmosphere and prime…
Negros
A good midrange choice, Mike's is a compact and perfectly manicured property directly on a wide stretch of beach. Family-run and intimate, with only eight…
Boracay
Old-timey Boracay feel with blue tin roofs and bamboo set in a leafy, secluded garden at the end of a narrow alleyway off White Beach. Air-con rooms have…
JJ's Backpackers Village & Cafe
Siquijor
JJ's has been a fixture in Solangon since long before the area became a backpacker mecca. Occupying 100% prime beachfront, it has expanded in recent years…
Coron Town
Most rooms here are set on a pier over the water, well-removed from Coron's notorious noise, making this the pick of the budget hotels. The bamboo-lined…
Samar
The first higher-end accommodation to open on northern Samar's stunning coastline, Miko Miko features five smart cottages and an infinity pool set above a…
Samar
Large thatched bungalows with private bathrooms directly on a crescent-shaped pinkish-sand beach on remote Sila Island. To book rooms and boat transfers,…
Samar
This long-running Swedish-owned beach resort is up from the village centre with a great location 500m off a marine sanctuary. Accommodation is a little…
Manila
Well removed from the busier parts of Makati, Guijo Suites is good value in a quiet location. Rooms are not fancy but are smart, with light-wood panelling…
Samar
Close to the tip of Calicoan island, this rustic place enjoys a wonderful beach setting and has cute little nipa huts (with fans) for affordable prices…
Donsol
Giddy’s is far and away the best guesthouse in Donsol town proper. It's a sociable place with a good bar and restaurant, cable TV, modern, clean en suite…
Moalboal
Someone behind this shoreside place has a strong sense of design, which is both contemporary and quirky by equal measure. Every structure, from the…
Bicol
Villa Angelina is an ageing ancestral home in a central but quiet location a couple of blocks south of Albay's main street. Second-floor rooms are reached…
Around Manila
The refurbished resort near Ligaya has well-appointed air-con rooms and cute thatched cottages facing the water. The restaurant and common area, under a…
Malapascua Island
Very much a backpacker pad, next to the elementary school in Logon village, with an eco-cum-Rastafarian vibe, simple shared doubles and dorms, a kitchen,…
North Luzon
The fanciest resort along Saud Beach, this is a Spanish-style confection with grand staircases, bright colours, stained-glass windows and Mediterranean…
Around Manila
Right on the river in town, 150m west of the bridge, friendly, family-run La Vista has five clean air-con doubles and loungey common areas, and is the…
The Cordillera
The best of the very few places to stay in town, this friendly, airy guesthouse at the end of the village, overlooking the river, offers spacious and…
Moalboal
Quo Vadis boasts a beautiful coastal setting and has extensive gardens around a lovely pool. Staff are sweet, the dive shop is excellent and the…
Moalboal
Three kilometres south of Panagsama Beach, this well-managed oceanfront dive resort has 16 traditional bungalows, eight of them suitable for families, set…
Panglao Island
A fine place with eight very smart, well-furnished air-con rooms that enjoy pool views from their balconies and have satellite TV and hip en-suite…
Eastern Visayas
A dated resort hotel 5km east of Esperanza, Flying Fish is perched above a remote rocky beach, with some cottages enjoying fine sea views. Unfortunately…
Panglao Island
The name is not a misnomer at this mellow resort, with well-appointed thatched cottages set around a central pool and garden behind the busy beating heart…
Dumaguete
For affordable digs right on the waterfront, look no further than this long-running high-rise. Yes, the rooms and corridors are hospital-like in their…
Moalboal
This hostel's location on the noisy main drag is not great, but step inside and you'll find airy mixed and women's dorms and a couple of semi-private…
The Cordillera
Eight little rooms are on offer at this small, friendly place. There’s reliable hot water in the shared bathrooms, and the guesthouse is decorated with…
Moalboal
Chief Mau is a sociable hostel that stops short of being a party hostel – perfect for flashpackers, yet priced for backpackers. Dorms are all en suite…
Southeast Luzon
This well-maintained, character-filled ancestral house, with lattice breezeways, has nine simple but clean en suite rooms that represent the best budget…
Negros
Recharge your batteries at this peaceful woodland resort. It has a lovely shaded pool on two levels, light and airy bungalows with nice bamboo touches,…
