North Luzon
In splendid isolation 10km along a partially paved road from Saud Beach, Kingfisher caters to active travellers, with kitesurfing and windsurfing…
Must-see hotels in Philippines
Batanes
Half-hidden behind a wall and blooming shrubbery, this white-and-blue, colonial-style guesthouse has six rooms, all with kitchens and en-suite bathrooms…
El Nido
While the capsule-style dorms are fairly basic for the price, you're paying for the stunning location on the quiet southwestern end of arguably the…
Negros
These houses on the Manjuyod sandbar appear marooned in the middle of the ocean. Bring your own supplies. The rate includes return boat transfer and can…
Vigan
Vigan's most striking hotel is a 19th-century mansion with exposed stone, original wooden floors, crystal chandeliers and paintings of top Filipino…
Manila
The New World offers five-star amenities at a lower price (usually) than the competition. You can get a haircut, buy gourmet chocolate, play a game of…
Bicol
Fernandos is the best hotel in town, not least because the friendly owners Cecilia and Angie Duran are a great source of information and provincial tours…
Boracay
Perched above a fantastic beach like a deluxe treehouse, Nami offers privacy, breathtaking views and a bamboo elevator to save your legs. The 12 luxury…
North Luzon
Our favourite of this surf hostel chain, Circle has mastered a chilled-out surfer vibe where you'll make friends in minutes and never want to leave. The…
Boracay
Little Pahuwayan, at the end of an alleyway on Bulabog Beach, is one of the best-value spots on the island, offering spacious, stylish rooms with private…
Panay
This tiny resort island – you can walk around it in 10 minutes – sits in an alluring sea of coral islets. Very well managed, it offers superb food and…
Vigan
This hotel is more than 135 years old and retains every morsel of its old-world charm. The spacious rooms, fabulous antique furniture – including wooden…
Mindoro
With 40 business-standard rooms, this new hotel is far better than anything in the noisy centre and just a short tricycle ride into town. You get plenty…
Sagada
It's definitely worth the 15-minute walk east out of town to stay (or dine) at this gem. The eight rooms are sizeable and swathed in radiant blond wood,…
Panay
Serving primarily European and North American guests, this private waterfront villa sits at the very quiet end of Alubihod Beach – at high tide there's no…
Bohol
Overlooking the Tagbilaran Strait and Panglao Island beyond, Ocean Suites enjoys a terrific location and has contemporary rooms, a bright, breezy cafe and…
Batanes
Just above Centro, this cosy cottage with bathroom, kitchen, living room and even a karaoke machine sits at the edge of a bluff with views of the sea. The…
Sugar Beach
At the far northern end of the beach, Sulu gets the Sugar Beach recipe just right: fan-cooled nipa huts with tile floors, en-suite bathrooms and verandahs…
Samar
With a strong contemporary feel throughout, Primea has a wide choice of rooms, all presented in soothing shades of beige and cream, with good quality…
Banaue
Staying at this spotless, homely guesthouse up from the main town is like staying with family. You get to know your fellow guests and get plenty of…
SomeWhere Else Boutique Resort
Camiguin
European modernism with a tropical twist describes these two large villas set back from the beach on a lush lawn. Each is stylishly furnished with…
Kalibo
Kalibo's top hotel, this extremely well-appointed place is only five minutes from the airport (and around 2.5km from the city centre). It's a five-storey…
Puerto Galera
This Sabang institution has been the best value in town for more than 25 years. The compact but cosy wood-lined ‘old’ rooms, right over the water, still…
Puerto Galera
Sunset is as reliable as it gets if you're looking for a stand-alone beach resort in Puerto Galera. The cheapest rooms are uneventful, but just a small…
Manila
One of the few hotel options in The Fort, this classy business hotel has large, stylish rooms with jumbo plasma TVs and bench seating. There's a gym, pool…
Mindoro
More like a cosy hostel than an inn, superfriendly Don Amando's is the perfect choice for a group of climbers. It has a lovely communal kitchen and common…
Iloilo
Spacious and clean, if not particularly stylish, rooms with above-average mattresses, the Smallville 21 is all about location. Smack in the middle of…
Bacolod
With a touch of Spanish-Colonial style, this centrally located boutique hotel is the best value in town. The rooms are every bit as comfortable as a high…
Southeast Luzon
One of several decent midrangers in the city centre and only a two-minute walk from the pier, Midtown offers spacious rooms with cable TV and parquet…
El Nido
Under new management, this old-timer has spruced up its outdoor common area and restaurant while supplying the same friendly service and good value that…
Boracay
The polygonal two-storey cottages, set in a lush garden, have huge rooms, balconies and loads of Balinese atmosphere; they're easily the most elegant…
Boracay
The clean minimalist style and variety of rooms – the priciest of which open to the sea – are just right. The low-key breakfast by the White Beach Path is…
Negros
Easy Diving has sunny and pleasant Mediterranean-style rooms, a nice beach and a well-set-up dive centre, with far-ranging multiday trips, including dive…
Puerto Galera
Run by the nicest family you’ll ever meet, Reynaldo’s has a splendid mix of more-than-passable budget fan rooms and large ‘view’ rooms with kitchenettes…
Around Manila
Rooms at this valleyside place, 3.5km east of the rotunda, are a steal. The double-storey hotel with a bright-yellow, Thai–style facade is immaculately…
Panay
A mix of old-world charm and modern amenities, this is far and away the best place to stay in the centre. The downside, of course, is street noise. Rooms…
Iloilo
The city's newest upscale hotel is far and away the slickest and most luxurious – that is, until the next one goes up nearby. It has contemporary and…
Leyte
Six kilometres out of town on the road to Padre Burgos, this welcoming and well-run beachside place has nine smart tiled rooms, eight with fine sea and…
Davao
The city’s most luxurious hotel couldn’t be more centrally located. Has several recommended restaurants.
Ibulao, Ibulao Bed & Breakfast
The Cordillera
Roberto Kaludgan and his wife Teresa, both doctors, have built a house fit for the pages of Architectural Digest at the junction of the Lagawe–Kiangan…
