Bicol
Long-standing and showing its age, this Caramoan stalwart on the main street offers simple rooms in a couple of buildings.
Must-see hotels in Philippines
Mindoro
A few cute concrete cottages set around a tidy courtyard and a small pool. It's 1km south of the Buktot Beach turn-off.
Coron Town
Rooms here are sparkling clean, with flat-screen TVs, hot water and a 3rd-floor outdoor restaurant and lounge area.
Western Visayas
There's no signposting, but you can’t miss this B&B with homey, well-furnished rooms with shared bathrooms.
Panay
An old-school wooden lodge circa 1910 in the centre, it’s amazingly noisy but has character and large rooms.
Western Visayas
This four-storey modern structure has simple motel-style rooms and a rooftop with nice waterfront views.
Donsol
Basically a budget homestay with three decent, clean rooms in a beaten-up wooden house.
Northern Mindanao
Centrally located, this high-rise offers good value even if rooms are minuscule.
Cebu
Owner Wilson has a basic overwater nipa hut. He can also arrange homestays.
Manila
This hostel only has mixed dorms, in configurations of four to 10 beds, all air-conditioned and spread over the top floors of an apartment building along…
Manila
An OK midranger with a glamorous curved staircase and the busy (and smoky) Cilantro Restaurant Bar commanding attention in the lobby. Rooms are nothing…
Mindoro
The roomy and top-priced air-con rooms here are as good as it gets in the centre. The windowless fan and standard air-con rooms are dingy, however, and…
North Luzon
Hannah's takes over most of Blue Lagoon, with swathes of concrete animated by giant dinosaurs and the Incredible Hulk. All lodgings are served by a huge…
Siargao
Sure, it has zero atmosphere and the 'office' looks like a storage closet, but rooms in this low-slung building are perfectly acceptable with hot water…
Puerto Princesa
A popular business hotel north of the centre near Robinson's Place, Centro features the usual bells and whistles, such as a gym, a spa and a large but…
Busuanga & the Calamian Islands
If all you're looking for is a cheap place to bed down before jumping off to the islands, these bare-bones, barely maintained cottages, all with shared…
The Cordillera
This can-do, extremely centrally located guesthouse with a social common area and cafe overlooking the main street isn't ageing gracefully but it's the…
Manila International Youth Hostel
Manila
This basic hostel has fairly large (12- to 14-bed) single-sex dorms and a few private rooms. With no food, towels, soap or common area, it's more a place…
Dumaguete
Bare-bones budget place that is barely OK, but at this price it'll have to do. Of course, furnishings are basic and old, but all rooms have private…
Puerto Princesa
The highlight of this place is its shady roof-deck garden with a kitchen for guests’ use, and great views of the bay. Rooms are basic and furnishings old;…
Dumaguete
A charming white clapboard house from the outside, the shine is off once inside one of the old, rundown and musty rooms. Nevertheless, it's on Rizal Blvd…
Mindoro
Probably the most upmarket of the options at the pier, though that isn't saying much and it's often closed. When it's open, you'll discover wooden doors…
Puerto Princesa
'Tree House' is a misnomer given its noisy street-side location in a central office building. It's clean if unspectacular, with a small kitchen and a mix…
Bacolod
No-frills rooms on a busy and loud city block with little curbside appeal. Little upside other than some midrange 'comforts' such as hot water and cable…
Cebu City
This is about as cheap as it gets in Cebu without venturing into 'disgusting' territory. Rooms are predictably basic but at least they have windows and…
Port Barton
Cheap dorm beds and a quiet location on the north end of the beach are the main selling points here. The rooms, in colourful concrete cottages, are…
Mindoro
One of the better central options, with relatively good soundproofing and a cheery orange motif. The single rooms are windowless, but upgrade to a double…
Palawan
This colourful hotel is your cheap, central option in Narra. Rooms are exceedingly simple but far from dire, and there are even TVs and balconies in some…
Mindoro
As basic as it gets, but undeniably cheap and well located opposite the boats to North Pandan Island. Target the slightly snazzier air-con rooms.
Puerto Galera
In the middle of Sabang Beach, this is party central, with some noisy rooms close to the bar and quieter, swankier digs around the pool out the back.
Mindoro
The fan rooms will appeal to budget travellers; otherwise this place is a last resort, with maintenance issues even in the pricier rooms.
Palawan
It's hardly fancy, but it has a restaurant and bar – rarities in these parts.
Southern Mindanao
The faux Italianate facade and Three Tenors lobby soundtrack signal San Marco's striving for sophistication. Many rooms lack natural light but all are…
North Luzon
Located at the foot of the Zambales Mountains and run by Swiss zoologist Martin Zoller, this is a humane sanctuary for an array of rescued beasts, with…
Sagada
'Aunty Mary' runs this spick-and-span guesthouse with killer views of Sagada's famed cliffs from its simple rooms. The location 1km south of town ensures…
Southern Mindanao
This resort offers lovely views from its restaurant (try the tilapia kinilaw, but avoid the dry and rock-hard fried chicken) and the balconies of its…
Southern Mindanao
This once denuded slope – a victim of overzealous logging – at the foot of Mt Talomo has been transformed into a lush forest with hiking trails, sports…
Paradise Island Park & Beach Resort
Southern Mindanao
This Samal stalwart is its own mini–Boracay. It’s a huge, immaculately landscaped complex with its own zoo and a sandy beachfront strip lined with shops,…
