The Best Hotels Near Piece Lio, El Nido, by the Record
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Jagged limestone towers rise just beyond the landscaped gardens at this Japanese-minimalist resort, which sits inside the protected Lio Tourism Estate on the northern edge of Palawan. The H Hotel Group and Piece brand partnership keeps things crisp and spare, with sunlit rooms designed to dissolve into the surroundings rather than compete with them. Sustainability is part of the operating logic, not just the branding. El Nido's clearest waters are close.
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The limestone cliffs that ring El Nido show up in the restaurant's design, which sets the tone for a hotel that treats its surroundings as the whole point. Fifty rooms with breezy balconies, locally sourced materials, and clever lighting give you a comfortable base for days out on the water, with the Sea Tree Spa and a poolside bar waiting when you return. The Michelin Guide has it among its selected hotels.
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Tucked into the forest edge where Palawan's coastline goes quiet, this beach resort sits right on Maremegmeg Beach with every room angled toward the ocean and a private balcony for watching the sun drop into the sea. A 35-meter infinity pool and a beach bar handling tropical cocktails cover the evening agenda, while the restaurant runs Filipino and international food all day. El Nido's center is a short drive if you want to wander.
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Stilted cottages built directly over the water, thatched bungalows notched into the cliffside, and about fifty rooms total on a small forested island in Bacuit Bay. This is a resort in the quieter, more stripped-back sense of the word. Floors and walls run to native wood and bamboo, sliding doors open onto private patios, and the infinity pool faces a white sand beach calm enough for snorkeling. Windsurfing, hiking, and lagoon boating are all on offer, though the palm-shaded chaise longue makes a compelling counterargument.
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Water cottages on stilts sit over Bacuit Bay, with limestone cliffs behind and 45 islands in front. This is a stylish, sustainable island resort on Lagen, part of the El Nido Resorts group, where rooms are built from antique Filipino hardwood and open onto private terraces. Sea kayaks and snorkeling gear pull guests out to the bay; lagoon tours and dive courses go further. The pool is four feet deep because the tree roots underneath had other plans.
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A single forested hill rising out of the Palawan archipelago, reachable only by a half-hour boat ride from a very small airstrip. The resort's villas line a half-mile white-sand beach or climb above the jungle canopy, all with generous indoor-outdoor space and some with private plunge pools. Local materials keep the crisp, contemporary interiors from feeling airlifted in. The water does most of the heavy lifting: diving, kayaking, and paddling in a setting that barely seems plausible.