Tawala   Panglao, Philippines
Renovated
2025
Price
$$$
Rated for
Design Resort WellnessOutside the door
The house
AccorArtisanal beachfront resort
Island folklore and local craft guide daily life, moving from sunny beach swims to torchlit fire gatherings on the sand.
What it’s good at
Remarkable
Boholano craft shapes the architecture using salvaged boat timber and excavated limestone cladding.
Notable
Lola's Sanctuary provides traditional Hilot bodywork using garden-grown lemongrass and herbal compresses.
What they say
Also in Condé Nast Traveler.
Entryways and showers are outlined in funky, geometric black-and-white patterns, while bathroom floors and counters are a jaunty terrazzo.
Tucked away
A place apart: the property is the destination.
Quiet coconut palms border the grounds. The lively bars and dive shops of Alona Beach are a fifteen-minute drive west.
The rooms
Headboards are layered with handwoven banig mats, framed by polished bamboo, rattan light fixtures, and coconut wood furnishings.
The pools
Bring a swimsuit.
Red loungers line the oceanfront pool, and ground-floor swim-up suites open directly onto quiet waters beneath coconut palms.
The spa
Treatment rooms open through wooden lattice doors onto lush gardens, where treatments use indigenous plant oils.
The gym
Cardio machines sit against a colorful graphic mural in the fitness center, and mornings begin with sunrise yoga.
Restaurant
MANJA
The open-air pavilion serves Mediterranean plates on timber decking strung with hanging rattan swing chairs.
At the table
Tiya's House serves regional Filipino dishes in a two-story timber hall, and Sirenna Bar mixes island rum beside the beach.
How it began
The owners kept staff employed during the pandemic by building South Farm, an organic plot that now supplies the resort kitchens.
The app
Like this one? There are so many more.
Swipe any city’s hotels and heart the ones you love. The app gets your taste.
Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.