El Nido Resorts Lagen Island

We were 6 families and they planned everything for us. From booking the seats on air swift, to all the transfers, meals outdoors, island and lagoon tours. We stayed at the beachfront villas which had the perfect view. Just to get away and wake up to the sea was a treat for us. They don't do housekeeping services , so they had a broom and dustpan in the room for us to use. Towels and trash cans were left outside for them to replenish.. strict Covid protocols ...The staff were more than helpful and hospitable. In the other resorts, renting a boat and booking the tours would be a separate cost but with El Nido Lagen everything was inclusive - including all meals. They assigned us life vests from the start of the trip which we used for the entire 4 days. We all had to bring our own tumblers to refill drinking water as they don't give out plastic bottles to protect the environment. Over all it was the perfect trip!! Must visit the caves, the big and small lagoons,, Miniloc (for snorkeling) and snake island which the dads loved the most as they sat around enjoyed the cold beer that the resort brought. . We haven't even been home 24 hours and we already want to go back! Shout out to the entire staff of ElNido lagen Resort! Thank you for that memorable trip!!!

First time to stay in el nido. We booked the water cottage for our family. Our party of more than 30 people (travel bubble) were very happy. From the terminal to the resort, the staff were very professional, helpful, and followed all the safety guidelines. The rooms were clean and spacious ( no cleaning during the stay due to guidelines), activities and island hoping were fun and well organized, the food delicious and plentiful. Would definitely come back and stay again.

We spend an entire week in this beautiful part of the world. The Lagen hotel staff was wonderful, very helpful, great service. We spent our first day resting and relaxing. The pool is okay, not super exciting, the gym is perhaps below average, but then we realized we had to start planning our days and that is when it hit us. The highlight is not the resort but the tours! Take as many tours to the other islands as you can, pace yourself. Do the early walks to the other side of the mountain on the resort. Take the sunset boat tour.

We booked the acclaimed “water cottage” and were generally pleased with the accommodations, but nothing was really over-the-top, which is what I expect for this price category in the Philippines— USD 500+ per night (once taxes and fees are added to the mix). By comparison, I stayed in a plush and modern water cottage in tres chic Bora Bora (at Le Meridien) a few years ago for about the same money. The accommodation at Le Meridien was much better appointed and furnished; and it featured “Tahitian television” (a glass floor in the living room for viewing fish) as well as a deck for entering the water directly from your cottage. Lagen Island’s cottages have neither of these features. Disappointing. The Lagen Island cottages are cozy and clean, but a bit in need of refurbishment; and the lagoon below is too shallow for swimming or fish viewing. In fact, at low tide the there’s no water at all beneath them. You need to take a boat to reach many activities at Lagen, including the white sand beach. That’s generally not a big deal, but in our case a distant typhoon made the surf too rough, so we were sort of stranded at the resort without a lot of options. Tip: To see the monkeys, venture to the staff housing area uphill in the morning or late afternoon, and ask one of the workers where they hang out. The food at Lagen is basically just the single casual, buffet restaurant. Not bad, not exactly gourmet. A buffet’s a buffet. Overall, a nice stay, but not good value for the money. Eventually, Ayala will either have to raise their standards or lower their prices. Perhaps they are upgrading during the current virus slump.

Spent my 50th here with my wife. Outstanding food, private dinner on a sandbar, climbed limestone cliffs, swan with a million fish and fed them by hand. Staff on-site and at the beaches, including interisland travel were all superb, knowledgeable and clearly enjoy their work.