Porto Novo Anilao Dive and Leisure Resort

Family-owned and set directly on the coast, Porto Novo Anilao Dive and Leisure Resort is built around the useful combination of sea access, a swimming pool, a spa and somewhere to eat without leaving the property. You can spend the day in and around the water, then move towards the terrace when the light changes over Batangas.

The mood is relaxed but not silent. Live music, evening entertainment and karaoke give the resort a social side, while the garden, sun terrace and open-air bath leave room for a slower pace. The hotel team speaks English, so you can deal with the practicalities of your stay in English from arrival onwards.

Families are welcome, and the Standard Family Room accommodates up to four people with a king-size bed and bunk bed. Couples have sea-view rooms and suites, including options with private balconies when the evening view matters as much as the bed.

You are in Mabini, Batangas, Philippines, in the coastal area commonly known as Anilao. The resort sits directly beside a protected lagoon, with direct beach access and tranquil water at the edge of the property. This is a shoreline base rather than a town-centre hotel.

The nearest named beaches are Anilao Beach, around 1.9 miles away by car, and Ligaya Beach, around 1.5 miles away. Plaza Mabini is around 3 miles away by car, while St. Peter Memorial Park is around 2.5 miles away. A handful of cafés and restaurants sit further inland, including Lola Pastora Cafe around 2.7 miles away by car and Fridos Bamboo Grill & Restaurant around 3.1 miles away.

The setting is coastal and self-contained, with the garden, lagoon and resort facilities doing most of the work around you. If you want to explore further, Montemaria Cenacle is around 6 miles away by car.

Sea views are the recurring theme, but the useful choice is whether you want space, a balcony or a room close to the pool. The sea-front rooms with private balconies suit a couple who will actually use the view rather than merely tick the box; the Suite with Sea View gives you more room to spread out, while the Queen Room keeps things simpler for two.

The Deluxe Double Room with Balcony and Sea View has a king-size bed and a private balcony, making it the obvious choice when a morning coffee outside is part of the plan. The Standard Family Room is the practical option for up to four, with a king-size bed and bunk bed rather than a room arranged solely for two adults.

All rooms have air conditioning, a private bathroom, tea and coffee-making facilities, a desk, wardrobe or closet, linen and a clothes rack. The air conditioning earns its keep when you return warm and salt-covered, while the kettle saves a hunt for coffee before the day gets moving. Ground-floor units are also available, and free WiFi runs throughout the resort.

Harbor Café & Bar handles breakfast, lunch and dinner on a seaside terrace, so the day can begin with coffee and end with the water still in view. Breakfast is à la carte, with continental, Asian and American choices also available in buffet form. There is enough range here for both a Filipino-style start and the familiar plate required before a morning on the boat.

The kitchen works across local, Asian and international dishes, with fresh local ingredients, grilled specialities and freshly made pizza. Asian and Western dishes share the menu, which is handy when one person wants something recognisable and the other wants to stay with the local side of the meal.

There is one named bar: Harbor Café & Bar, which shifts into a sunset bar in the evening. Signature cocktails, wine and cold beer take over from the daytime café routine, with live music, barbecue grill options and evening entertainment adding a little noise to the night. Room service, a snack bar, a coffee house and special-diet menus on request are also available.

The outdoor swimming pool is the straightforward answer when the sea is nearby but you want a controlled dip. A sun terrace, garden, outdoor furniture and sun umbrellas give you places to sit between swims, while the direct access to the protected lagoon keeps the water close without requiring a journey.

Sailor's Den Wellness Spa provides the slower option, with spa facilities, a relaxation area, massage and access to an open-air bath and public bath. It is the sort of arrangement that makes sense when your shoulders have had enough of carrying bags, cameras and the rest of the daily apparatus.

For a little more activity, the resort has badminton equipment, board games and puzzles, karaoke and live performances. Kayaks and paddleboards are available for time on the water, and boat excursions can be arranged. Fishing is also offered, while hiking takes place off site.

Porto Novo Anilao Dive & Liesure Resort, the hotel's own dive centre, affiliated with SSI, TDI, SDI, used to English-speaking guests. Having the integrated dive operation on site changes the shape of the day: breakfast, kit, departure, rather than a transfer between hotel and centre. Discover Scuba Diving, fun diving for certified divers and scuba courses are available from the resort.

The programme covers the Anilao, Tingloy, Mabini and Bauan dive sites, with options for night dives as well as boat diving. That puts macro photography, wreck diving and drift diving within the resort’s diving programme without turning the hotel page into a full centre catalogue.

English is the language used by the hotel team, and the centre’s website is available in English. The separate centre page has the operational detail; this is the useful bit for choosing the room: the dive day starts at the same address.

The resort is around 115 km from Ninoy Aquino International Airport. From Manila, you can take a bus from the Buendia, Pasay or Cubao terminals to Batangas Grand Terminal, then continue by taxi for a 30–40 minute drive to Mabini. A jeepney to Mabini is another option from the terminal. If you are driving, the route runs via SLEX and STAR Tollway, then the Balagtas Exit and the Bauan–Mabini junction.

The final private road has a steep incline. An alternative flat parking area is available, with a service vehicle to collect guests from there. Free private parking is available on site, with no reservation needed, and car hire is available if you want to make your own way around Batangas.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to 18:00. You need photo identification and a credit card at check-in, and the resort asks for your expected arrival time in advance. Check-out is available around the clock. Children older than one year are welcome, but cots and extra beds are not available; pets and parties are not permitted.

The Dolor family runs the resort and links its work to the protection of Anilao’s coral reefs and marine life. Mrs Dolor is involved in local marine-conservation initiatives and education, with a focus on sustainable tourism.

That commitment is tied to the place itself rather than presented as a list of hotel certificates. The family’s stated aim is to help preserve the surrounding ocean for future generations, which gives the resort’s diving setting a responsibility as well as a view.