The Bellevue Resort

You come here for a resort stay in Panglao with the practical comforts kept close at hand: a private beach, an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a bar, a gym and a spa. The Bellevue Resort has 159 rooms, so this is a full-sized resort rather than a small dive lodge with a few bedrooms attached. That matters when you want a proper place to eat, a decent area to sit and enough going on to make a non-diving day feel like a day off rather than a cancelled boat trip.

English is spoken by the hotel team. The resort website also serves guests in German, Russian, French, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Thai, which makes the property accessible to an international crowd. Free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, 24-hour reception and a private beach complete the basic picture: you can arrive late, cool down quickly and get on with the important business of recovering from the next dive.

The resort is in Barangay Doljo, Panglao, on Bohol in the Philippines. It sits near the town centre and directly by the coast, with both a private beach and access to a public beach listed among the resort facilities. This is a coastal base rather than a town-centre hotel, so the sea is part of the address, not something you reach by arranging an excursion.

The location also keeps everyday logistics fairly simple. Parking is available, and the resort can arrange an airport transfer, shuttle service, taxi bookings and car hire. There is a garden and a terrace on site, giving you somewhere to change scenery without immediately committing to another activity. In other words, you can spend the morning under water and the afternoon deciding whether moving to a sun lounger counts as exercise.

The choice is unusually broad, from single rooms through double, triple and family layouts to accommodation for larger groups. There are also connecting rooms, which make more sense for families or dive parties travelling together than trying to negotiate one heroic room and a pile of bags. A double room with a double bed keeps things simple for couples; twin-bed rooms suit two divers who value personal space after a long day in equipment.

Views vary by category, with sea, ocean, water, garden and port outlooks available. Balconies appear in selected deluxe rooms and junior suites, while some room types add air conditioning, a fan, minibar, fridge, safe, Wi-Fi, television, tea and coffee facilities, bathrobes and slippers. The useful caveat is that room facilities vary considerably between categories, so the room card deserves a proper look before you choose. The difference between a basic private bathroom and a balcony room with a fridge is not decoration when you are returning hot, salty and hungry.

Families and groups have plenty of capacity options, including rooms for three, four, five and six guests, as well as one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Junior suites and suites provide a step up in space and presentation, with toiletries, towels and a safe listed among their facilities. Air conditioning is available in selected rooms, and the resort itself is air conditioned. That gives you a sensible place to cool down, dry off and sleep rather than spending the night replaying the dive in tropical humidity.

The resort has one bar, a restaurant and a café. The restaurant serves buffet meals, while breakfast is a buffet included in the room tariff. That is the useful sort of start for divers: you can eat properly before heading out rather than constructing a breakfast from whatever survives in the minibar.

Coffee and tea are available for guests, bottled water is provided, and room service gives you another option when the legs have decided that the bed is the evening’s main destination. The restaurant and bar keep food and drinks on site, although no continuous snack service or late dinner service is listed. Check the meal details attached to your chosen booking, as the included arrangement can vary.

The main non-diving decision is whether to use the swimming pool, the outdoor pool or the private beach first. Beach and water-sports equipment is available, and beach or pool towels are provided. There is also a terrace and a garden, so the day can move from water to shade without requiring a vehicle, a timetable or a heroic level of enthusiasm.

For the post-dive body, the resort has a gym and fitness equipment, along with a spa, sauna and massage services. A massage is a fairly persuasive argument for staying put when the shoulders have spent the morning carrying cylinders. The resort also has a sun terrace for slower afternoons.

Travelling with children adds a playroom, children’s playground, children’s pool, children’s television and babysitting or childcare. Excursion assistance is available through the resort, and the concierge and ticketing services can help organise time away from the property. There is enough here for a couple to alternate between doing very little and doing just enough.

Reception is open around the clock. Check-in starts at 3 pm and check-out is at noon, giving you a useful morning window on departure day rather than an early scramble with wet kit and half-packed luggage. Airport transfers are available, along with shuttle services; arrange the option you want with the hotel before arrival. Taxi bookings and car hire are also available.

Free Wi-Fi covers the resort, and parking is available. A lift provides access to the upper floors, with facilities for guests with reduced mobility. The property also offers luggage storage, concierge assistance, currency exchange, ticketing support and a souvenir shop. Laundry, ironing, dry cleaning and shoe polishing are available, with some of these services carrying an additional charge.

The resort accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club and cash. Rooms and public areas are non-smoking, and pets are accepted with a supplement. Electrical power is 220 volts, with Type A, B and C sockets, so bring the appropriate adaptor for your own equipment.