Costa Palawan Resort

Costa Palawan Resort is a practical base for a Palawan stay, with the pieces you want close at hand when the day has involved heat, travel or salt water: air-conditioned rooms, a pool, a restaurant, a bar and free Wi-Fi throughout the property. The resort also has a garden, terrace and sun terrace, so you can choose between doing very little and doing slightly more than very little.

The mood is flexible rather than formal. You can have a drink at the Pool Bar, book an excursion, use the fitness facilities or retreat to your room with a cold bottle of water from the fridge. English and Chinese are spoken by the hotel team, which makes the basics easier when arranging meals, transfers or a day out.

The resort is in Palawan, Philippines, at F. Ponce de Leon Road in Barangay San Pedro, Puerto Princesa City. That places you in the Puerto Princesa area, with the property set up as a resort rather than as a simple city stop.

The surroundings give you plenty to plan from the hotel itself. Excursion support covers Underground River, Honda Bay, a Puerto Princesa City Tour and Firefly Watching. Boat excursions are also available, while bicycle hire, fishing and snorkelling are among the other outdoor options listed on site. Free parking is useful if you are travelling overland or using a hire car.

The room choice is broad enough to suit a solo diver, a couple or a larger travelling party, with standard, classic, deluxe, premier, premium and suite categories alongside family, triple, quadruple and sextuple options. For one person, the single-room categories keep the choice straightforward. Couples can look towards a double room with either a double bed or twin beds, while families and groups have larger room and suite formats to work with.

The useful room details are the unglamorous ones. Air conditioning is available in selected categories, as are a fridge, safe, television, tea and coffee facilities, a desk, dining area, wardrobe and Wi-Fi. A private bathroom, shower, toiletries, towels, hairdryer and slippers cover the post-dive practicalities. Blackout blinds feature in selected rooms too, handy when an early start has been followed by a body that would prefer a dark room and no discussion.

Some categories come with garden, pool or water views, and suites include options with a balcony. The equipment varies by category, so the room card matters here: a standard or classic double room can offer the familiar everyday conveniences, while a suite adds more space in the room format rather than simply changing the view. Family suites include air conditioning, a fridge, safe, dining area, Wi-Fi and a television.

The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, giving you a table on site rather than another journey when hunger arrives at the inconvenient hour it usually chooses. Breakfast is served as a buffet, and the available meal plans cover room only or breakfast included.

There is one named bar: the Pool Bar. It is the obvious place for a drink beside the water, while the resort also has a café for smaller appetites and coffee or tea for guests. Room service is available, and bottled water is provided.

The practical combination is clear enough: breakfast before a day out, a proper lunch or dinner back at the resort, and a bar within reach when the sensible plan is to sit down and stop moving.

The outdoor centrepiece is an infinity pool, with pool equipment and access from 06:00 to 22:00. That gives you a decent window for a quiet swim, a float after travelling or a spell on the sun terrace before dinner. A private beach and a public beach are also listed among the property facilities.

For recovery rather than exertion, the spa offers massage treatments, while the fitness room and gym are there for anyone who still has energy to spend. Table tennis and billiards provide less serious alternatives. The resort also has a garden, terrace, picnic area and barbecue facilities, so an evening can be as simple as sitting outside with food and a drink.

When staying longer, the activity desk can help arrange excursions. Underground River, Honda Bay, Puerto Princesa City Tour and Firefly Watching are all available possibilities, alongside boat excursions, fishing, bicycle hire and snorkelling. Karaoke is available too, because every resort eventually asks whether your holiday needs a microphone.

Reception is open around the clock, with check-out at 12:00. The resort offers airport transfers, which you arrange with the hotel, and vehicle hire is available. Free parking, luggage storage, an ATM, a safe at reception and concierge services keep the arrival and departure mechanics reasonably simple.

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the resort. Laundry, ironing and dry-cleaning services are available, and there is an on-site infirmary. The property also has a meeting room, business facilities and wheelchair-accessible facilities. Smoking areas are provided, while the accommodation is non-smoking.

For the room itself, the useful basics include air conditioning in selected categories, a fridge, safe, shower, hairdryer, toiletries and slippers. Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, China UnionPay, Diners Club and cash are accepted. The resort also has shops and a souvenir shop, which may save you a separate errand when a small practical purchase is needed.