S Resort El Nido Review

When we were in the process of booking our trip to El Nido, Palawan, there was some debate as to where to stay.  We could have gotten a cheaper hotel with less amenities and no view of the beach.  I knew that a good view was important and wanted to make it a memorable trip.  We booked with Emerald Travel Agency, which gave us our transportation from Puerto Princessa to El Nido, our 3 nights at the S Resort El Nido, 1 night in Puerto Princessa and Tour A.  So, with all of the things included in our package it is hard to say the exact price for the hotel, but it was definitely reasonable and booking for a group with the travel agency paid off.  In total, this package cost us about $300 CAD.  The hotel would have been more if we booked on our own.

Upgrading our hotel to the S Resort was definitely worth it.  When we entered the hotel lobby, we were immediately greeted with friendly staff, a cool towel and a refreshing glass of juice.  I also noticed the modern/stylish décor and how clean the lobby was.  And speaking of cleanliness, being right near the beach and since El Nido is a home to many water activities, hotel guests would continuously bring sand into the lobby.  There was a foot wash station outside and the hotel staff were constantly cleaning the floor to ensure tip top cleanliness.  The lobby also had cold water and free coffee.

Our room was spacious, modern and clean.  The washroom was luxurious with a large waterfall shower, automated soap and packed with amenities including a new toothbrush daily, tooth paste, all the basics and a pair of slippers for each guest.  There was also a balcony overlooking the charming town of El Nido.

The hotel comes with free breakfast and there are a few options you can choose from: Filipino, English, Fruits and Yogurts or Continental.  And they will even let you combine the types of breakfasts too.  You can’t go wrong with whatever option you choose and the breakfast will be large, fresh and tasty each morning.  But even better than breakfast, is the view from the rooftop patio where the restaurant is located.  The rooftop overlooks the town and El Nido Beach and bay.  Aside from the breakfast, I didn’t try the restaurant for dinner, which mostly serves seafood.  Although, I definitely enjoyed a few beers from there daily.  The view is nice but the décor in the restaurant is minimal.  And one downside was that you could order beers from the restaurant but there isn’t really a bar up there like many of the top hotels in El Nido offer.

In addition to the rooftop patio with a wicked view, the location of S Resort El Nido is perfect.  You are steps away from the beach and bay and are surrounded by many good restaurants.  Across the street is a Schwarma place, an ice cream shop and a fresh fish market which also has tons of street food at night.  And within seconds you will be on the main street in El Nido which has a variety of restaurants and bars to choose from.

The hotel will also provide shuttle services (with a fee) to many of the tourists spots in Palawan, such as Nacpan Beach.  We ordered a shuttle to Nacpan and the hotel staff hooked us up with their partner resort, Nacpan Beach Glamping Resort, where we were given chairs, towels and service for our wonderful day spent relaxing on the beach.

Here is how I would break down my rating of S Resort El Nido:

Rooms – excellent

Service – excellent

Price – reasonable

Amenities – excellent 

Food – good

Location – Excellent 

Rooftop Patio – excellent 

Atmosphere – good

El Nido was a blast and our experience at the S Resort definitely added to it.  The best part was waking up early, watching the sunrise with a coffee while looking out at the bay each morning.  The view was phenomenal and is something I miss while writing this in the cold weather back home.