Lagen, El Nido — Hotel in El Nido

My best friend & I got to Lagen Island on 1/19/19 we were speechless w/how beautiful it was. For months we looked at photos of the resort & daydreamed about it. The photos don't represent how breathtaking this island truly is! A major factor for our decision to book this resort is that this is an eco friendly resort! Once we disembarked from the boat, we were greeted w/large warm smiles, necklaces made from a palm leaf, & a refreshing drink. We were escorted to the front desk & Johnny Ray helped us check in and gave us an overview of the amenities, excursions and explained different dining options for our stay. He accompanied us to our room, on the way he showed us where the different areas were located for dining, the gym, the bar & boutique . When we arrived to our room he showed us which remotes went to what device and where our complimentary slippers were and most importantly to press "0" if there was anything we needed.I like to preplan quite a bit and had explained that I booked multiple island hopping tours through a company in town prior to arrival & gave him the scheduled dates & times. I asked about transportation options back to town. That was when I realized that the complimentary charter they offer back into town where we needed to be for our tours in the mornings didn't workout timing wise (my bad!). He asked me for the tour group info and helped coordinate with them pick up/drop off for us! Lifesaver! PRO TIP: Book all of your island hopping tours/excursions through the resort, it's a lot more convenient!For our dining options we decided to choose the all-inclusive buffet for our meals. Everyday we were so excited to have our breakfast! There were so many options & fresh juices. All the buffet meals were different everyday. There were different staples for every meal that were the same(rice, breads, eggs made to order in the a.m.), which was great because my friend was addicted to their garlic rice! To be honest, we looked forward to every meal here! The room service a la carte items were delicious also. You won't be disappointed, the chefs are amazing! When we got back from our 1st day of island hopping Jazz, the activities coordinator asked us how our day was. I told her during that tour my GoPro was claimed by the ocean & not obtainable but other than that it was a great day! I asked her if she knew where I could purchase another one. She was able to locate one for me in town and Johnny Ray was able to help me coordinate a pick up for it on our transfer to our next resort which was in 2 days. I appreciate them going above and beyond to help me with this, they really did not have to do any of that!All of the staff members are so friendly and so welcoming here that we were so sad to leave. It was about that time & we had to check out and transfer to our next resort on 1/22/19. We arrived at our next resort, 15mins after being there we decided we really wanted to go back to Lagen Island & spend our last 2 nights in El Nido there. While the current property we were at was beautiful as well, it just wasn't Lagen. We truly missed the vibe of Lagen & the amazing team there, we felt more like home there! We immediately called and asked if there was anyway we could come back & unfortunately it was getting late & the coast guard curfew was rapidly approaching. We were unable to make the transfer back to Lagen that night but they had us back on a boat bright & early the next day! We were so excited to be going back "home"! Once we arrived we were welcomed back with warm smiles & open arms! Ms. Jen was so great and truly went above & beyond to get us back to Lagen. She even helped us coordinate a private van transfer to our next destination because a transfer flight I purchased wouldn't work with our connecting flight. They were able to contact the airline for me. They truly did way more than we expected for us, faced all of our challenges we had presented from losing a GoPro,...

My wife and I didn’t know what to expect, embarking on our second chance at a vacation canceled from last year. Work had slowed down in the weeks preceding. Friends warned of the searing, nigh 40°C heat and we had just had a frustrating debacle with the airline.||||The day we landed in the isles, I immediately felt better. We met Jake Lindo, who took us on a speedboat circling a towering, cone-shaped mountain and into a secluded cove where quaint water huts hovered above a pristine white sand beach. It was the calmest, bluest sea we had ever seen.||||Upon our arrival, Louise, Bhel and her team welcomed us ashore with a rousing native ballad, setting the tone for their impeccable care and hospitality throughout our stay. Fhee greeted us that evening with a candle-lit dinner where we met world-class waiter, Gamie. Together they catered to our every gastronomic delight, regaling us with unique native concoctions and Gamie’s patented sub-zero buko.||||In the days ahead, Jake transformed himself into the ultimate tour guide, personal photographer, lifeguard and all-around guardian as we navigated lagoons, caves, sandbars and coral reefs. His expertise and dedication made every adventure memorable.||||The night of our private dinner by the entrance of a grand cavern, Wilfred served as our dedicated waiter while Sir Mike serenaded us with Filipino classics, transporting my wife and I back to the days of our youth and a more romantic era.||||On the final day, when a tropical storm swept in with howling winds, monsoon rain and white-crested waves, Jake’s team skillfully guided us through each stage of our journey by land, sea and foot, worthy of a Survivor episode–at all times ensuring safety of life and property with unerring planning and precision of execution.||||We left with a mix of euphoria and wonderment. As world travelers who have seen it all, I could only speculate how all these came about. The feeling of privacy and exclusivity juxtaposed with the genuine smiles, utter care and professionalism cast perfectly against the breathtaking scenery. It was nothing short of ...well, magical.||||I knew in the end this carefully curated blend of nature and culture was neither accidental nor borne of circumstance. We learned a week later that this was a project architected by the Ayalas, our silent caretakers and visionary custodians of this enchanting corner of the world. Their work of love culminated in the Lagen experience, a cherished treasure my dear wife and I will keep with us forever.||||Thank you...

This was my third stay here, and not my last! This resort is so beautiful; the scenery is just idyllic and stunning. It is an eco-resort and you can feel the resort's dedication to preserving the environment in everything they do, including giving you hand-made straw/locally-designed bags vs. plastic - no plastic on this island! The food is fresh, delicious local Filipino food. By day you can choose from countless adventures - snorkeling, diving, island-hopping, hiking, etc., but it is also such a romantic place to just lounge and be with your loved ones. I've been with family, also with friends, also with my husband and have had a wonderful time each time. It's amazing to be able to go island-hopping and take your lunch on another island, and explore so many different secret lagoons and coves throughout the area.

The staff is so kind, warm and hospitable. We really connected with two staff members in particular:

Gami - very friendly, knew how to chat with guests when they were feeling sociable and wanted to talk to other guests/bartender, but he also knew when guests wanted quiet time/space. My husband and I were very chatty and had lots of questions about the fish, the island, and Gami knew all the answers, but also made sure that we had our privacy as well. He was a great bartender who I had met there before at Lagen and he remembered me, also remembered I was there during a birthday and just gotten married and he had arranged for birthday singing for me and complimentary wine. Very loyal, super great staff member and demonstrated superb hospitality.

Aldren - also very friendly, very adept, skilled tour guide and boat guide. He quickly learned/intuited that my husband and I are early morning people who like to wake up and seize the day. He helped us plan the best tour experiences such that we woke up and attacked the best sights - Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Secret Lagoon - immediately, before the rest of the guests throughout El Nido woke up. We loved this - being able to explore these locations before other tourists were there. Aldren just knew the perfect itinerary for us, and was so generous in helping us get amazing photos from the trip - even climbing cave walls to get those perfect shots for us! He also was very informative about the nature, the species, wildlife...incredible. He, like Gami, knew when to educate us and give us interesting info but also when to give the couple privacy. Great intuition and hospitality.

We loved our stay there, and will be back! Please don't...