Lawson's Beach Resort — Hotel in San Juan

We spent a month traveling in the Philippines, staying in 7 different places during this time. Even the 5 star accommodations in Bantayan and Panglao didn't come close to the welcoming nature and the desire the owners and staff at Lawson's Beach Resort commited towards making your stay the best that it could possibly be.

The family that owns and runs Lawson's Beach Resort have created an amazing destination, and culture, that in all my travels is surpassed by none. David, Je Je, Nathan, and Max are the perfect hosts; surrounding themselves with staff that care just as much as they do.

Working for Lexus in the UK, I spend a lot of time instilling high level customer service practices and values into staff. For Lexus, the core part of this is the Japanese art of Omotenashi (the key elements of which are, paying attention to the small details, anticipating the needs of others, and going above and beyond to meet them). Without even realising it, omotenashi comes as easily as breathing at Lawson's Beach Resort. They genuinely can't do enough for you, not for financial gain either, it's just part of their nature.

During our stay, there were so many examples of this; I casually mentioned that I was struggling to book a ferry off the island, due to the online payments constantly failing. Je Je booked and payed it for us, just adding it to our check-out.

We rented a motorbike from a local company, the first came with the rear and brake lights not working, the second with a faulty headlight. Seeing that our day was wasting away, David lent us their own personal bike so we didn't have to lose more time waiting for another to be delivered!

We loved the island so much that we decided to change our plans and stay another couple of days but, being Christmas, everywhere on Booking.com was fully booked. Je Je spent several hours phoning and messaging other hotels to find us accommodation and, when she did, drove us there themselves expecting nothing in return. They also drove to the ferry port and changed our booked ticket for us to the new leaving date.

The place itself is lovely, the rooms are meticulously designed and decorated. The mattresses are western style (rather than the foam biscuits that are prominent in the Philippines), and promote an easy night's sleep. The beach is stunning and has some of the best sunsets that I have ever seen, paired with the great music that David plays on the veranda, and Max, the beautiful family dog, curled up next to you, produce some of the most relaxing evenings you will ever have.

The beach has some great snorkeling. It is a very shallow shelf, so you will need to walk out in ankle to knee high water for 5 or so minutes before you get to the good stuff (aqua shoes are highly recommended). Lawson's beach is next to a Marine Conservation Park, and has exactly the same marine life in its sea, you can lose hours out there, it's mesmerising!

The island itself is full of beautiful nature; waterfalls, beaches, marine life, mountain views. Too much to go into in a hotel review, needless to say, you will not run out of things to do and see.

There are plenty of nice resteraunts within walking distance of Lawson's Beach Resort, options for breakfast, lunch, and evening meals. These include English/American, Italian, Thai, and Filipino. If you fancy eating in, the Lawson staff are more than happy to collect your food from one of the local resteraunts, even taking the plates back for you after. For drinks at the hotel, there is a well stocked fridge containing soft and alcoholic drinks that the owners operate on an honour system; just write down what you take, and they will add it to your check-out.

I recommend that if you are coming to Siquijor, or the Philippines in general, you book to stay at Lawson Beach Resort. The resort, the people, and the island, will be the highlight...

We recently had the pleasure of staying at Lawson's Hotel and Resort in San Juan, Siquijor, and it was an unforgettable experience. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with warmth and hospitality that set the tone for our entire stay.

Jhe, the owner of Lawson's, exemplifies what it meant to be an exeptional. She goes above and beyond to ensure that her guests feel welcome and comfortable. And she looked after my parents when we had a mistake of booking at Nakabalo Resort. For once, we were so worried but Jhe and her staff saved the day, to the point that she looked after them personally while my wife and I are away, to the point that she prepared the meals herself, showcasing that she is prepared to go and beyond the extra mile.

The staff at Lawson's were equally remarkable. They were incredibly friendly, always ready to assist with any request or inquiry we had. Whether it was recommending local attractions or arranging transportation, they were attentive and helpful throughout our stay.

The accommodations at Lawson's were cozy and well-appointed, providing everything we needed for a relaxing getaway. The resort's serene surroundings and picturesque views added to the overall charm of the experience.

Overall, my time at Lawson's Hotel and Resort exceeded all expectations. From Jhe's personalized care to the friendly and attentive staff, every aspect of the stay was top-notch. I highly recommend Lawson's to anyone looking for a memorable and enjoyable stay in San Juan, Siquijor.

On a final note, the icing on the cake was getting to speak with Jhe's husband, who's playlist is amazing, and I wish I could have interacted with him more coz me me being a conservative and him being a Republican, I felt at ease to speak my opinion about current events and politics. 😂 ...

We loved our stay here and we want to go back again, planning to stay on our next trip here in Siquijor! Owners are kind and accommodating. We also booked their roundtrip transfer from the port. They let us stay on the bigger room and we're so happy with it! They also assisted us with the motor rental, nearby food resto just in front of the resort, Loca Loco, has delicious food. I get to work by the beach since its beachfront, they have strong Wifi connection, very peaceful and quiet, we also watched Netflix, and we got to enjoy the balcony rooftop, very spacious! We also love Max the bulldog, he's too cute. Overall, if time permits, we wanted to stay for more than a week here, but surely next time we'll stay here longer! If you want to get away with the city noise, this resort is perfect to stay. I highly recommend...