During the “Bonggang Bakasyon sa Puerto Princesa” tour in celebration of Puerto Princesa Underground River Day, I stayed with two contest winners and their companions at Blue Palawan Beach Club, one of the newer resorts located at the heart of the city. I was looking forward to my stay at this beach resort, which only opened early this year, as it boasts of being the only one situated along a white-sand beach within the city proper of Puerto Princesa. In terms of architecture, the Blue Palawan creates the perfect balance of native and contemporary styles. Both its clubhouse and casitas are white-washed concrete structures roofed over with indigenous and environmentally sustainable materials such as bamboo and nipa which encouraged natural ventilation and evoked a rustic atmosphere. The entire resort faces a decent (but not great) white-sand beach with some mangroves on one side. The lackluster beachline, however, since it’s east-facing, has glorious sunrises! So make sure you rise early enough to watch nature’s light show, when you get the chance to stay here.
While the resort amenities and their design made an impression, their customer service seriously failed to do so. Their receptionists seemed unprepared for our arrival, and throughout our three-day stay most of the resort staff seemed either shy or aloof. You can barely get at least a genuine smile or courteous greeting out of any of the staff members, thereby spoiling my positive first impressions with the resort’s design and feel. It’s a shame that they did not take the chance of hosting a major city event as an opportune time to put their best foot forward.
Amenities
A shallow lap pool lays right in front of the clubhouse, facing front tree-lined beachfront. The website describes it as an “infinity pool” but it doesn’t spillover to create the illusion of a continuous horizon like the ones I’ve seen in other resorts. The resort offers the following seasonal recreational activities: kiteboarding, wake boarding, surfing, scuba diving and archery.
Room Rates
Rooms start at PHP 5,800 for single unit and duplex beachfront casitas elegantly furnished with Italian and American fixtures and fitted with air-conditioning, hot and cold water, toilet and bath area, cable television and 24/7 wi-fi connection. The casita I stayed in was designed for couples, as it featured twin lavatories and shower heads. All rooms have the custom memory foam mattresses. Find discounted room rates here!
Meals
Rooms come with breakfast buffet for two at the clubhouse which also serves As we were out most of the time on full-day tours, we only got to experience their breakfast buffet. Although, a friend raved about their lechon kawali (deep-fried pork belly)!
How to Get There
From the Puerto Princesa International Airport, taxis and tricycles can take you to Blue Palawan, located behind Robinsons Palawan at the end of BM Road in Barangay San Pedro. The resort offers free airport transfers for its guests.
Contact Details
Blue Palawan
Hidden Beach, Barangay San Pedro, Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Contact Number: +639178314118
Email: reservations@bluepalawan.com
Special thanks to the Puerto Princesa City Government and Philippine Airlines which links Puerto Princesa to Manila, Cebu and Iloilo.
That’s a truly beautiful resort! I like its coziness.
The casitas were cozy and romantic! I was looking forward to staying here after hearing a friend recommend the resort, but the poor customer service was a major letdown.