The Funny Lion Puerto Princesa: Beautiful Beachfront Boutique Hotel

The number one hotel brand in Palawan, The Funny Lion, is now in Puerto Princesa City! The provincial capital serves as the main gateway to the Philippines’ Last Frontier. This hotel brand first opened in Coron in the northern part of the province, where I was fortunate to be one of the very first guests. The resort’s quirky name was inspired by the African animals on Calauit Island.

Conveniently located only 15 minutes’ drive from the Puerto Princesa International Airport, The Funny Lion Puerto Princesa is a gorgeous beachfront boutique hotel. The property is characterized by minimalist architecture and interior design, accented by locally handcrafted tropical decor. The brand-new resort offers an excellent introduction to Palawan, before exploring the capital’s many wonders.

Among the top tourist attractions in the city is the the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. Venturing further beyond, one can continue their Palawan adventure in Port Barton, El Nido or Balabac.

*The Funny Lion features a relaxing beachfront location!*

*A fiddler crab scurries across the quiet beach*

*Guests may enjoy free use of kayaks and SUPs*

Amenities

The narrow hotel building features 32 spacious, well-appointed rooms with a modern, minimalist interior design. I stayed at their entry-level King Room which had a floor area of 30.4 sqm with en-suite toilet and shower, a free mini bar and flat-screen TV. A sliding door opens up to a lawn shaded by tall coconut trees.

Walking from the rooms to the beach, one passes through open-air corridors flanked by manicured greenery. At the end of the building is Hunt, the all-day dining restaurant and poolside bar, and the outdoor swimming pool, guarded by elegant palm trees.

Fronting the resort is a quiet stretch of sandy beach, lined with lounge chairs and beanbags where guests may read, relax and sunbathe. The sandy shore stretches out to silty mudflats with patches of mangrove. It isn’t particularly suited for swimming. Guests, however, can borrow kayaks or stand-up paddle boards for free to explore the shallows and mangrove forests fronting the resort during high tide, which was a fun activity to do.

What I loved most about the beach was that it was very peaceful, as there are only a few other resorts nearby. It also had local atmosphere, wherein one can observe daily local life and the simple beauty of nature. When the tide recedes, one can observe villagers collect edible shells along the mudflats, or watch fiddle crabs peek from their burrows and (if you stay quiet and still) scurry across the sands.

Dining Options

Rooms are inclusive of daily buffet breakfast served at Hunt, their all-day dining restaurant, situated next to the beachfront swimming pool. I especially enjoyed having breakfast here while enjoying the sunrise.

Check-in guests may also borrow mountain bikes to find local eats in the neighborhood. Nitchie’s Vietnamese Noodle House is a popular eatery serving localized Vietnamese cuisine that Puerto Princesa is known for like pho (locally called chaolong). Vietnamese food was introduced to Puerto Princesa by Vietnamese refugees from the 1970s to early 1990s. The restaurant is located only 800 meters away from the resort.

Room Rates

Accommodation at The Funny Lion Puerto Princesa starts at ₱6,800 per night for a King Room (king-size bed) or Cub Room (twin beds), good for two persons. This includes daily buffet breakfast, free mini-bar, and free use of resort pool, bicycles, kayaks and stand-up paddle boards. Check room availability and find discounted room rates here!

*Beachfront of The Funny Lion Puerto Princesa*

How to Get There

The Funny Lion Puerto Princesa is located 3.6 kilometers (15-minute drive) from Puerto Princesa International Airport. Guests may arrange airport transfers with the resort, or take a taxi from the airport.

A cost-effective means of transport while staying here is to rent your own scooter. Located 200 m north of the airport junction (across Star Oil gas station), Bataga Vehicle Rental (contact no. +63 9530867992 or +63 9126062075) rents out scooters, motorbikes and cars to tourists. Scooter rental rates are ₱500 per day, exclusive of fuel.

Another trustworthy and very affordable mode of transport around the city for solo travelers is Backride Palawan, an app-based motorcycle taxi service.