The best hotels in Puerto Princesa

This is the spine of Puerto Princesa for a reason. Rizal Avenue connects the airport zone to the downtown market, and the best local restaurants, tour booking offices, and tricycle stops are all clustered here. You won't need to plan transport for every meal.

Duchess Pension House, Kalui Restaurant and Guesthouse, and Legend Hotel all sit along or just off this corridor. Prices range from $45 to $220/night depending on what you need. The budget end is genuinely good value; the upper end gives you business-class amenities without the resort isolation.

The area slows down after 10 pm, but there's enough street food and late-night spots near the public market to keep night owls occupied. It's not a party zone, which most visitors here are fine with.

Malvar Street runs one block from the bay and about 5 minutes walk from Rizal Avenue. It's noticeably less chaotic, with Puerto Pension and Princesa Garden Island Resort both anchored here. The Underground River permit office is also on this street, which is genuinely useful.

Princesa Garden Island Resort is built around a small lagoon, which sounds gimmicky but actually works. At $260-380/night, it's one of the better resort-in-the-city experiences you'll find in Palawan. Puerto Pension at $120-160/night is the consistent crowd favorite for mid-range travelers.

The Baywalk promenade is a 10-minute walk from most hotels on this street. It's popular with locals in the evening, especially on weekends, and a few decent restaurants and snack stalls line the route.

Sheridan Beach sits along the North National Highway about 6 km from downtown. The beach itself is calm and swimmable most of the year, with a few local beach clubs and resorts scattered along the strip. Sheridan Beach Resort and Spa is the main property here.

At $110-175/night, it's the most affordable beachfront option in our list. The spa is legitimately good. You're about 25 minutes by tricycle from Rizal Avenue if you want city food or nightlife, which keeps you slightly more dependent on the resort's own restaurant.

The surrounding area has a few small local eateries within 10 minutes walk. It's not remote, but it's not urban either. Good for travelers who want a beach base without the full island-resort commitment.

Bancao-Bancao is a coastal barangay about 4 km from the city center, home to the Badjao Seafront Resort. It's a waterfront area but more harbor than beach. The resort makes the most of the setting, with overwater elements and sunset views that actually deliver.

At $185-240/night, it's positioned as a romantic retreat. And it works as exactly that. The surrounding neighborhood is mostly residential and fishing community, which adds local character but means limited dining options outside the resort itself.

A tricycle to Rizal Avenue runs about $3-4 and takes 15 minutes. It's not the most convenient location for exploring, but couples who want to stay in and unwind won't mind the slight isolation.

Honda Bay is 12 km north of the city, reached via the Santa Lourdes Road pier. From there, it's a 30-minute speedboat to Arreceffi Island and Dos Palmas, or shorter rides to smaller island resorts. This is where Puerto Princesa earns its Palawan reputation.

Dos Palmas at $280-420/night and Princesa Garden's island component at $260-380/night aren't cheap. But both are all-inclusive enough that you're not hemorrhaging cash on extras. The snorkeling around Honda Bay's Starfish Island and Cowrie Island alone is worth the trip out here.

Don't try to day-trip to Honda Bay and stay in the city to save money. By the time you pay for boat tours, entrance fees, and transport both ways, you're spending almost as much without the experience. Book a night or two here and do it properly.