Bold concrete and tropical stillness on the edge of Bacuit Bay in El Nido, Mimaropa

The Funny Lion El Nido

Bold concrete and tropical stillness on the edge of Bacuit Bay

Reserve this Stay
Boutique Hotel in El Nido, Mimaropa
/The Funny Lion El Nido

The Funny Lion El Nido

9 Total Rooms
9 Room Types
3.3 (48 Reviews)

The approach itself announces a different kind of hotel. The Funny Lion El Nido rises from its beachfront setting as a striking study in raw concrete and industrial-inspired design, its geometric facade softened by the coconut palms and turquoise waters that define this corner of Palawan. The architecture makes no attempt to disappear into its surroundings. Instead, it stands in deliberate contrast, a contemporary structure that draws its confidence from exposed concrete walls, blackened steel, and clean minimalist lines. The effect is immediate and uncommon for El Nido: a boutique hotel that feels more like a design-forward gallery than a tropical resort.

Inside, the aesthetic carries through with consistency. Guest rooms are spare and purposeful, their concrete surfaces paired with warm wood tones and generous windows that pull in natural light and views of the bay. The rooftop pool is the hotel's social and visual anchor, an infinity-edge perch that looks out across Bacuit Bay and the dramatic karst formations that define El Nido's coastline. It is the kind of vantage point that rewards an unhurried afternoon, the limestone cliffs shifting in color as the sun tracks westward. Below, public spaces maintain the gallery-like restraint, with a lobby lounge area that serves as both gathering point and quiet retreat. The hotel's restaurant offers a menu that draws from Filipino and international influences, a relaxed setting where meals unfold against the same interplay of concrete and greenery that defines the rest of the property.

El Nido's appeal has always been its landscape, a coastline of hidden lagoons, white sand beaches, and limestone islands that feel primordial in their scale and beauty. Island-hopping tours depart daily to explore destinations like Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, and Secret Beach, and The Funny Lion sits within comfortable reach of the town's tour operators and departure points. Yet the hotel also functions as a counterpoint to the adventure, a place designed for the hours between excursions when what you want most is stillness, a cold drink at the rooftop pool, and a view that requires nothing of you.

What lingers about The Funny Lion is its willingness to be unexpected. In a destination defined by natural beauty, it introduces a design vocabulary that feels borrowed from urban architecture studios rather than tropical resort playbooks. The result is a property with genuine character, one where the sharpness of the design and the softness of the setting exist in productive tension. You return from a day on the water, sand still on your skin, and step into a space that feels almost sculptural in its calm. It is a rare balance for El Nido, and one that gives the hotel a personality entirely its own.

What we love about this stay

What strikes you about Ipil Suites isn't grandeur — it's proximity. Proximity to the water, to the unhurried rhythm of El Nido, to the feeling that you're staying somewhere genuinely woven into the place rather than dropped on top of it. The rooms lean into the natural palette of Palawan, tasteful without overreaching, and the sound of the ocean drifts in like a second layer of quiet. Steps from El Nido Main Beach and within a short walk of Bacuit Bay, there's an easy intimacy with the town that larger resorts can't replicate. Mornings begin with breakfast built around local ingredients, and that sense of locality carries through the whole stay. It's the kind of place that earns its calm honestly.

Luggage Storage

Wheelchair Accessible

Luggage Drop-off

Luggage Storage

Wheelchair Accessible

Luggage Drop-off

Explore our rooms & suites

Where you'll be staying

Balinsasayaw Road, El Nido, Mimaropa, Philippines

Hear it from other travelers

What you need to know

2:00 PM

We understand that plans can change. The cancellation terms below describe the standard policy. Your specific booking’s eligibility for cancellation and refund is determined by the terms shown at the time of booking. **Standard Refundable Terms** For reservations that are marked as refundable: - Guests may cancel up to 48 hours before check-in to receive a full refund - Cancellations made less than 48 hours before check-in may be eligible for a partial refund No refunds are issued for: - No-shows - Cancellations made after check-in - Non-Refundable Reservations Some reservations may be marked as non-refundable. - For these bookings, cancellations or no-shows are not eligible for a refund, regardless of timing. **Refund Processing** Eligible refunds are processed to the original payment method and typically appear within 5–10 business days, depending on your payment provider.Reservation Changes Changes to reservations, including date modifications, are subject to availability and may incur additional charges and must be made up to 48 hours before check-in

12:00 PM

Not allowed

Watch this Stay

Get notified when this stay runs special offers or becomes available during your preferred travel dates. We'll also connect you to the property so you can be eligible for insider rewards and premium experiences.

TRAVEL WITH JOURNEY

TRAVEL WITH JOURNEY

TRAVEL WITH JOURNEY

TRAVEL WITH JOURNEY

TRAVEL WITH JOURNEY

TRAVEL WITH JOURNEY

TRAVEL WITH JOURNEY

TRAVEL WITH JOURNEY