Trying to work out the best places to stay in Port Barton? The good news is that choosing accommodation here is much easier than in many other destinations in Palawan.
Port Barton is a small, laid-back beach town where you can stay within easy walking distance of the beach, restaurants and bars without paying anything like the prices you might expect in El Nido.
And this is one of the things I love about Port Barton. It still feels much less developed and touristy than El Nido. You won’t find huge international resorts or luxury hotel towers here. Instead, Port Barton hotels tend to be small, locally run places, beachfront cottages, guesthouses and boutique-style properties.
That doesn’t mean you have to rough it, though. There are now some surprisingly nice places to stay in Port Barton, including hotels with pools, stylish rooms and beachfront locations. At the other end of the scale, there are still some fantastic cheap rooms for backpackers and anyone who’d rather spend their money exploring Palawan.
Whatever your budget, I’ve picked out ten of the best options below.
Our Top Picks: Best Places To Stay In Port Barton
If you don’t want to read through all ten reviews, these are the places I’d look at first:
Royal Suites Port Barton – Best higher-end choice. If you want one of the more polished stays in Port Barton, this would be my pick. There’s a pool, restaurant and even a fitness center, and it’s still only around an eight-minute walk from the beach. Click here for prices.
La Palapa Inn Port Barton – Best all-rounder. This is a particularly appealing option if you want something comfortable and attractive without paying for one of Port Barton’s most expensive hotels. It has a pool, lovely garden setting and is around a six-minute walk from the beach. Click here for prices.
Holiday Suites Port Baron – Best hotel by the beach. Click here for prices.
Summer Homes Beach Front Resort and Cottages – Best for staying right on the beach for cheap. You can choose from simple rooms, beachfront cottages and family accommodation, with Port Barton Beach literally outside. Click here for prices.
Garpeza Backpackers – Best budget choice. It’s just a couple of minutes’ walk from the beach, gets particularly good feedback for value and has both private and shared bathroom options. Click here for prices.
Comparison Of The Best Hotels In Port Barton
The prices below are relative to other accommodation in Port Barton rather than fixed nightly rates. Actual prices can change considerably depending on your dates.
| Hotel | Price | Location | Pool | Best For |
| Summer Homes Beach Front Resort and Cottages | $–$$ | Beachfront | No | Beachfront stay |
| Besaga Beachfront B&B | $$ | Beachfront | No | Couples/beach |
| Holiday Suites Port Barton | $$$ | Beachfront | Yes | Beachfront stay + resort facilities |
| Ausan Beach Front Cottages | $–$$ | Beachfront | No | Traditional beach cottages |
| La Palapa Inn Port Barton | $$ | Town | Yes | Best all-rounder |
| Janhour Place | $ | Town | No | Cheap private rooms |
| Hotel Oasis Port Barton | $$ | Town | Yes | Families/couples |
| Royal Suites Port Barton | $$$ | Town | Yes | Higher-end stay |
| Hiraya Apartments | $$ | Town | No | Longer stays/extra space |
| Garpeza Backpackers | $ | Town/beach | No | Backpackers/budget |
As a rough guide, $ means one of the cheaper places to stay in Port Barton, $$ is midrange for the town and $$$ represents the more expensive end of the local market.
Don’t interpret $$$ as five-star luxury. Port Barton simply isn’t that kind of destination. Even its more expensive hotels are relatively small and relaxed compared with the big resorts you’ll find elsewhere in Palawan.
Where To Stay In Port Barton
If you’ve been researching where to stay in Port Barton and expecting to have to choose between lots of different neighborhoods, you can stop worrying.
Port Barton is tiny.
If you stay in the main town, you’ll generally be able to walk to the beach, restaurants, shops and other places you’ll need.
For most travelers, I’d simply concentrate on finding the hotel you like best rather than worrying too much about which part of town it’s in.
The main choice I’d make is whether you specifically want one of the places to stay near Port Barton Beach – or directly on it. Staying beachfront is lovely if you want to step outside and immediately feel like you’re on a tropical holiday. Summer Homes, Besaga, Holiday Suites and Ausan are all good options for this.
However, don’t discount accommodation a few streets back. Port Barton is compact enough that somewhere such as Hotel Oasis is still only a few minutes’ walk from the beach, while La Palapa and Royal Suites are also within easy walking distance.
You’ll often get better facilities for your money by moving away from the absolute beachfront.
Best Port Barton Hotels
Summer Homes Beach Front Resort and Cottages Review
Summer Homes is one of my favorite options if your priority is staying right on Port Barton Beach without paying for one of the town’s most expensive hotels.
The biggest attraction is the location. The property fronts directly onto the beach, with a garden and restaurant between some of the accommodation and the sea. This is the sort of place where you can wander out in the morning and immediately feel like you’re on a tropical beach vacation.
There’s also a surprisingly good range of accommodation.
The Standard Double rooms have one double bed, while Standard Twin rooms have two single beds. Both have air-conditioning, private bathrooms and WiFi. If you’d rather wake up closer to the water, the Beach Front Cottages have a queen bed and private bathroom, although these simpler cottages use a fan rather than air-conditioning.
Families get a particularly useful option: the Family Rooms sleep up to five and have a queen bed plus a bunk bed, as well as air-conditioning, a private bathroom and balcony.
Summer Homes also has more facilities than you might expect from its relaxed cottage-style appearance. There’s a beachfront restaurant serving local, Asian and international food, a bar, spa and massage facilities, gardens and a tour desk that can help organize activities.
I particularly like that you can choose between a more traditional fan-cooled beachfront cottage and an air-conditioned room. I’d pick the cottage if waking up beside the beach matters most, but I’d choose one of the air-conditioned rooms if comfort is the priority.
Pros: Directly on Port Barton Beach, excellent range of room types, dedicated family rooms, restaurant and bar, spa and massage facilities.
Cons: Beachfront cottages are quite simple and some are fan-cooled rather than air-conditioned; no swimming pool.
Best for: Beach lovers and families who want to stay right on the sand.
Click here for the latest prices.
Besaga Beachfront B&B – Port Barton Review
Besaga is another great choice if you want to be right on the beach, but it has a more intimate B&B feel than a larger resort.
It sits directly on Port Barton Beach with its own beachfront area, restaurant, bar and gardens. You can eat breakfast looking toward the water and spend the day without needing to go anywhere if that’s what you feel like doing.
The rooms are also better equipped than the name “B&B” might suggest.
Couples can choose a King Room with Garden View, which has one king bed and sleeps two. It has air-conditioning, a private bathroom, flat-screen TV, WiFi, seating area and its own balcony/terrace.
There’s also a much larger Family Room with Sea View with two double beds plus a bunk bed. It has the same useful basics including air-conditioning, a private bathroom, TV and WiFi, as well as a balcony and sea view. It’s a particularly appealing configuration if you’re traveling with children or as a group and don’t want to book multiple rooms.
The on-site restaurant serves American and Asian food, with vegetarian options available, and there’s a bar and coffee shop too. There’s no swimming pool, but when the beach is literally outside, that may not matter to you.
I’d choose Besaga over some of the other beachfront accommodation if I wanted something small and relaxed but didn’t want to sacrifice air-conditioning and a proper private bathroom.
Pros: Direct beachfront location, king rooms, excellent family room configuration, air-conditioning, private bathrooms, restaurant and bar.
Cons: No swimming pool and fewer resort-style facilities than Holiday Suites.
Best for: Couples and families wanting a relaxed beachfront stay.
Click here for the latest prices.
Holiday Suites Port Barton Review
If you’re looking for a more resort-style stay in Port Barton, Holiday Suites is one of the best options. It has a fantastic beachfront position, so you can walk straight from the resort onto the sand, while still having a swimming pool for those times when you’d rather relax by the pool than swim in the sea.
It’s also one of the larger hotels in Port Barton, with 30 rooms and a good choice for both couples and families. The hotel itself describes the property as a beachfront resort, with a poolside restaurant and bar as well as direct beach access.
The Superior Rooms come with either a king bed or two single beds, while Deluxe Rooms also offer king or twin configurations, including options with a balcony and partial sea views. These rooms are around 25 square meters and can accommodate up to three people in some configurations. They have air-conditioning and private bathrooms, while many also have a refrigerator, TV, WiFi and other useful room facilities.
Families are particularly well catered for with a 35-square-meter Family Room containing one king bed and two single beds.
The facilities are one of the biggest reasons to choose Holiday Suites. There’s an outdoor swimming pool, children’s pool, restaurant, beach bar and private beach area, and breakfast is available.
Overall, I think Holiday Suites works particularly well if you want the convenience and facilities of a resort while still experiencing Port Barton’s laid-back beachfront atmosphere.
Pros: Beachfront location, swimming pool and children’s pool, restaurant and bar, dedicated family rooms, air-conditioning and good bed configurations.
Cons: One of the pricier Port Barton options.
Best for: Families and travelers looking for a beachfront hotel with resort-style facilities.
Click here for the latest prices.
Ausan Beach Front Cottages Review
Ausan is one of Port Barton’s long-standing beachfront accommodation options and a good choice if you want to stay right in the center of the action.
The property sits directly beside the beach and is close to Port Barton’s restaurants, dive shops and tour operators. This isn’t somewhere I’d choose for secluded resort luxury. I’d choose it because I wanted to open the door and have both the beach and town immediately around me.
There’s a much wider range of rooms than you might expect.
At the cheapest end are simple fan-cooled rooms and bungalows. Standard fan rooms generally have a double bed or two singles, private bathroom and balcony, while air-conditioned Standard Double or Twin Rooms have the same double-or-twin flexibility plus a private bathroom.
If you want the beach experience, look at the sea-view and beachfront categories. Double Sea View Rooms have a double or queen bed, air-conditioning and private bathroom, while Superior Sea View rooms can have a queen plus a single bed and add a TV. There’s also a Family Beachfront Cottage with a queen and single bed.
This means it’s important to look at the exact room you’re booking. There is a significant difference between a basic fan-cooled bungalow and an air-conditioned sea-view room.
Ausan has an on-site beachfront restaurant, WiFi in public areas and can help with activities such as diving and snorkeling. The accommodation itself is fairly traditional and simple, but that’s also why it can be an appealing option if you’d rather spend your money exploring Port Barton than on a fancy room.
Pros: Right on the beach, central location, large choice of room categories, both budget and air-conditioned options, sea-view rooms available.
Cons: The cheapest rooms are very basic and fan-cooled; quality and facilities vary significantly between room categories.
Best for: Budget-conscious beach lovers who care more about location than luxury.
Click here for the latest prices.
La Palapa Inn Port Barton Review
La Palapa is probably my favorite all-round option in this roundup.
It isn’t beachfront, but Port Barton Beach is only around a six-minute walk away. In exchange for giving up the absolute beachfront position, you get a peaceful garden setting and one of the nicest swimming pools among the smaller Port Barton hotels.
La Palapa keeps things simple when it comes to room choices. There are Deluxe Double Rooms with Balcony and Double Rooms with Terrace. Both are designed for two people and have one queen bed.
The rooms are a good size for a couple, at around 25–30 square meters depending on category, and include air-conditioning, private bathroom with shower, seating area, desk, electric kettle, safe, mosquito net and hairdryer. The Deluxe category adds a balcony, while both give you outdoor space and garden or mountain views.
The real appeal for me is the overall environment. There’s an outdoor swimming pool surrounded by greenery, a garden and terrace, and the property feels peaceful despite still being close enough to walk into town and to the beach.
Recent guests repeatedly praise the cleanliness, comfortable beds, helpful staff and quiet setting. Those are exactly the things I’d care about in Port Barton after spending a day island hopping or out exploring.
There’s no restaurant, so it isn’t a resort where you’ll spend your entire day. But Port Barton has plenty of places to eat and they’re within walking distance.
For couples in particular, I think La Palapa hits a sweet spot between comfort, facilities, location and value.
Pros: Lovely swimming pool, attractive garden setting, spacious air-conditioned rooms, private bathrooms, balconies/terraces, exceptionally positive recent feedback.
Cons: Not beachfront and no on-site restaurant.
Best for: Couples looking for the best balance of comfort, peace, location and value.
Click here for the latest prices.
Janhour Place Review
Janhour Place is a great example of why you don’t need a big accommodation budget in Port Barton.
It’s right in the village and only around a two-minute walk from Port Barton Beach. Restaurants and other businesses are nearby, yet recent guests specifically mention that it still manages to be quiet.
The Budget Double Room has one queen bed and a private bathroom. It’s a simple option, but you still get a terrace and garden or mountain views.
Families can step up to the Standard Family Room, which has two queen beds, air-conditioning and a private bathroom. It also has a terrace.
There are also other family-room configurations, and extra beds can be requested for children subject to availability.
Rooms, in general, are quite basic.
Facilities are more extensive than I’d expect at this price point. There’s a garden and sun terrace, spa facilities, a minimart, yoga classes and an outdoor fireplace. WiFi is available in the public areas, and shuttle and airport-transfer services can also be arranged.
Recent guests mention spacious rooms, comfortable beds, cleanliness, warm showers and particularly helpful owners. I think that’s a much better reason to consider Janhour than simply saying it’s cheap.
It isn’t somewhere to book if you want a pool or a polished resort experience. But if you’re going to spend most of your time on the beach and exploring Port Barton, it offers great value.
Pros: Excellent central location, very close to the beach, private bathrooms, air-conditioned family accommodation, helpful hosts.
Cons: No swimming pool or restaurant, and rooms are simple
Best for: Budget travelers and families wanting inexpensive private accommodation close to everything.
Click here for the latest prices.
Hotel Oasis Port Barton Review
Hotel Oasis is one of the strongest midrange choices in Port Barton, especially if you want more facilities than you’ll get at a simple beachfront cottage.
It’s located in Port Barton town rather than directly on the beach, but you’re still only a short walk from the water. The advantage is that you get a swimming pool, restaurant, bar and garden while remaining close to the restaurants and other conveniences of town.
There’s a particularly good range of rooms here.
Budget Rooms are designed for two and give you a double bed, air-conditioning and private bathroom. The Superior Double Rooms have a queen bed plus sofa bed, with room for an extra guest depending on configuration. They also include a private bathroom with hot and cold shower, air-conditioning, fridge, safe, WiFi, work desk and balcony overlooking the garden.
The Deluxe Double Rooms add more space and can come with a queen bed plus an additional single or sofa bed depending on the listing. Again, you get air-conditioning, a private bathroom, fridge, WiFi and balcony.
Families get an excellent option. The Superior Family accommodation has two separate sleeping areas plus a living room and can sleep up to five, with two queen beds and a single bed shown in current listings. It also has air-conditioning, private bathroom, fridge, WiFi and a garden-facing balcony.
Breakfast is included, with Continental, American and Filipino choices, and having the restaurant and bar on site makes this an easy place to stay when you don’t feel like heading out for every meal.
For me, the pool is another major plus. Port Barton has plenty of beachfront accommodation without pools, so Oasis makes sense if you want to be close to the beach but also want somewhere comfortable to cool off back at the hotel.
Pros: Swimming pool, restaurant and bar, breakfast included, excellent family accommodation, air-conditioning, hot-water showers, fridges and balconies in higher room categories.
Cons: Not directly beachfront and the Budget Rooms are considerably simpler than the higher categories.
Best for: Families and couples wanting a comfortable midrange hotel with plenty of facilities.
Click here for the latest prices.
Royal Suites Port Barton Review
Royal Suites would be my first choice if you want one of the more polished places to stay in Port Barton.
It’s around an eight-minute walk from the beach, so you’re giving up a beachfront position, but you get significantly more space and facilities in return.
The accommodation is also quite different from a normal hotel-room setup. Options include Bungalows, Deluxe Villas and Apartments, making Royal Suites particularly interesting for families and groups as well as couples.
The Bungalows are ideal for two, with one double bed, separate bedroom and living area, private bathroom, air-conditioning, minibar, fridge, WiFi and a private terrace overlooking the garden. They’re around 40 square meters, so you get much more space than in many Port Barton double rooms.
Families and groups have some excellent choices. Deluxe Villas and terrace apartments have two double beds and can accommodate four or more people, while the large Duplex Apartment has two bedrooms, three double beds in total and two bathrooms. It also has a living room, balcony, air-conditioning, minibar and garden/pool/mountain views.
The facilities are another reason Royal Suites stands out. There’s an outdoor swimming pool, restaurant, fitness center, garden and sun terrace, and breakfast is available. It’s much closer to the feeling of a small boutique resort than a basic Port Barton guesthouse.
I especially like Royal Suites for families who want space. Being able to book an apartment or villa instead of squeezing everyone into one conventional hotel room can make a big difference.
Pros: Spacious accommodation, excellent villas and apartments for families/groups, swimming pool, restaurant, fitness center, air-conditioning and very strong recent reviews from guests.
Cons: More expensive than many Port Barton hotels and around an eight-minute walk rather than directly on the beach.
Best for: Families, groups and couples wanting one of Port Barton’s more comfortable, higher-end stays.
Click here for the latest prices.
Hiraya Apartments Review
Hiraya Apartments is the odd one out in this list – in a good way.
Instead of a conventional hotel room, you get your own apartment. I’d seriously consider it if I were staying in Port Barton for more than a few nights or simply wanted more space and independence.
There are two main one-bedroom options. The One-Bedroom Apartment with Terrace is around 25 square meters and has one double bed, while the larger Superior One-Bedroom Apartment is around 40 square meters with a queen bed. Both are intended for two people.
The big difference from a hotel is that the apartments have fully equipped kitchens as well as private bathrooms, air-conditioning and their own terraces. You also get WiFi, a dining area and outdoor seating, and some accommodation has mountain views.
Having a kitchen is useful even if you don’t plan on cooking elaborate meals. Being able to make breakfast, keep drinks cold or prepare something simple can be very handy on a longer stay.
Hiraya is around a seven-minute walk from Port Barton Beach. It’s a little removed from the busiest part of town, which I actually see as an advantage if you want somewhere peaceful.
There’s no swimming pool or restaurant, so don’t book Hiraya expecting resort facilities. You’re choosing it for privacy, space and the ability to have your own little home in Port Barton.
Pros: Full kitchen, spacious apartments, air-conditioning, private bathrooms, terraces, excellent WiFi, quiet setting.
Cons: No swimming pool or restaurant and slightly farther from the beach than the most central properties.
Best for: Couples, longer stays and travelers who prefer an apartment to a conventional hotel.
Click here for the latest prices.
Garpeza Backpackers Review
Garpeza Backpackers is my pick if you want to keep accommodation costs as low as possible without sacrificing a good location or cleanliness.
It’s only around a two-minute walk from Port Barton Beach, so staying cheaply doesn’t mean ending up on the outskirts of town. Restaurants and bars are within easy walking distance too.
You can go properly backpacker-budget with a dorm bed or pay a little more for your own room.
The dorms have air-conditioning and shared bathrooms, with either single beds or bunks depending on the room. Individual lockers give you somewhere to secure your belongings, and recent guests have specifically commented that the dorm setup still provides a reasonable sense of privacy.
If dorm life isn’t for you, the Double Rooms have one double bed and sleep two, with air-conditioning, WiFi and a private bathroom with shower and bidet. There’s also a Triple Room with one double and one single bed, again with air-conditioning and a private bathroom, making this a viable cheap option for friends traveling together.
The communal facilities include a lounge and bar, and there’s luggage storage and a tour desk. Staff can also help arrange tours and onward transport, which is particularly useful for backpackers moving on to El Nido or Puerto Princesa.
The main compromise is that some showers have cold water only, something that isn’t particularly unusual in budget Port Barton accommodation.
Pros: Excellent value, two minutes from the beach, dorms and private rooms, air-conditioning, private bathroom options, excellent WiFi and social communal areas.
Cons: No swimming pool, basic facilities and some rooms have cold-water showers.
Best for: Backpackers, solo travelers and budget-conscious couples who want to be close to the beach.
Click here for the latest prices.
Final Words
There really isn’t one best place to stay in Port Barton for everyone.
If I wanted a nicer hotel and didn’t mind spending a little more, I’d start with Royal Suites. For the best combination of comfort, price and facilities, La Palapa would be very hard to beat.
If waking up beside the beach matters more than having a pool, I’d look at Summer Homes or Besaga. If I wanted beachfront and a pool, I’d pick Holiday Suites Port Barton. And if I were traveling on a tight budget, I’d be perfectly happy saving my money at somewhere like Garpeza Backpackers or Janhour Place.
The biggest thing I’d remember is that Port Barton is small. You don’t need to pay a premium simply because you’re worried about being too far from the action. Stay in the main town and you’re generally going to be within easy reach of the beach, restaurants and everything else you need.
And make sure you leave yourself enough time to actually enjoy Port Barton. It’s easy to treat it as a quick stop between Puerto Princesa and El Nido, but its relaxed atmosphere is precisely why I think it’s worth slowing down here.
Once you’ve booked your accommodation, check out my Ultimate Guide to Things to Do in Port Barton to plan your stay. And if Port Barton is part of a bigger Palawan trip, I also have detailed guides explaining exactly how to get from Puerto Princesa to Port Barton and from Port Barton to El Nido, as well as my complete Palawan Travel Guide here.
