Review: Sanse Boutique Hotel in El Nido, Palawan

After 2 years of not being able to travel, we finally got to explore once again, and the destination that was collectively chosen was El Nido, Palawan. I will be dedicating a summary itinerary blog post for our entire 5-day trip, but for now, I will be focusing on Sanse Boutique Hotel (one of the two accommodations we selected throughout our stay). 

The Location

Sanse Boutique Hotel is located almost in the heart of the bustling town where all the great things happen. You also only need to walk about 3 minutes from the hotel, and you'd reach the port (where the tour boats are parked) and the beach proper. 

From the airport, we took a private van allowing us to be dropped conveniently in front of the hotel. However, should you opt to go for a joiner van, you can take easily take the trike, and be dropped off here. 

The signage of Sanse is easy to miss, hence I'm sharing with you the photo of the nearby shop (Palawan Divers) above, so that once you get to see that, you'd know that you have already reached Sanse. Another landmark is the Biryani Kitchen, which is just across the hotel itself. 

To access the hotel proper, you'd pass by the wooden hallway, along with another nearby shop where you can grab some beach essentials (just in case you are short of them). 

Once you navigate your way through the hallway, you'd reach the lobby of the boutique hotel. The interior are heavily embellished with wooden elements, which bring coziness to the place. In fact, you'd be fascinated with the bamboo stairs that lead up to some rooms of the hotel (to which we were staying at). 

Once you take the stairs, you'd be greeted by a more naked minimalist appeal leading to the special loft-type rooms.

Alright, we will be checking out the room shortly, but before that let me share a photo of the group taken on the spot right before the entrance itself. 

The Room

As soon as you open the sliding door, you will be greeted by a wave of coziness from the wooden and modern elements of the interior. There's also an ample amount of open space giving the room an airy and comfy feel. This room is their "Deluxe Double Bed", and upon checking, there are alternative rooms to choose from, such as those with a great garden view. However, since this is what we availed, I can only talk about this in particular.

The air-conditioning unit is also appropriate for the size of room, so you will have no problems beating the heat right after you sun-soaking activities. There is also a mini fridge below the stairs, which you can store your favorite drinks or alcoholic beverages to further quench the heat. 

Wi-Fi is provided, but I'd say that it is not that reliable especially if you are planning to work from Palawan (or even just stream videos). It is still best to bring your own, or just rely on your mobile data. 

There are two beds in this Deluxe Double room. The first is located on the ground, which is a single bed, with a pull-out, comfortably accommodating two guests. This happens to be the coldest part of the room as well, so if you are not that cold-resistant, you may need to have a thicker blanket. The one that comes with it is relatively thin, unlike the one on the loft which is a comforter. Anyway, now that I've mentioned it, let's go up!

The loft's space is mostly take by the queen (or perhaps a king) size bed. The pillows are as comfy as the ones below, but all others are more comfy up in here -- the comforter and the bed itself. 

As you peer down from the above, you'd be getting this wonderful view made cozier by the ceiling lamp. 

Lastly, we have the bathroom, which is very bare, contrasting with the predominantly wooden feel of the outside. Nothing too interesting or fancy in here. In fact, this may even be the least interesting part of the room. The heater not being able to regulate the water temperature as intended also adds up to the mediocrity of it. Hence, if there is something that can improve with the overall experience, I'd say, the bathroom. 

The Breakfast

One of the lovely things I appreciated here in Sanse is the inclusion of the breakfast. There were four sets to choose from (but I will not be spoiling you too much, and I'd let that be a slight surprise), but here's a sneak peek of Set A - Beef Tapa. The free breakfast is applicable for all the four guests availing the room, so everybody was definitely happy.

Since the two rooms we availed are adjacent to each other, we decided to pull out the tables and chairs from our room, and set them up along the hallway. This gave us a more energizing breakfast ambiance -- perfect in enjoying the breakfast meals that were included in the package. 

Sanse Boutique Hotel - Overall Ratings and Summary

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Budget: The Deluxe Double Room costs P6,000 a night and accommodates four (4) guests. Hence, that's approximately P1,500 per head/night.  Rates may vary depending on seasonality. This rate was availed in March 2022.

Given that we were able to try Spin Hostel as well, we somehow got to compare the two. Sanse floats in terms of the visuals, coziness and comfort (from the beds). Also, this boutique hotel is closer to the known establishments which makes it very convenient to tour around. It is still difficult to really choose between the two, so you may want to check out my post on Spin Hostel as well.

Anyway, I am personally recommending Sanse Boutique hotel if you have some extra budget to spare (and if you are divisible by four), but if you are on a tight one, I am suggesting Spin Hostel because the rate per night is just at around P1,250 per head (and it needs to be only be divisible by two). Thanks for reading the blog! 


Sanse Boutique Hotel
Location: G. Del Pilar St, Barangay Buena Suerte, El Nido, 5313 Palawan
Contact Number: 0917 892 5828