The latest MGallery Collection hotel has opened, on the coast of Panglao Island in the Philippines.
The South Palms Resort & Spa Panglao is sited not far from Bohol Island, designated in 2023 as the first UNESCO Global Geopark in the country. As a result, guests at the new hotel get an unrivalled experience, in a tropical paradise full of natural beauty and tranquility.
Modernity combines with tradition
The 188 room property is a combination of modern architecture, blended with themes from the island’s heritage. A trio of designers worked together on the hotel: Patrick Keane of Enter Projects Asia, Patricia Ho of White Jacket, and Philip Pond of Atelier Pond.
Guest rooms feature elements such as the traditional Philippine woven mats, called banig, along with coconut wood and polished bamboo. These handcrafted finishes, combined with locally produced amenity boxes and rugs, provide authentic warmth in a luxurious setting. And, for those seeking more luxury, the hotel features eight beachfront villas.
As well as its waterside location, guests also benefit from a short, 10 minute connection to Bohol-Panglao International Airport. And those seeking further adventures can head inland, to enjoy the spectacle of the Chocolate Hills, which ripple across the skyline with surroundings of lush forests, where the native Philippine tarsier can be found.
The hotel’s restaurant, named Tiya’s House, is designed along the lines of an ancestral residence, serving a variety of Southeast Asian dishes. For those seeking a more intimate meal, there are two elegant private dining rooms. In addition, the Mango restaurant is a more casual affair, with a Mediterranean-inspired menu. And there is also UMA, a more lively open-air dining format with market stalls offering tropical fruits and fresh seafood.
This is the second MGallery Collection hotel in the Philippines. Previously, the Admiral Hotel in Manila joined the brand in 2022, when the original Admiral, which dated from 1939, was reimagined for the twenty first century.
It is a busy time for the MGallery Collection. Recent months saw the brand open its latest property in France, the Talaia Hotel & Spa Biarritz; and launch the brand in Albania with the opening of the Green Coast Hotel in Palase, on the Albanian Riviera.
Celebrating the coastal connection
Both properties celebrate their seaside locations. Guests in the 149 rooms of the Biarritz hotel enjoy commanding views of the Atlantic ocean, and are just a short walk from the destination’s golden sandy beaches and famous surf. And at the Albanian hotel, guests have a choice of nearby beaches, while the property is just one hour by car from the new Vlora International Airport.
Elsewhere, a slew of new hotels are under construction, around the globe. Other Asian destinations include Belitung, Indonesia, Phuket in Thailand plus Chengdu and Sanya in China. In Europe, there are projects under way in Milan, Szczecin and Marseille.
