A familiar paradise beautifully reimagined
It’s amazing how a place can make you feel small, humbled, yet warmly at home at the same time.
Palawan, I think, has a natural way of doing that. As our boat slid across the deep waters of El Nido, past forested islands and towering limestone cliffs, it was hard not to feel humbled by the sheer scale of nature and grateful, at the same time, to be surrounded by so much beauty.
By the time we reached Lagen though, that feeling of awe gave way to excitement and anticipation. We were about to see the newly refreshed Lagen Island, a familiar paradise beautifully reimagined with renewed open spaces that frame the emerald waters of Bacuit Bay. Every design detail and every change made were meant to complement the stunning landscape of El Nido and bring guests closer to the nature around them.
Ayala Land Inc. creative director Paloma Urquijo Zobel de Ayala emphasized, however, that she doesn’t want the resort to be the protagonist.
“The protagonist is out there—it’s the lagoons, it’s the wonderful limestone cliffs, and again, we’re just facilitating (for) you to explore all of that. We just make it as easy and as accessible for guests to come and really experience (Palawan),” she explained.
Letting the island breathe
Lagen returns as an intimate 42-key private island retreat in the heart of Bacuit Bay, reimagined through the combined expertise of WATG, Wimberly Interiors Studio, Henning Larsen and Ayala Land Hospitality’s Creative Team.
The result is a refreshed collection of Forest Rooms, Forest Suites, Forest Deluxe Rooms and Water Villas.
The Water Villas, inspired by the bahay kubo, feature sunken lounges and private verandas overlooking the bay. The Forest Suites sit against limestone cliffs, with handcrafted woodwork and deep soaking tubs, while the Forest Rooms draw from weaving and ceramic bead patterns, highlighting Filipino artistry.
Beyond the rooms, Zobel de Ayala said the refresh also allowed the island to breathe.
The beachfront was opened up, some walls were taken down, and nine water villas were removed to create more open spaces and provide better views of the bay and the cliffs.
“When redesigning, it was about stripping back anything that was not necessary, kind of really practicing restraint,” she said. “In the rooms, we kept it to what is needed—the essentials, the little touches that make your stay comfortable.”
Filipino design as foundation
That restraint is reflected in the way Filipino design was woven into Lagen with purpose and subtlety.
“I was very intentional about making sure that how we were approaching Filipino was not decorative, and it was kind of the infrastructure, not just the end point,” she said.
Wood carving, ceramics and weaving became key design anchors, allowing Filipino craft to be integrated in more meaningful ways. You see it in the textures, patterns, materials and handcrafted details.
To lend authenticity, Ayala Land Hospitality also partnered with artisans like Artisano Kabalan, Creaete Industrial Corp., NiñoFranco’s Wilson Limon, Jenny Mann, T’boli Weavers, Gemma James Medel and the Marabatuan Indigenous People Weavers Association.
For the team, the refresh was thus a bold statement of confidence in Filipino craftsmanship, which is important for Zobel de Ayala, who wanted Lagen to give Filipinos something to be proud of.
“I want Filipinos to feel proud that we’re able to do something like this with local knowledge, local creativity, and local talent. I want guests from abroad to fall in love with our country, fall in love with the people, and be inspired by the local craft and design,” she added.
Where connections blossom
That same sense of place carries into the resort’s social spaces. Here, “connections blossom” naturally, helped along by generous views and spaces that make lingering easy.
The first space that invites this is the Boathouse, a paraw-inspired lounge that welcomes guests to the resort. With the sea on one side and the cliffs on the other, it becomes a natural pause point to take in the view and let conversations happen.
“I love the Boathouse, because I love what it represents. I love the symbol of a boat… the message of you arriving (and) your journey beginning,” she explained.
From there, Lagen lets guests choose their own rhythm. You can kayak, paddleboard, snorkel, hike, stargaze or join cultural experiences such as the Kiminawit Village Tour and Pangangawil fishing. Or, you can just do absolutely nothing.
There’s also the Lagen Wellness Sanctuary, with its garden, plunge pools, sauna, steam room and private treatment rooms. Dining can be at the Clubhouse Restaurant and Beach Club or you can have private setups in caves, decks or coves.
“What we wanted (all) this to represent is connections—either to yourself, to nature, to whatever it may be,” Zobel de Ayala said.
Indeed, this is what the refreshed Lagen gets right. It lets El Nido feel vast, but not distant. You arrive humbled by nature, and leave with the feeling that, for a few beautiful days, this island had made room for you.
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