South Palms Resort and Spa Panglao - MGallery Collection 5 stars

I celebrated my birthday at Panglao Shores, and it was the best idea! It is one of the newest resorts in Panglao, everything felt fresh, beautifully designed, and really thoughtfully done. What I loved most was how the resort incorporated local culture and architecture into its design. The interiors, furniture, and overall details were beautiful and gave the place a unique character while still feeling modern and luxurious. The hospitality made the experience even more special. General Manager Danish was incredibly kind, and the whole team was so warm and welcoming. A special thank you to Sir Ed, Maela, Cristine, Conrad, Ryan, and everyone else who made us feel so well taken care of. My children absolutely loved the kids’ pool, and we all enjoyed the facilities so much. The resort would also be a beautiful venue for celebrations, weddings, and other special events. For me, Panglao Shores is THE place to visit in Panglao. We are already planning our next stay

We were very grateful for the room upgrade, which went beyond what was guaranteed under the Accor policy. I had specifically requested the upgrade because I understood that it was low season and that the resort was likely operating at relatively low occupancy. Of course, I understood that this was subject to availability and was never guaranteed, so we were genuinely appreciative that the resort was able to accommodate the request. That said, the email communication around the upgrade could have been much smoother. Given the circumstances, it felt like something that could have been handled more simply and efficiently. We were happy with the outcome and certainly did not expect the upgrade as a right, but the amount of back-and-forth in the communication was unnecessary and took away somewhat from what should have been a straightforward and positive interaction. Overall, our stay was satisfactory. The staff were good and we particularly enjoyed the little touches by the pool. The ice cream was consistently provided, although the cold towel service was less consistent. The resort itself is clearly new, and we thought the property was nicely built and thoughtfully designed. The restaurants were also good, with generally satisfactory service. Our main hope is that the same standards will be maintained during peak season when occupancy is much higher. There are two things in particular that I would like to highlight for the resort's consideration. 1. Beach cleanliness The beachfront had quite a lot of litter. We noticed that a tractor comes by every morning to comb and clean the sand, which is good to see, but it would be helpful if some attention could also be given to manually clearing the waste along the beach. Some of the litter may have come in from the ocean, but we also noticed items such as tea bags that appeared to have originated from the rooms. For a resort of this standard, it would be good to see more consistent attention to this. The litter was particularly noticeable in the mornings, and it does take away from what should otherwise be a beautiful beachfront experience. 2. Repeated bathroom blockage This was the more significant issue during our stay. Although our room was upgraded, we had to report a clogged shower and toilet twice during our two-night stay. The first time, it was fixed while we were out, so it was not particularly disruptive. However, the problem occurred again the following day. We had just returned from dinner at Uma and were otherwise simply enjoying our time at the resort when staff were still attending to the issue in our room. It was understandably uncomfortable to have maintenance staff and security in the room while we were there. Once the work was completed, the bathroom was also understandably left dirty, so a cleaner had to be sent afterwards, which meant we had to wait again. As we were only staying for 2 nights/3 days, having to deal with a clogged toilet and shower twice — including once after it had already supposedly been resolved — was quite unpleasant. A bathroom issue is already uncomfortable for a guest to have to report, and having it recur during such a short stay made it particularly frustrating. I would strongly recommend looking into the plumbing in the particular suite we stayed in, as well as whether there may be a broader maintenance issue that could cause this to happen again. Despite these issues, we did enjoy our stay overall and appreciated the upgrade and the efforts of the staff. South Palms has a very good property, and addressing these relatively straightforward operational issues would make the experience significantly better.

We recently celebrated a special family occasion involving three birthdays at South Palms Resort and Spa Panglao - MGallery Collection. Compared to other accommodations in the area, South Palms truly stands out for its sense of exclusivity and authentic five-star standard. ​While the stay itself was thoroughly enjoyable, there were noticeable redundancies during the pre-arrival process. We encountered multiple inquiries from different staff members requesting identical information, followed by a link requiring us to manually re-enter details we had already supplied. Consequently, this pre-arrival communication gap led to our initial special requests—birthday cards and cakes for my wife, mother, and mother-in-law—being missed and briefly mixed up upon check-in. ​What truly defines a luxury property, however, is how effectively management resolves service breakdowns, and the team at South Palms handled the situation impeccably. ​We would like to acknowledge the following individuals for their exemplary service: ​Lai (Reservations Manager): Promptly and sincerely addressed the issue, taking full ownership to ensure immediate resolution. ​Andrea and the team (Front Desk): Handled our requests with remarkable professionalism, attentiveness, and efficiency. ​Kim and the team at Uma: Delighted our family during breakfast with additional cakes and a thoughtful birthday song for the celebrants, creating a truly memorable experience. ​Despite the initial administrative missteps, the serene setting, superior amenities, and commitment to guest satisfaction make South Palms the premier resort on the island. We sincerely appreciate the team's dedication to turning our stay into a memorable celebration and highly recommend this property for an elevated getaway.