The Lind Hotel on the Beach in Boracay

The Lind Hotel is the top resort on the Philippines most famous beach, on Boracay Island. Here the sand is powdery soft, the sea seems too blue to be real, and this hotel manages to look different than anything you have seen before. It’s architecturally interesting in each element of its design and has a more stylish look than anything else on this island.

The layout is the first unique touch you notice, with the lobby and main bar being on an upper level of the property, where a long walkway leads down the roof to an infinity swimming pool perched above the palm trees. You can see the blue water from any of these vantage points and a breeze is usually blowing through to keep things cool. The lounge pods along the path provide a nice aesthetic touch day or night, while attendants by the pool take care of towels and drink orders.

The action is not all up here though. There’s another sizable pool complex with multiple geometric sections in the garden area, with a hot tub in the middle. On this level there is also the main restaurant Tartine where buffet breakfast is laid out in the morning, with multiple cuisines to suit the multiple cultures sending guests here. The glass walls on one side of it let in plenty of light in the morning and the pool shimmers outside during dinner in the evening.

Cuisine at the Lind is outstanding, especially when judged by sometimes disappointing Filipino standards. There are plenty of dressed up local favorites and seafood from nearby waters. There’s another large bar and lounge area down here that also serves as a lunch spot during the day, just steps from the beach. There are plenty of light bites, but the main emphasis in the Crust beachside spot is on well-done Italian and other Mediterranean food.

The chefs do a good job of transitioning from one cuisine to the other, making a mean pizza but also performing well with delicate Japanese items and Thai fish cakes.

Bartenders here aren’t content to just whip up a Mai Tai and they have signature cocktails that incorporate a lot of local ingredients. Some take classic recipes and add a Filipino twist, like the mojito using a local herb instead of mint. All the bar atmospheres are inviting, with the upstairs one having comfy sofas, barstools, and fun activities such as foosball and board games.

Rooms are some of the most stylish and well-equipped in Boracay, with innovative headboards incorporating tubes of LED lights, with other lights under the platform bed creating another mood option. Furniture is comfortable and stylish, including the chairs on the balcony. Amenities are numerous and customer-centric, including welcome features like ample USB and regular outlets by desk and bed, a hanging towel rack on the balcony, and quality toiletries in the glittering bath.

There are robes and slippers in the closet, a fridge stocked with cold drinks, and a regular supply of bottled water. Housekeeping does a studious job twice daily. Suites take everything up a notch with a lot more space, larger balconies, and more furniture. Nothing feels like it came out of a hotel furniture catalog here and the designers seem to have chosen every light fixture and knick-knack with great care.

The islands of the Philippines are known for its smiling people who are quick to deliver cheerful service and The Lind’s staff is both friendly and well-trained. When I visited there was a Swiss general manager on site and since everyone speaks English, they seemed to all be on the same page all the time.

Rates start at $280 in low season and can climb above a grand for the Presidential Suite (pictured above) in peak periods. See more details and book at the Lind website or check rates online at Hotels.com or Expedia.

Review, video, and photos by editor Tim Leffel, who was on a tour of Boracay with the Philippines Tourism Board after speaking at the Travel Bloggers Asia conference.