The Funny Lion in Coron, Palawan

August 10, 2016 Ruth Dela Cruz

The Funny Lion Inn in Coron, Palawan: Hotel Review and My Experience

It is not a typo and I am absolutely not trying to be funny with my blog title. There IS really a hotel in Coron, Palawan with such an interesting name. The Funny Lion Inn in the humble town of Coron was our home for the weekend and the resort inn is serious about quality and luxe service.

I didn’t have a big expectation on where we were staying in Palawan. I know it is rare to find a nice resort hotel (or inn) in Coron – besides, I was not expecting to waste my time in the hotel when I have the whole island and beautiful spots in Coron to explore.

I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived in The Funny Lion Inn. It is only a 30-minute drive from the Busuanga Airport to The Funny Lion via the van service provided by the hotel. The Funny Lion Inn is a contemporary boutique resort which reminds me of the beautiful resort photos that you see when you search for Bali, Indonesia. I love the clean, white surrounding and greens everywhere.

The Funny Lion got its name from the Calauit Safari Zoo in a nearby town, Calauit where you can find giraffe and zebra. The owner’s son (then four years old) said “it is funny, there is no lion here”. The phrase just clicked and the Funny Lion Inn was born. The monicker produced a hotel decor inspired by safari – with wooden furniture, old maps, globes and interesting light displays.

The best part about the Funny Lion Inn: there is a pool and jacuzzi on the rooftop deck where guests can relax and enjoy the view of the mangrove or sunset.

We had our “heavy snack” at the restaurant across the pool – the Hunt Restaurant. It is rare to find a good hotel which serves really good food. Oftentimes, hotels fail in the food category. The Funny Lion is one rare find. I love everything that they served us during our stay (more on that – scroll down).

THE FUNNY LION INN ROOM + AMENITIES: eco-friendly hotel

(1) Hi Paul the PR Guy! (2) I married Ana Hehe (3) some kind of #ootd shot

The Funny Lion Inn is composed of 2 buildings that house 32 rooms in different types: the King Room, the Cub Room and the Pride Room.

I stayed in one of the Cub Rooms at the second floor with the @anagon. We love the Mid Modern Design / Contemporary Interior. I love the clean, rustic feel of the room accented with wood and native displays.

(1) I love the wooden racks we use to hang our wet swim wear 🙂 (2) Super cute Please Make Up Room and DND door hang (3) Dog tag and chain to make sure you don’t lose the key

The room is very spacious and the bed is one of the most comfortable I have ever slept in. There are two double beds in the room – and Ana’s bed has an extra mattress (for 1 pax).

It is a good decision to pack in luggage during this trip.

The toilet has a working hot and cold shower (with rain shower head). I love that the sink is outside the toilet which allows you to use it even if someone is using the toilet.

The room is complete with the basic amenities that you can find in a resort room – toiletries, toothbrush set, shower cap and cotton buds (which even comes with hair tie!). I only find hair ties included in the toiletries in luxurious hotels. I really appreciate The Funny Lion Inn for knowing what the guests REALLY needs in a resort hotel.

(1) Water is served in glass bottle + toothbrush packets are not made of plastic (2) There is a hair dryer in the room (3) Love that LemonGrass Shampoo and Body Wash (4) Welcome Fruits

Ana and I both love the Lemon Grass scented shampoo and body wash. The scent is so relaxing especially when taking a shower before bedtime. They came in glass bottles with pumps which makes everything more luxurious. The products are from eco-friendly business. The Funny Lion Inn supports and practices going green. Imagine how many plastic bottles that they are saving everyday in each room . It is much more taxing and more difficult to maintain by the staff but they prefer such practice.

We also notice that the complementary water is served in a nice bottle (instead of bottled water). Another way to save the environment and provide a more personalized service to the guests.

The room is also equipped with air conditioning unit and safety deposit box. There are also rubber slippers that guests can wear inside and outside the room.

I super enjoyed the chickahan and tita moments with Ana

www.anagonzales.com

THE FOOD: THE HUNT RESTAURANT + THE TAGBANUA COFFEE

Breakfast Buffet is included in the room package of The Funny Lion Inn. We stayed for two nights and it is good to know that they are changing the spread everyday.

There is cereal, bread station, congee, rice and favorite breakfast dishes for heavy breakfast that you need before your island tour.

The Funny Lion Inn serves Tagbanua Coffee which they get from the Tagbanua Tribe (we have witnessed how the coffee beans are roasted and prepared during our island tour!). The Tagbanua Tribe is one of the oldest tribes in the Philippines and I am deeply touched with how the Funny Lion Inn supports this tribe by letting their guests taste the dark roasted and full bodied coffee that they lovingly prepare.

Trying my hands at preparing the Tagbanua Coffee

Wil Dasovich being Wil Dasovich!

Guests can order and dine in at the Funny Lion Inn restaurant for dinner (costs around Php 500 for dinner buffet) or order ala-carte. There are nights when they do barbeque or themed dinners. The best news, most of the ingredients are locally produced. The Funny Lion Inn also serves Palawan Mangoes – they say it is a different kind.

THE SERVICE

The Funny Lion hotel staff is always pleasant and attentive to the guests needs. They are quick at providing service without asking them to do so – from as simple as refilling your water to reminding you to bring umbrella on your way to the restaurant (it was a rainy weekend when we stayed).

We even get sweet treats every night during turndown service + personalized note which makes you feel extra special. Something I didn’t expect from a resort inn in this humble town of Palawan.

The Funny Lion Inn ranked number 1 in TripAdvisor in hotels in Coron, Palawan. I hope they continue to provide only the best and consistent service.