The Lagen Wellness Sanctuary completes the resort’s transformation
The three-treatment-room spa features hydrotherapy and thermal facilities
In addition to treatments by ESPA, traditional therapies are on offer using local ingredients and healing traditions
Lagen, El Nido – an island resort in Palawan, the Philippines – has completed its transformation with the addition of a spa called Lagen Wellness Sanctuary.
The eco-luxury property, which is one of three island destinations managed by El Nido Resorts, completed a year-long renovation in May. El Nido Resorts is owned by Ayala Land Hospitality.
The renovation design was led by WATG, Wimberly Interiors Studio, Henning Larsen and Ayala Land Hospitality’s Creative Team. The new layout cut accommodation down from 51 to 42 keys comprised of villas, overwater accommodation and rooms surrounded by forest.
The resort now incorporates the work of local artisans and indigenous communities.
Conservation and sustainability were a key factor in the redesign. Original flooring from first-generation structures was repurposed and demolition was minimised. The hotel’s new swimming pool is now cleaned with UV light, rather than chemicals and a new low-wattage lighting design minimises pollution of the night sky to create a turtle-friendly zone along the 200-metre beach.
Lagen Wellness Sanctuary
The Lagen Wellness Sanctuary is a spa that sits within a tranquil garden using an elevated flooring design that allows plants to grow below.
The spa has three treatment rooms, each of which features massage beds by Oakworks. ESPA is the skincare partner and consultant. Other treatments on the spa menu incorporate native botanical ingredients. These include a Babaylan therapy called Heritage Healing, which uses Filipino healing traditions and energy alignment.
There are hydrotherapy facilities for men (indoors) and women (outdoors), including hot and cold plunge pools. Kohler provided bathroom and shower fixtures, while Finlevi supplied sauna and steamroom facilities.
The property also has a Pilates studio using Balanced Body reformer equipment and a Technogym.
Paloma Urquijo Zobel de Ayala, creative director of Ayala Land Hospitality, told Spa Business: “The inspiration for Lagen’s Wellness Sanctuary began with a single idea: shelter. El Nido quite literally means ‘the nest’, a place of refuge and renewal. As we reimagined Lagen, it felt only natural that this philosophy would find its fullest expression in a dedicated space for wellbeing.
“We built the wellness sanctuary in response to the way we live today. Our lives are increasingly demanding, yet the rituals that keep us grounded are often the first to disappear. Rather than asking guests to leave those routines behind, we designed a place where they could continue them, whether that’s beginning the day with Pilates, moving through a hydrotherapy circuit of cold plunge, steam, sauna and vitality pools, or simply finding a quiet moment to pause.
“At the same time, we wanted wellness to become another way of discovering the Philippines. Traditional healing rituals, local ingredients, and visiting practitioners sit alongside science-led treatments through our partnership with ESPA. We never saw these as opposing approaches, but as complementary paths to the same goal: helping people feel restored.
“At Lagen, everything is designed to nurture connection, to nature, to one another, and to ourselves. The Wellness Sanctuary became an essential part of that story: a place where guests don’t simply unwind, but leave feeling renewed.”
Other facilities
The property is located in a diving hotspot and guests can complete a PADI-certified scuba diving course. Schiller bikes (that allow guests to pedal across the sea) and kayaks are also available.
The resort also has three dining venues and a ceremonial hall for weddings and events.
El Nido Resorts
The other two El Nido Resorts are called Pangalusian, El Nido and Miniloc, El Nido.
The three El Nido Resorts are each located on their own private islands within the El Nido-Taytay Resource Protected Area, which is famous for white sand beaches, limestone karsts, turquoise waters and unique wildlife. The protected area measures 36 hectares of land and 54 hectares of marine waters.
