The Best Hotels in Davao City, the Philippines

This modern hotel in Diamond Village is a 12-minute walk from the Davao Museum of History and Ethnography and just off the Daang Maharlika Highway, which will bring you to most of the main attractions in Davao within 30 minutes. Rooms feature JBL sound systems, daily bottled water and a complete set of bath amenities, including slippers and robes. Namm Spa uses local riches, such as sweet potato and taro, in its massages, and chef Suthin Songmuang serves dishes from his native Thailand in the Benjarong Restaurant and Bar.

Get in touch with nature at this relaxed agrotourism resort in Malagos, a four-minute drive from the Philippine Eagle Centre. The whole family will love the hands-on “tree to bar” experience at the on-site Malagos Chocolate Museum – a theme that continues in the luxurious Chocolate Spa, where you can indulge in head-to-toe cacao treatments. Kids will get an educational experience at the petting zoo and raptor show. Satisfy post-exploration hunger with kaldereta (meat stew) at Roberto’s Restaurant.

A stone’s throw from the Abreeza Mall, the Seda is a cut above. Work out in the fitness centre and enormous outdoor pool; follow up with a rack of ribs and a dark chocolate cheesecake at Misto restaurant. Sleek, black-on-taupe rooms come with iPod alarm clocks, minibars and tea and coffee facilities; upgrade to a Premier Room for a bathtub and kitchenette. The Davao Crocodile Park is a 12-minute ride away.

The Bourke takes a hipster aesthetic – all wood panelling and exposed brick – and combines it with colonial architecture and custom furniture curated by Cebu-based designers Obra Cebuana. The result is a classy set of rooms with crisp Egyptian cotton sheets, high-pressure rainfall showers and oak writing desks. The award-winning Bondi&Bourke restaurant serves enormous prawns, green salads and mango puddings – portions are anything but stingy.

Next door to sister hotel dusitD2 in Diamond Village, the Dusit Thani Residence Davao shares many of the same amenities, including the Benjarong Restaurant and Bar, the Siam Lounge and the Namm Spa with its Thai-inspired massages and body wraps. However, the rooms here are less hotel and more home from home. Even the smallest deluxe tier has a kitchenette with a stove and built-in oven, a dishwasher, microwave and Nespresso machine. A babysitting service is also available on request.

Just a short drive from Francisco Bangoy International Airport, this neocolonial villa is an ideal base for those needing to catch an early flight. The lobby decor is delightfully kitsch – lots of florals, statuettes and art deco-style drinks cabinets. Rooms are muted by comparison, with air conditioning, free wifi and flat-screen TVs; some rooms also have balconies. You could spend all week working through the silog (meat with egg and rice) options on the breakfast menu.

This outpost of the OYO budget hotel chain is in Talomo, west of the Davao River. A six-minute taxi ride will take you to the Davao Crocodile Park, while the People’s Park is reachable with seven minutes. Cheery rooms feature the OYO’s signature red-and-white colour scheme and come with free wifi, air conditioning and cable TV. If you want a separate dining area, book a suite.

With capiz-shell headboards, wrought-iron doors and plenty of dark-wood furnishings, this boutique hotel does a modern take on the Spanish colonial style. Rooms range from the one-person single deluxe to the family-friendly two double-bed room; while they’re on the small side, their clean interior design makes clever use of the space. A 13-minute walk will bring you to the People’s Park; after a day of rambling, tuck into paella and kinilaw (fish cooked in vinegar) at the Café M Restaurant.