New $100,000-a-Night Resort in the Philippines Faces Hurdles
Photo Credit: A promotional ad for Banwa Island, where guests pay as much as $100,000 a night for a stay. Banwa Private Island
Skift Take
It's good to see that the Philippines keeps cracking down on developments to ensure they are in line with environmental and easement issues, even those at the ultra-premium end of the spectrum. But that's not the only challenge Banwa faces.
Banwa Private Island in Palawan in the Philippines has abruptly closed after months of publicizing itself in many international publications as “the most expensive resort in the world” — $100,000 for a night’s stay.
According to a notification on its website, “Banwa Private Island will become wholly available for charter upon finalization of pending regulatory documentation, which is expected imminently.”
The posh resort island is being investigated by Philippine authorities for opening without the required government permits, such as an accreditation from the Department of Tourism (DOT).
A night’s stay at the private island costs $100,000, with a minimum of three nights, and can accommodate 48 persons. This includes meals, but not wines, plus activities and unlimited spa treatments. The rate excludes transfers, which can either be by private charter plane or helicopter from Manila or from Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan, according to the resort island’
