The District Boracay

Rooms and decor

The first thing that catches your eye, before you even walk in, is the front facade of The District Boracay, designed to stand out. The clean lines of its contemporary architecture make the resort look sharper and more modern than the same-old places lined up in central White Beach Station 2. Step inside and the bright, clean decor carries the boutique-design concept all the way through, from the lobby to the rooms. The resort has 48 rooms and suites, a compact size that feels private and boutique rather than like a big hotel. Rooms are done in an easy modern style, and the thing a lot of reviews agree on is that they run larger than you would expect from a 4-star, with comfortable beds and good-looking, clean bathrooms. Many are airy and laid out well. If you like a clean, good-looking space that photographs nicely, The District tends to win you over from the first look at the building.

Food and amenities

The highlight people keep mentioning is the rooftop lap pool, where you can swim for exercise or sit back in the sea breeze, looking down over the busy Station 2 neighborhood. Late afternoon as the sun drops, it is the right spot for a cold drink after a day out. Beyond the pool, the resort has a café for coffee and snacks in a stylish setting, a spa for a massage after sun and swimming, a fitness room for anyone who does not want to skip a workout on holiday, and an event space for functions and gatherings. All of it fits inside a compact resort designed to use its space well. The charm is having everything in one place — a few floors up or down and you are there, no long walks like a big resort — which makes it feel comfortable and easygoing, like a seaside boutique hotel that minds the details.

Location and getting there

The District Boracay sits right in the middle of White Beach Station 2, the part many people choose because it is the heart of Boracay — the liveliest spot, with restaurants, bars, cafés and D'Mall, the island's main shopping and nightlife hub, all close by. The appeal of this location is that you step out the door, cross the beachfront road a few steps, and you are on the white sand of White Beach. From there you can walk the beach toward Station 1, where the sand is wider and the crowds thinner, for the sunset, or duck into D'Mall to eat and shop, all in a few minutes — no shuttle like the private-headland resorts further out. To get here, you fly into Caticlan airport, take the roughly 15-minute ferry across to the island, then continue by road to the White Beach area, a transfer the resort can help arrange. This kind of location suits people who want to be in the middle of the fun, out eating and exploring whenever they like, without losing time to back-and-forth rides.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. First, the resort sits on the beachfront-road side, not built directly on the sand like a beachfront resort — you walk across the road and a little further to reach the beach. Anyone dreaming of opening the room door to sand and sea right there should adjust expectations; the main view-and-relaxation spot here is the rooftop lap pool instead. Second, the central Station 2 location is a double-edged sword: by day it is as convenient as it gets, since you can walk to everything, but some nights — weekends especially — music from nearby bars and the nightlife strip can carry over, so if you sleep lightly ask for a higher floor or an inner room away from the road. Last, because it is a compact boutique resort of just 48 rooms, the common areas and rooftop pool are not as roomy as a big beachfront resort; in high season when it is full, the pool and lounge corners can feel more crowded than you would expect.

Our take

From reading through a lot of real reviews, The District Boracay is a boutique resort that sells the balance between good-looking contemporary design, roomy clean rooms that get praised often, and a central White Beach Station 2 location within walking distance of everything — all for less than the cliffside luxury resorts. No surprise its review score sits near the top of the island's 4-star hotels. If the trip in your head is about being in the middle of the fun — waking up, crossing the road for a swim, heading out to eat and shop at D'Mall and around it by day, then chilling on the rooftop pool in the evening in a nicely designed room — this place fits. It is best for couples and travelers who value location, design and value. But if the heart of your trip is a quiet, private resort right on the sand, this roadside spot in a busy area may not be the one. Overall we give it 8.9/10 — choose it for the sharp design, the central island location, and value that is hard to find at the 4-star level on Boracay.