Philippines

Henann Crystal Sands vs Henann Lagoon – Resort Review.  So lets talk about which one is better. Henann Crystal Sands & Henann Lagoon are two of the best resorts in Boracay Philippines. Today we will compare & contrast Henann Crystal Sands & Henann Lagoon to help you decide if these two resorts are worth your money and which might best suit your needs. We will discuss their locations, the best time of the year to stay at each, as well as their amenities, food, pools, and other useful tips.

Both Henann Crystal Sands and Hennan Lagoon are excellent choices for a vacation in Boracay, but based on our experience, each one is best suited for different types of travelers and at different times of the year to get the most out of your stay at these resorts. This is a non-sponsored review, and the opinion we express is purely ours, based on our stay in both of these resorts. 

So let’s get started. Henann Crystal Sands, which opened its doors in 2017 and has 188 rooms, has a truly amazing location and sits right at the beach at Station 1. When you get out of the resort, you are literally right at, hands down, the best part of the Boracay white sand beach. You cannot ask for a better location—seriously. This is in contrast to Henann Lagoon, which is a bit older resort that first opened in 2010 and has only 119 rooms. Henann Lagoon is not located directly at the beach, and it takes about 10-15 minutes to get to the beach from the resort. This is not terrible but something to consider.

What is the best time of the year to visit Henann resorts? 

Now we will talk more about the pros and cons of each resort location in a bit, but if you plan on visiting Boracay during the summer months, which is from mid-February through the end of June, and you plan to spend lots of time at the beach, Henann Crystal Sands is a better option in our opinion. After spending the day at the beach, it is just nice to be able to get right from the beach to your room, take a shower, and go right outside to explore the Dmall area, which is just a 3-5 minute walk away. It is also much more convenient to go for evening strolls at the beach and then go right back to your room without worrying about walking the next 15 minutes back to your room at Henann Lagoon. For us, these walks were our routine, and we even enjoyed a few times having our dinner right at the beach.

Now, if you are coming during the bear months from between the end of July through January, we would definitely recommend staying at the Henann Lagoon. We visited Boracay during both seasons, and we were glad that we stayed at the Henann Lagoon during the bear months. The reason being that during bear months, the wind at Station 1 and 2 is so strong that spending more than an hour at a time at the beach is really painful. I was getting a headache after about an hour of being there and had to go hide in one of the cafes. The beach is also not very impressive during that time of the year, with fairly large waves. The nice white sand that you come to expect is mostly washed away, and you will find lots of debris on the beach. You will also see nets set up around the walkway to block the sand from blowing into the restaurants. So, the views and the overall feeling are really not what you would expect to see during the prime summer months. If you check our video “Boracay Shock”  you will see which resort at Boracay we actually prefer a lot more during that time of the year.

Pools at Henann Crystal Sands and Henann Lagoon

Now let’s talk about the pools, which are one of the main drivers for both resorts and another key consideration. If you plan on spending more time at the pool and actually do some swimming as well, we definitely recommend Henann Lagoon.

The pool at Henann Lagoon is a 1,200 square meter lagoon-style swimming pool and it is the biggest pool among Henann resorts in Boracay. The pool is especially great during the bear months because it is nicely shielded from the strong winds that you will encounter at the Henann Crystal Sands sky pool since it directly faces the ocean. It is also nice to enjoy your breakfast and even dinner right by the pool.

But at Henann Lagoon pool, you do not have a view of the beach. So, if the pool is the place for you to just relax and enjoy the view of the beach, then Henann Crystal Sands would be a better choice—especially during the summer months. The Sky pool at Henann Crystal Sands is located on the second floor and has a beautiful view. It is not a very large pool, so it is really more to just cool down in the middle of the day when being at the beach might be too much because of the strong sun.

Yes, the sun in Boracay is very powerful from around 11 am to at least 3 pm, and you will see most people hiding somewhere in the shade. Don’t make the mistake and get burned on your first day, as many people do being all excited when arriving at Boracay. It will ruin the rest of your vacation. If it does happen, though, you may want to check my video on how to deal with, but also prevent, sunburn more holistically.

When is the best time for the beach?

In general, the best time to be at the beach is early in the morning and then after 4 pm. Now let’s get back to our pool discussion because you may find yourself spending lots of time at the pool during the middle of the day when the beach is just simply brutally hot and unbearable. The sky pool has a pool bar so you can order some refreshments and your favorite drink. The Boracay  sunset from the sky pool is not very spectacular since it is blocked by palm trees, and we would prefer to watch it at the beach, but it is definitely a nice place to hang out when the sun goes down. The pool stays open until 10 pm, so you can enjoy your favorite cocktail by the pool to the beat of the music and a nice breeze. In contrast the pool bar at Henann lagoon closes at 8 pm and so does the pool, even though you will probably see people in the pool even up to 9 pm. Henann

Lower Pool at Henann Crystal Sands & Pool Massage

Henann Crystal Sands has a second larger pool at the bottom where you can do sort of lap swimming because of its length. The best time would be when it opens in the morning before the small kids get in. We found this pool used primarily by families with small children while the sky pool is used more by adults. But if you are looking for a place to stay in the pool and hide from the sun, this is also a good option since it provides shade for most of the day. You also have an option to get a very good inexpensive massage at the pool. This option is available in both resorts. My wife did get it in Henann Lagoon and did enjoy it. But given the fact that they don’t have tables with head cradles—beats me why not—her neck was hurting afterward from being in a kinked position for 45 minutes—so consider that. Overall, the pool water in both resorts is clean, and the pools are not very crowded since most people come to the pool in the evening, so for this purpose, both resorts offer a great way to relax.

Rooms at Henann Crystal Sands and Henann Lagoon

Now let’s talk about the rooms. If you want a room with a pool view, then Henann Lagoon is the way to go. You do not have to pay a premium for that since the majority of rooms at Henann Lagoon face the huge pool and all have a balcony. If you want the same type of room at Henann Crystal Sands, you will have to reach much deeper into your pocket. Most standard rooms at Henann Crystal Sands don’t have much of an exciting view, but you have to decide why you came to Boracay. For us, this is not the make-or-break deal, but being able to sit on the balcony in the evening and enjoy your dinner there has its positives.

As far as the actual room amenities, you will find the standard Henann setup in both resorts, but we felt that the rooms at Henann Lagoon were a bit nicer and more spacious. The resort actually did go through a major renovation just a couple of years ago, so everything is very nice. In general, you won’t find any shabby furniture like in many older resorts in either one of the Hennan resorts. The bathrooms were also much bigger in Henann Lagoon, and you actually had both options: bathtub and shower. In Henann Crystal Sands, this kind of room would be considered premium and much more expensive.

Food choices at Henann Crystal Sands and Henann Lagoon

Now, as far as food choices, again both resorts have a very nice setup for breakfast and lunch, but Henann Crystal Sands wins here. They have a much larger dining area and, with that, also a bigger food selection. They also have very nice dinner buffet which we recommend trying at least once. I would definitely not do it daily, though, because you may find yourself coming back from your vacation with a lot more weight than you came in with—the food is just too delicious to pass up. So, it’s best to remove yourself from the situation.

Location of of Henann Crystal Sands and Henann Lagoon

Now let’s talk about the location of the resorts. Henann Crystal Sands is, in our opinion, brilliantly located, taking advantage of the best of all worlds—if you are visiting during the summer season. It is located along the popular strip of Station 1, offering beachfront access in a prime location between boat station 1 and D’mall. The Dmall is just a few minutes’ walking distance to the left from the beach entrance. We reviewed the Dmall in detail in our past video, and the link is in the description below. But in a nutshell, Dmall is the center of everything in Boracay. Dmall is where you go for entertainment, get your lunches and dinners, ice cream cones or halo-halo dessert, and do your souvenir shopping. Great prices, a lot to choose from, and just a great place to hang out.

The location at Station 1 also has its perks when it comes to beach quality. The beach right in front of the resort is unparalleled. The sand is the finest in all of the main Boracay white sand beach, the ocean is very calm and not deep quite far from the shore, so it is an excellent place for families to enjoy their vacation. You are also close to all the other attractions, such as the sunset boat trips, crystal kayak, and Willy’s Rock. This is in sharp contrast to Henann Lagoon, which sits in a bit more isolated area with not much around. Everything is still walking distance, but you are more secluded. This might be good if you don’t want to be right in the middle of bustling Boracay the minute you open the door. But keep in mind that unless you want to eat all your food at the resort, you will need to add an extra hour for the trip back and forth from the Dmall, which you may not always want to do after wandering around all day.

Henann Lagoon, as we mentioned, is about a 15-minute walk from the beach. There are a couple of ways to get there. We recommend walking a bit further along the main road if you don’t want to walk through the narrow street between the buildings right behind the resort. The main road leading to the beach is paved and much nicer. You will also pass several other major resorts on the way as well as 2 other Henann resorts. This applies especially during the bear months when it rains all the time, and the narrow passage, being just a dirt street, tends to be flooded a lot. When you do get to the beach from either one of the access points, you end up at Station 2. The beach there is still nice, but not as nice as in Station 1, and it is further away to get to the Dmall. If you factor that along with the trip back to Henann Lagoon resort, it adds up and does not make you feel like you want to do it a couple of times during the day – especially if it is hot.

Now, the food in Henann Lagoon is pretty good, and prices are reasonable, but if you are staying a week, the food may get a bit monotonous after a couple of days.

Conclusion- so which one is better Henann Crystal Sands or Henann Lagoon

All that has been said also reflects the prices. Henann Crystal Sands is at least 50 dollars more expensive per night compared to Henann Lagoon as of today when we are making this video. So, what is our verdict? If you are looking for a luxurious hotel with amazing amenities, but can compromise on a few things, then definitely Henann Lagoon is the way to go. It is also our preference if you are planning to visit Boracay during the bear months and insist on staying in Henann group resorts. In this case, we definitely suggest Henann Lagoon since we can’t justify the price for the subpar experience at Henann Crystal Sands due to the strong winds during that time of the year. But if your budget allows it or if you plan on staying only 2-3 days during the summer season and want to experience the best of Boracay, we absolutely recommend Henann Crystal Sands; the extra 150 dollars for your 3-day stay will definitely be worth it because we do think that it is the best resort when it comes to pricing, location, amenities, and service at Station 1 and 2.