The art of being grand
There is a moment that happens almost as soon as you arrive at BE Grand Resort Bohol.
The road gives way to a property that opens toward the water. Pools and lagoons catch the light, tropical greenery softens the architecture, and, suddenly, the pace changes.
“For me, the moment you arrive, I want you to feel that ‘wow’ and know that you're already on vacation,” says Grand Benedicto, owner of the resort.
“You see the water, the openness of the property, the architecture; and hopefully you immediately feel that you can slow down and enjoy Bohol.”
BE Grand's proposition is simple: giving guests space to breathe, choices to shape their stay, and privacy to slow down.
A holiday on your own terms
Set on Panglao Island, BE Grand has 189 rooms and suites, complemented by 19 villas arranged around winding lagoon pools.
The property offers swimming pools, a spa, a gym, a Kids' Zone, water sports, diving, dining, and event facilities.
Outside, Bohol offers island-hopping, diving, countryside excursions and beaches. Guests can experience all of it—or none.
“You can use us as your base to explore Bohol, or you can stay inside the resort for several days and still feel that you've had a complete holiday,” Benedicto says.
“For me, there's no right or wrong way to enjoy Bohol. Sometimes doing nothing is also the whole point of a vacation.”
Resort within a resort
For guests seeking greater privacy, The Villas offer another way to experience BE Grand.
Nineteen villas are tucked into a quieter enclave around the lagoon. Dream Villas offer one-bedroom accommodations, while the larger Grand Villas provide two-bedroom spaces for families or groups.
“That was really the plan and the intent—to create a resort within a resort,” Benedicto explains.
“It doesn't always have to be about having the biggest room or putting expensive things everywhere,” he says. “For me, luxury is being comfortable, having privacy, being taken care of properly, and having the freedom to do things at your own pace.”
Villa guests can retreat into their own world or return to the larger resort whenever they wish, with breakfast served in the villa or floating in the lagoon.
Bohol, served on a plate
Benedicto believes food can become one of the strongest memories of a trip.
“Some of the best memories from a trip actually come from sitting around a table with family and friends,” he says.
BE Grand's dining options range from The Food Hall and Bridge Café to Lune, Swim-Up Bar, The Boathouse and The Monkey Bar.
At The Monkey Bar, local ingredients and traditional cooking methods are part of the experience. Much of the food is cooked over firewood rather than gas.
“I don't want food at BE Grand to just be there because guests need somewhere to eat,” Benedicto says. “It should be part of the experience.”
Built on a family name
BE Grand is also the story of a Cebuano family business evolving into hospitality.
Benedicto grew up around the family's furniture, cement, and manufacturing businesses.
“Furniture taught me craftsmanship and attention to detail. Construction materials taught me that you have to build things properly from the beginning. Manufacturing taught me systems and consistency.”
But his most important lessons came from his parents: “Work hard, keep your word, treat people properly and do things with integrity.”
“Guests may never see everything happening behind the scenes, but they will feel the result,” he says.
“You can't be excellent only when it's convenient. You have to deliver every single day.”
Growing with Bohol
The resort was the family's first major venture into real estate and hospitality, followed by residential developments.
For Benedicto, that investment comes with a responsibility to the island.
“Growth is good. We need more local and direct international flights, better infrastructure, more investments, and more opportunities,” he says. “But we shouldn't grow just for the sake of growing.”
What must be protected, he believes, is what made Bohol worth visiting: “the natural beauty, the sea, the environment, the people and the character of the island.”
His vision is for “better growth, not just more growth”—development that creates jobs and opportunities while protecting the environment and involving local communities.
More than a resort
Ten years from now, Benedicto wants guests to return with their children; employees to build careers with BE; and the community to feel its positive impact.
“My parents gave us a name and a legacy that we have a responsibility to protect,” he says. “We have to respect what they built, make it better, and hopefully pass something even stronger to the next generation.”
Not having the most, but having the freedom to choose what matters—a day exploring Bohol, a meal shared with family, a swim, a quiet villa, or simply an afternoon with nowhere else to be.
Because sometimes the greatest luxury a resort can offer is the feeling that you should have stayed a little longer.
