Mövenpick Hotel Mactan Island Cebu

Nothing like a good "staycation" in an expensive resort hotel. Sure, the rates are usually way up there but the experience is usually worth it. And the photo ops are usually fabulous.

So the gang and I were thinking, "Since we are going to Cebu, why don't we stay a night at Mövenpick?" We were told by a "reliable source" that while a hotel room is on the expensive side, they aren't too strict about the number of people staying in the rooms. In fact, there were 6 of them in the room when they went there on vacation. With numbers on our side, the costs can't skyrocket that much, right?

We get to the room and lo and behold, there are two single beds. Two freakin single beds that don't even look comfortable enough for one person (one look at it and I knew I was going to fall off). It took us about 10 seconds to decide that we needed another room - not an easy decision considering the budget constraints. But there wasn't really much of a choice - it was physically impossible to fit two people in one bed. Luckily, there was another room available and we were given a "local resident's rate" of Php 8,900++. Still pretty darn expensive. Serves us right for trying to beat the system in the first place. On the bright side? There was a nice tub and the view from the room was pretty amazing.

Woke up like this!

What's Good:

Aside from the view, there are some other "picture perfect" spots in the resort. The view of the pool from the lobby area was cool, and the pool itself was nicely built - with swimming areas for kids and adults alike. It has plastic couches where people can relax, and some cozy pool side lounge chairs if you are too lazy to swim. And for those who don't want to get burnt by the sun? A portion of the pool is sufficiently shaded by palm trees (not the deep parts though).

The weather was perfect for a late afternoon dip.

The beach is also quite nice (clarification - by beach, I mean the sand). It looks a bit out of place, and probably man made, but it does serve its purpose. Find a nice seat and you can spend the day sun bathing, people watching, or just reading a book. You can also enjoy a cold beer and watch the day pass you by.

I'm not sure what that rock formation is supposed to be.

The breakfast buffet also had a decent selection - lots of bacon and fruits, so I was quite happy. I've seen better looking buffet tables but this one was good enough for me. The gang needed to spend a couple of hours working, so it was a "working breakfast" for us. Check out all the Macs - hard to stay focused but we do what we have to. It is, after all, a working vacation.

Those are fruits on my plate!

For dinner, I heard that booking at table at Ibiza is a must - good ambiance and a nice show. And yes, this is where the famous "net over the ocean" seats are located (a bit of a disappointment, in my opinion). We made our reservations but ended up ordering room service because we were tired from all the swimming. And yes, the buy 1 take 1 Halo Halo (PHP 250) was a highlight.

I got extra ice cream!

What's Disappointing:

Swimming in the ocean turned out to be a disappointment. I grew up surrounded by nice looking beaches and clear water, so swimming in murky waters with floating seaweeds is a turn off (especially for the amount of money that we paid!). I tried snorkeling and saw some fish in the deep part;  but nothing spectacular. I just gave the place a quick spin, took some photos, then moved on to the pool.

As mentioned earlier, the rooms weren't that impressive either. For the price of the place, I was expecting a lot LOT more. Two double beds or one king bed would have made a world of difference. There were also a couple of things that made me want to make a scene at the front desk - including a card key that just wouldn't work, and the fact that they wouldn't let us bring the pool towels back to the room (I had to walk "half naked" across the lobby, by the front desk, and into the elevator area).

The pool looks enticing at night.

The Verdict:

It was an okay experience. Thankfully, I had some extra cash with me (thank you Resorts World, for my "pabaon"). Most of the guests were foreigners (it's amazing how many Koreans converged in the same place), with a handful of locals here and there. Overall, I don't think I got what I paid for - not the place for you if you are looking for value for the money you spent. I would say the experience is worth 50% of what I paid for.