Bellevue Hotel Bohol - Staycation at its Best!

It was not my first time to stay at Bellevue - a couple of friends and I were there several months ago. It is not a perfect destination mind you - and I'll expound on that in a bit. However, the good points more than compensate for the bad, at least in my opinion. We had such a great time that we had to come back - this time with more friends in tow.

Looks captivating, doesn't it? 

HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS FROM MY FIRST VISIT LAST FEBRUARY

Bellevue is not located in the more popular Alona beach front. As such, it does not share the same "swimmable" waters. This in itself can be a major turn off for a lot of beach dwellers. The water is almost always on "low tide," and there are sea weeds all over the place. The "weedy" part of the ocean is also a breeding ground for sea urchin, so not the best place for a stroll. One of our friends got pricked, so be careful.

The sand is awesome!

But that's about where the "bad" part of the review ends. The beach itself is awesome - powdery white sand on a private area of the province. Perfect for a stroll, some photo ops sessions or sun bathing. There's also an area where you can play beach sports and even aqua sports. If you can live with swimming in the infinity pool and forego the ocean, this would be a great place for you.

Let's play a game of volleyball!

Yes, the pool. It's moderately sized and located in a strategic position that allows for a nice view of the beach. The water is usually nice, but can be almost freezing depending on the weather (it was really cold when we were there last February, but nice and warm this time around). There are sufficient lounge chairs, some with umbrellas and the rest for those who want more sun. There's a small area for kids, but the majority of the pool is around 4-5 feet deep (just enough for those who can't swim).

Exhausted!

The rooms are also very nice. It was very spacious, and more than enough to fit 3. Wifi is good and you can ask for IT support in case of connectivity issues. 

"Wish you were here"

I overused the bath tub (one of my favorites!) and actually fell asleep there a couple of times. Tip - you can use three or four of their shower gels to get a nice bubble bath going. I had some issues with the room that we got last February because of the bathroom "visibility" from the balcony. They used semi-see through blinds that will "expose" bathroom users to to those who may be lounging at the balcony. The room we got this time had a nicely situated bathroom with no windows, so there was not problem.

Cover me! 

Afternoons are great for drinks, and I say this because of the happy hour from 1PM to 6PM (I think). Drinks used to be at 50% off, but this time around they offered it at 30% off. I love a good mojito by the beach, so you'll know where to find me at those hours next time.

Mojito! Pizza!

And then there was the food. Damn. At some point, I must admit, you will get sick and tired of all the bacon served for breakfast. Well, not really, but there are also a lot of other food choices that include breakfast staples, classic "ulams," cereals, fruits and dessert. Drinks are flowing and you can stay from 6am to 10am. We set up pretty early so we can enjoy hours of food while working. You don't have much of a choice when it comes to lunch and dinner, however. It's the same cooking staff cooking the same menu items. But most of the dishes are simply awesome. I say "most" because we did encounter some dishes that were "so-so." The Kare Kare and some of the pasta dishes, for instance, were disappointing. The Humba and the spicy native chicken dish, however, are a must! They sometimes offer dinner buffets (the one we had was for around 900+) to offer variety. Overall, the food isn't as expensive as you would expect from a place like Bellevue. HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS OF THE FOOD SERVED.

Waiting for lunch!

One of the best parts about Bellevue, however, is the service. I was really impressed with how friendly the staff was, and you can ask them to do pretty much anything to make your stay a memorable one. Check in and check out were a breeze - and the crew made us feel welcome from the onset. Sure, there were some minor issues with billing and logistics, but those are normal and what's important is how they were handled. They also offered some freebies like a free shuttle ride to Alona beach at night (in case you want to go there for dinner), free bikes that you can use to go around the city, free use of certain facilities and free airport transfers.

Looking like experts!

We got a pretty good deal for our last trip. Our group was able to avail of a special "pay for two nights and get the third night free" rate, so we ended up only paying around 14,000 per room. We got a similar deal the last time we went, so it's good practice to check their website for deals once in a while. HERE ARE PHOTOS FROM OUR RECENT STAY. Will definitely come back to this hotel someday soon.

CHECK THIS OUT: 6 "Non-Traditional" Things To Do In Bohol