A Review: Movenpick Hotel Mactan, Cebu

For our last night in Cebu, we decided to give it a bit of a splurge and book a room in Movenpick, Mactan. It was a reward for having endured the long hours on the road to and from Bantayan. We arrived in Movenpick at 2pm, right in time for check-in but we were told that our room wasn’t ready yet. Tired from the bus ride, we decided to just rest in one of the lounge chairs facing the beach and read.



Movenpick's lobby was accentuated with couches in hues of seafoam, yellow and other sunny colors that stood out against the lobby's all-white walls and high ceiling. Go further towards the beach and you’ll see the pool, which was the outdoor eye candy. The plastic white seats planted around and within the pool were a tease and the water was such a refreshing sight in the middle of a scorching hot day. By the shore were beach beds which would have looked normal if you frequent high-end resorts but Movenpick knew very well what accent to use and what certain pieces designed by world-class Filipino designers to put in spotlight.

At night, the pool lights up.

The room
It was already 3PM when we checked in. Our room had a huge bed with a seafoam headboard (which I loved), and an amazing view of the resort – the pool, Ibiza bar and the beach. After taking a quick shower, we wasted no time and went to Ibiza Bar.

The bed could fit 3 people

The view from the balcony of our Deluxe Room.
Left: Look down and you get a bird's eye view of the resort. Right: Mactan at sunrise.

Ibiza Bar
Ibiza Bar is so chic. It's all white with a Jacuzzi nestled right where the action is. On the side were net lounges that hung right above the water. The net lounge was our favorite! It was the perfect spot for sunset sessions. Imagine lying down right above the water – with a good drink!

While the bar appeared chic, the service wasn’t as worth raving. The waiting time for the food and cocktail was too long. We also had to follow up with the waiters a couple of times just to check on our orders. We experienced the same service the next day by the beach. We ordered pizza and beer from the seaside bar but service also took a while. I’d like to think that maybe this was because we were there during peak season and I'll leave it that way with the benefit of a doubt. Good thing the staff were very friendly and accommodating so they made up for the slow resort service.

Ibiza Bar at night. See the jacuzzi?

The net lounges by Ibiza Bar

The beach

The sand was not as fine but the resort details made up for the whole beach experience.

Since we checked in late, the hotel allowed us to check out at 1pm but I haggled for extension since our flight back to Manila was still at 7pm and they granted us an even later check out! In the end, we checked out at 4pm. Not bad.

Overall
Overall, I’d say Movenpick is a very chic urban resort perfect for those looking for a quick weekend getaway. I'd recommend it to groups who want a hip party by the beach. Maybe not the perfect pick for those wish to forget about city life, but the friendly staff, the resort facilities and the view make up for it.