We stayed in five different properties over our 11 day vacation in Cebu, with all excepting the Radisson Blu Cebu involving just a single/two night stay. This trip has involved more accommodation changes than we’ve experienced in any vacation so far. But I guess it was also finally unavoidable given how much traveling we were doing each day. We had three reservations in Cebu City itself at the Radisson Blu Cebu, so that property deserves its own review post.
For the properties we stayed at, our brief notes follow!
Oslob: Joaquim’s Bakehouse and Lodge (1 night, Double Room, SGD57/night)
Joaquim’s was a very small lodge-styled property that sits along the main road. It’s situated pretty near the Whale Shark Observation spot, which is a bonus. We checked-in pretty late on Day 02 evening, but was warmly received by lodge staff and showed to our room. The room was very basic with two double-sized beds, had a TV that was not receiving any signal, and WIFI that did not work [the staff said that the storm the previous night had something to do with it]. Upon checking the room bathroom, we saw two cockroaches scurrying across – which our check-in staff immediately caught and apologised profusely for. We were staying just one night only, and the rate was pretty cheap. So, we managed our expectations, and we slept well too, very tired from the day as we were. I didn’t get the impression that there were a lot of luxury properties in this area. But if you have the budget for a better class of stay and can find one that can fit your party-size, you might want to consider going for that instead of this lodge.
Moalboal: Dolce Vita Resort (1 night, Family Room, SGD106/night)
We had that somewhat meh stay at Joaquim’s, so was prepared for something similar at Moalboal. Instead, we were very surprised to get a large apartment-sized unit at Dolce Vita Resort: the unit had two separate bedrooms, each with its en-suite toilet/bathroom, a small kitchen, and a living and common area. The furnishing was a little old and water pressure in both shower areas was low, but the resort also had its own small pool which the kids really enjoyed after the day’s Whale Shark swimming and visit to Sumilon island activities. The in-room TV also had YouTube. And there were three very lovely house cats that the kids loved interacting with. The property staff were also very friendly, and while the area that the resort was located in was several minutes walk from the main road where the dining establishments were clustered around, I noticed that there was a security guard on duty at nights. This property easily gets our recommendation.
Malapascua: Hippocampus Beach Resort (1 night, 2 x Standard Rooms, SGD47/room/night)
This was a beachfront property, and we had two rooms located on a second floor. Amenities in each room is really basic: just beds, air-conditioning, a desk, and no TV, and no fridge. And the steps leading up to our second floor units were very steep, so much so that we had to get hotel staff to assist us to bring our luggage up and down [they are very happy to do so]. Reception staff were very friendly, but take note too that this property does not accept credit card payment. Payment for this property that we made using Booking.com was only at property. The water coming out of the shower was from seawater, so there was still that slight saltiness about it. The power also restarted a couple of times at night. This I reckon is finally an issue of the Malapascua being a relatively undeveloped island, so an issue of managing expectations again.
Bohol: Blue Ocean Bohol Beachfront Resort (2 nights, Beachfront Family Room, SGD160/night)
Also a beachfront property. In our research, most places to stay along Alona Beach seemed a little pricey, and Blue Ocean wasn’t very different in this regard. The good bits: the room was large, there was a fridge, a decent-sized shower and bath area [the water for the shower did not have the same saltwater-issues as our Malapascua stay], a TV with mostly news-channels, friendly reception staff, and best of all, the property is located at the relatively quieter end of Alona Beach, which otherwise is a very lively and busy stretch.
As for the bits that didn’t work for us: firstly, the property is accessible by vehicle along a very narrow and bumpy side road, and after that, only via the property’s back gate that goes down a short flight of fairly deep stairs. You’d need help to bring any heavy luggage down. Thankfully, we only needed to do that twice: once at check-in, and another at check-out. The other bit that didn’t work for us was huge: Internet connectivity, whether through hotel WIFI or our independent mobile networks, was extremely unstable while in the room. But step out of the room, and connection immediately improved. I had no idea why. Perhaps there was some sort of EM interference generating device right beside our room? So, our summary: if privacy and relatively quietness for a beachfront property along Alona Beach is the most important thing for you, then Blue Ocean is something you could consider. If not, and Internet connectivity is critical and you don’t feel up to stepping outside to fight off the constant sand flies, then based our experience with our room, this property is hard to recommend.
That’s a wrap for four of the five places we stayed at. Next post: the Radisson Blu Cebu!