Posted in Cebu Hotels and Resorts Philippines Travel

HOTEL REVIEW – The Reef Island Resort Mactan Cebu

HOTEL REVIEW – The Reef Island Resort Mactan Cebu Posted on November 7, 2022Leave a comment

Sinjin is a travel and lifestyle blogger. Formerly the president of Cebu's premier blogging organization, the Cebu Bloggers Society, he is Sun Prepaid's "Glorious Lifestyle Baron" and Cebu Pacific's "Singapore Party Peep"

There is a newly-opened resort in Lapu-Lapu City that is quite a game changer. I was privileged to have been invited to experience The Reef Island Resort Mactan a few days before its scheduled opening to the public.

The Reef Island Resort Mactan is dubbed as the newest architectural icon in Mactan, rising from the sea to the sky to offer a sanctuary-like experience to its guests. It is located within a gated community in Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City, assuring guests of a peaceful stay and maximum privacy.

First Impressions

Visually, the hotel’s exteriors are bold in black and white, a representation of the undulating and cascading shape of reef plates, thus the resort’s name. It is inspired by the sensibility and charm of the natural formation. The hotel’s parking space is located across the building. Guests are greeted by a Concierge Desk. The elevators leading to the Lobby Level are located behind it.

A hotel lobby is like its welcome mat. Here, one could immediately see the unmistakable touch of Budji+Royal and world-famous proudly Cebuano designer Kenneth Cobonpue. The tasteful decor provided a wonderful sense of arrival and timeless tropical ambiance, introducing the character of the resort.

While checking in, we were served a refreshing welcome drink. Instead of a card key, the resort is using an RFID wrist band, to unlock and power up the room. I’m not sure if they’re planning to use it for access to amenities, and payment for F&B and services, but that kind of seamless integration would definitely be very convenient.

Rooms

The hotel has 175 seaview rooms and suites. I was billeted at a Deluxe Premium room. Other room types available are Deluxe, Premier, Premier Seaview, Premier Seaview with Balcony, Junior Suite, The Reef Suite, and Two Bedroom Suite.

As I entered the room, I was welcomed by Earth tones, and serenely minimalist interiors. It features a mini bar, in-room safe, smart cable TV, IDD and NDD-capable telephone, complimentary bottled water, coffee and tea making facilities, broadband internet access and WiFi. Iron and ironing board are also available upon request. I was looking for a bath robe and in-room slippers but later on learned that these can only be found at premier rooms and suites.

The bed was comfortable, and the linens were immaculate. The pillows were okay as well.

Between the beds were power outlets. There are a few more on the floor and in the bathroom, but I feel like they could add even more, considering how much our life revolves around our gadgets these days. On the desk below the TV was a fruit platter, another sweet welcome gesture.

The bathroom was spacious with a separate vanity area. It came complete with dental, shaving, vanity kits, shower cap, sanitary bag and a sewing kit. Refillable and sustainable toiletries were mounted on the wall. And yay, the toilet has a bidet. The ceiling-mounted rain shower head had good water pressure. It was also easy to control the shower temperature to how you exactly want it. A handheld shower was also mounted on the wall.

All rooms are designed with glass walls, glass railings, and a glass sliding door facing a 180-degree vie of the sea. Each balcony has a great line of sight, and since this side of Mactan is where the sun rises at, it’s definitely a moment you shouldn’t miss.

Amenities

The Reef Island Resort Mactan has a stunning 247 square meter infinity pool facing the sea and an exclusive children’s pool. It also has its own private beach, boardwalk, and pier. Other amenities include a gym, Kids Arcade, Virtual Room, The Reef Spa, and water sports facilities, among others. The hotel also has three function rooms for your events and gatherings.

Dining

I must say that one of the highlights of my stay at The Reef Island Resort Mactan is their food! Managed by The Abaca Group, I expected nothing less. “The Kitchen”, their all-day dining outlet, is now open and features their modern take on Southeast Asian favorites. Each dish served reminded me of the times when we stayed in Singapore. I uploaded the menu below, but here are some of my favorites:

Their buffet breakfasts are also served at The Kitchen (available for walk-ins at P1,200 nett per person).

Breakfast was a glorious spread of artisan breads and pastries, Filipino (yes, there’s danggit!), English (my heart was screaming when I saw there was bacon!), American, and Continental staples.

The food was soooo good, and I’ll definitely be back with my family. Just quite unsure if we’ll go for breakfast, or ala carte lunch or dinner, haha.

Aside from The Kitchen, more dining outlets are opening soon at The Reef Island Resort. The Grounds (Ground Floor – an outdoor dining area where one can indulge in traditional Filipino food like the classic ‘sugba’/BBQ and other well- loved, homestyle dishes), The Lounge (Lobby Floor – cocktail bar), Mix2 (Lobby Floor – ice cream, sherbets, and make your own Halo-Halo), The Bakery (Lobby Floor – handcrafted breads, pastries, gourmet coffees, burgers, pizza), Spaggia (25th Floor – Italian-inspired restaurant by the roof top which will offer hand-tossed pizzas, and homestyle main course offerings).

Verdict

I had a very good stay at The Reef. It definitely will be serving its own market segment with the growing number of affluent and discerning locals and tourists. There are some parts of the hotel which are under construction, and the noise might bother you. The soundproofing of the rooms is an area for improvement.

We checked in during a stormy day, which exposed some design flaws, but I’m pretty sure the management has taken note of these to fine-tune and further enhance the overall luxury experience expected at the resort. I personally would wait for a few more months until all facilities and dining outlets are completed, but The Reef Island Resort Mactan holds a lot of promise! A big win for Cebu’s tourism industry as it continues to move forward from the pandemic.

Published Rates

Deluxe Room – P11,000
Deluxe Premium – P13,180
Premier Room – P14,260
Premier Seaview – P16,720
Premier Seaview with Balcony – P19,940
Junior Suite – P28,990
The Reef Suite – P31,450
Two Bedroom Suite – P35,130

The Reef Island Resort Mactan

Location: Dapdap, Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City⁣
Phone: 032 253 REEF (7333)⁣
Email: info@thereef.ph⁣
Website: www.thereef.ph
Child-friendly? Yes
Senior and PWD-friendly? Yes

Sinjin is a travel and lifestyle blogger. Formerly the president of Cebu's premier blogging organization, the Cebu Bloggers Society, he is Sun Prepaid's "Glorious Lifestyle Baron" and Cebu Pacific's "Singapore Party Peep"

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *