It was a weekend of fun and great bonding experience when some of my favorite travel buddies and I went to Cebu. Our agenda was to have a great summer getaway in one of the prominent tourist destinations in the country before the hot season ends. That weekend was packed of enjoinment, relaxation, food and happenings. But the most important thing was we celebrated these things together with our friends based in Cebu.
Cebu White Sands Resort & Spa was our home during our summer getaway in Cebu. The resort had been our witness for our meet up and a great weekend that we all had. It was our destination for having an ultimate summer vacation in Cebu, providing us not only a lovely accommodation but also a rewarding summer experience.
Cebu White Sands Resort & Spa is located in Maribago. It is on the east coast of Mactan Island, which takes about 30 minutes travel time from the airport. Our group arrived at the resort late morning of Saturday. We were greeted by the staff and were asked for some personal details needed for our room check-in. It was still early before the standard check-in time for the resort, but despite of, we were allowed to get into our rooms ahead.
Rooms
After our room reservations were verified, we then headed to our rooms that are located at the 7th floor of the Mabuhay Building.
When we got into our respective rooms, we were delighted of its warm and roomy ambiance. I just couldn’t wait to lie in my bed and have a restful nap. I haven’t had a good sleep yet since I left from work.
Four rooms were assigned to our group. All our rooms were Premier Room. Our room has 2 full double beds, a private balcony that is overlooking the main pool, a minibar and a shower area with hot and cold running water. The room is spacious and clean. It was cozy that after having our lunch, I spent the rest of the afternoon snoozing. The comforting atmosphere certainly handed me a restful siesta that was enough to revive my energy before joining my friend to a night of fun in the city.
The Premier Room is equipped with air-conditioning, a flat screen TV and a work desk area. The room also has its own Wi-Fi router that provided me with a reliable and faster Internet connection throughout our stay. The room is also provided with bathrobes, room slippers, complimentary bottled water, and coffee and tea amenities, and bathroom amenities.
Cebu White Sands Resort & Spa currently has 85 guest rooms spread into three wings, namely Heritage Wing, Mabuhay Wing and Courtyard Wing. Furthermore, these guest rooms are grouped into different room types such as Deluxe Room, Grand Luxe Room, Family Room, Premier Room, Semi-Suite and Suites. Our group had a chance to see the Suite type of room. The Suite Room is roomy and big. It has a waiting area, a bedroom, a balcony and a bathroom. The room has a king size bed. The bathroom has a tub and shower. But what is really outstanding about the room was the view overlooking the ocean.
After looking at the features of the Suite Room, we went out of the Mabuhay Building and headed to the two other annexes of the resort.
Just near the main pool is where the Heritage Wing is. The Heritage Wing has rooms that are designed in Filipino style. Rooms here are mostly classy and traditional. Foreigners who wish to experience a tasteful Filipino type of accommodation are frequently occupying these rooms.
Another area at the resort that lodges another set of rooms is at the Courtyard Wing. The section is more of the undisturbed side of the resort. The area has koi ponds that give more easing atmosphere to the area. Rooms at the courtyard are more smart and modish in kind.
Dining
Apart from great accommodation choices, Cebu White Sands Resort & Spa also has in-house restaurants ready to serve its guests. Currently, the resort has three restaurants.
Patio Gavino is the resort’s main restaurant located beside the pool. The restaurant serves a selection of Asian and Western dishes. We had able to sample some of which like Chicken Teriyaki, Cajun Jambalaya Pasta and Wok Fried Jumbo Prawns. Doi and I shared at the Seafood Fiesta Platter, which tasted tasty for me.
During weekend and holiday, the restaurant serves lunch in buffet style. The buffet is a selection mostly of Filipino, and some other continental dishes complete with variety of appetizers, soup and desserts. An area for stir-fried vegetable is also available.
At Patio Gavino is where the breakfast buffet is also being served. The breakfast buffet was composed of favorite Filipino breakfast and dishes. There’s also an area for omelet and pancakes, pastries, fruits and cereals.Coffee, juices and yoghurts are also part of the buffet. Desserts are not missing at the buffet table as well. The breakfast was sumptuous. I think I had able to try most of the food from the buffet spread.
Another restaurant is the Buena Vista Restaurant that is located at the beachfront. This restaurant also serves as a sports bar that is furnished with a pool table, dartboards and chess tables. The place is perfect for hanging-out with friends and loved ones.
The newest dining place at the resort is the Room 801 Restobar. It isn’t a room but it was just named as such because it is located at the 8th level of Mabuhay Building, which is already the rooftop. Room 801 Restobar occupies the entire deck. The deck is well appointed with bright and radiant fixtures.
It was on our first night that we had able to dine in at Room 801 Restobar. The roof deck bar offers a variety of delectable food. Some of the dishes that we had are Tapas Platter, King Henry Grilled Porkchop and Grilled Tiger Prawns. The Grilled Tiger Prawns was the hit for me.
Room 801 Restobar is also an ideal place to unwind after a long day of activity with a choice of famous local brews and selected cocktails. The resort throws a performance night every Saturday showcasing entertainment and acoustic night.
The roof deck was also our favorite part of the resort because it’s a great place to have a stunning view of the beach and to see the rest of Mactan Island. The deck is also a nice place to catch the sunset.
Facilities
The amenities that Cebu White Sands Resort & Spa is also a significant part that stood out for us during our vacation. The resort offers outstanding facilities and kind services that we had truly appreciate and enjoy. The resort gives an easy access to the beach of Maribago. It also offers a list of recreational games and water sports activities.
Though we weren’t able to experience those kinds of activities, we were still able to enjoy some other facilities that the resort has. One of it is the pool. The resort has two pool areas that guests are available to use. The bigger one has an unusual shape that I find pretty nice as viewed from our room. This pool area is open for day tour and staying guests. But if you would want to experience a pool with fewer crowds, then you can check out the other pool area that is located near the Courtyard Wing.
The pool beside the Courtyard Wing is only open for staying guests of the resort. The pool has a Bali kind of vibe with its big jars situated from each side of the pool’s end part.The resort also arranges
island-hopping tour. The tour is a 4-hour island hopping tour visiting nearby marine sanctuaries. The tour also includes a picnic lunch at the resort’s private island named as Islas Tres Rosas.
Experiencing Anahata Spa is the most gratifying treat that we had at the resort. Anahata Spa is another outstanding amenities that the resort has, which offers excellent services from massages, Filipino therapies, spas, body treatments and bath rituals.
After we went from an island hopping tour, we were rewarded with Anahata Spa’s Signature Massage. It is a full-body massage treatment that takes place for almost two hours. The spa immersed us into a state of ease and nurturing. The sensual treatment gave us an absolute feeling of calm and repose. We felt rejuvenated right after the spa treatment. I’m not fond of spa treatments but after experiencing Anahata’s Signature Massage, I guess I’ll be now spoiling myself more with spas and body treatments during vacation like this.
Truly, a weekend with my favorite travel buddies is always a fun and exciting one. Our group was able to enjoy our quick vacation in Cebu. Our stay at Cebu White Sands Resort & Spa gave us a true definition of what an ultimate summer getaway is. From pleasant accommodation, to good food, to excellent amenities and to exciting island adventures, Cebu White Sands Resort & Spa perfectly offered us a great summer experience. Our vacation at the resort was a blast. It was a great summer getaway filled with fun and amazing travel memories.
Book your stay now through this link to get room discounts for this hotel.
Cebu White Sands Resort & Spa
Room Rates
Maribago Beach, Mactan Island
Cebu, Philippines
Phone: +63 32 268-9000, 495-2226
Email: cebu@whitesands.com.ph
www.whitesands.com.ph
10.2990463123.9638531
I love being at Cebu White Sands even if I was there for a short while. I am happy you were able to describe the place so well. 🙂 Kudos!
– JL [Viajera Cebuana]
http://www.lakambiniviajera.com
That is indeed a very cozy and beautiful hotel! It's right in our neighborhood, but we haven't been inside! Do they have an in-house reef where we can scuba dive? Do they have a dive shop?
That is indeed a very cozy and beautiful hotel! It's right in our neighborhood, but we haven't been inside! Do they have an in-house reef where we can scuba dive? Do they have a dive shop?