Independent - accommodation in Mactan Island

So we went over the Xmas holiday, only the biggest holiday in the Philippines. No decorations whatsoever for Christmas! Put that aside and our room was horrible! Door lock didn’t work(we had to contact front desk every time to get into room), bathroom sink was clogged, tv or wifi wasn’t working and AC wasn’t working! The manager on property wouldn’t even talk to us to address our situation! I would give this place a negative 8 and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone!

Our stay at the Mövenpick was a bit farther out than expected. The staff were respectful, and even with a very small team, they worked hard to take care of guests. Check‑in was smooth, but the hotel is clearly understaffed. There are three check‑in counters, yet only one person was working. The same was true for transportation — just one staff member handling all arrivals and departures. The lobby is pretty but extremely small. When I asked about pandesal, our waiter brought us three warm rolls on our last night. We ate on‑site for lunch and dinner. The food was excellent — the Bulgogi was better than versions we’ve had in the U.S., and the hamburgers were great. However, there were no Filipino dishes on the menu, and the in‑room dining menu was also entirely American and international. Some of the advertising did not match reality. The hotel does not have a shuttle, even though it was advertised. The Ibiza restaurant was under construction. The private beach was very small, and the pool area was also limited. The hotel is much smaller than it appears online. We felt very safe. Security included a K9 and a checkpoint for every Grab vehicle. The bathroom was one of the best we’ve seen — high water pressure, consistently warm water, and very clean. The amenities felt Americanized. The toilet was a little different from U.S. standards, but expected internationally. The overall experience felt very Americanized.

The beach is superb! We enjoyed swimming and feeding the small fish at the beach. The room and its view are gorgeous! The staff is amazing! I would definitely come back and would recommend it to anyone!