Room Service at Shangri-la Mactan

The room service in Shangri-la Mactan is lovely and prompt! Service is right on the dot especially if you are in a hurry to join some resort activities. Serving size is very generous and price is value for money! Club sandwich is really good and filling. Two thumbs up from asiatravelbug! =D
Wanton Noodles with Barbequed Pork - P375++ (USD8.50++)

Waves Bar at Shangri-la Mactan

We got 4 complimentary cocktail vouchers in Waves Bar due to a slight delay in our check-in. A golf cart whisked us to the bar from the main hotel saving us a long walk. The ambiance of the bar is cool and cozy, perfect for lounging with friends. We sat in the tables facing the beach and the sound of the waves are very relaxing. Overall, a nice fancy bar experience near the beach shore.

Tides at Shangri-la Mactan

Tides is extremely well known for breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet in Cebu. On our second night in Shangri-la Mactan, we decided to have dinner in Tides Restaurant and ordered a la carte. The meat of the crispy pata is so tender and skin is so crispy. No wonder this is their best seller! 

Just like Tea of Spring, dining in Tides is bang for the buck. We ended up spending just P500.00 (USD11.40) nett per head, cheaper than dining in a fancy mid-range restaurant in Makati. Overall, Tides is highly recommended by asiatravelbug - great good, good ambiance and excellent service without breaking the bank!

 Crispy Pata (Crispy Pork Thigh) - P575++ (USD13.00++)

Tea of Spring at Shangri-la Mactan

This chinese restaurant across Tides is unbelievably value for money. The menu of Tea of Spring is not as exquisite as Shang Palace in Makati Shangri-la, but you will be getting more than your money's worth. The taste of food is about average, nothing to talk at home about, but service is fantastic as usual.  We were shocked when we received our bill since it was unbelievably cheap. We ended up at P300.00 (USD6.80) nett per head for lunch, cheaper than dining in mid-range restaurants in malls.  We went here with half of our stomachs full due to breakfast buffet so it was a light lunch. If you're hungry, prepare to spend about P500.00 to P600.00 (USD12.00 to USD14.00) nett per head which I think is very reasonable taking into consideration you are dining in a 5 star hotel.

Planning to head outside of Shangri-la Mactan for lunch or dinner? Think again. You will be surprised that the restaurants within the resort offers more value for money than you think.  :)

Shangri-la Mactan - Buffet Breakfast at Acqua Restaurant

I wouldn't deny that Tides in Shangri-la Mactan serves the best breakfast buffet in town with multiple live cooking stations. However, if you want to escape the breakfast crowd and would want to dine with a view, you should try Acqua restaurant in the resort's Ocean Wing.

Shangri-la Mactan Resort - Fish Feeding by the Beach Shore

The schools of fish by the beach shore are the spoiled pets of Shangri-la Mactan resort. Just like a dog waiting for his treat, these fish go crazy at the sight of bread. Make sure to bring bread when you go to Shangri-la Mactan, not for you but for the fish!  I started shooting photos while feeding the fish not knowing what how the photos would look like. It turned out that I took some hilarious and candid fishy fishy shots. A fish tugging a piece of bread from my hands, a fish biting a bread under the sea and, two fishes which ended up kissing each other while fighting for a piece of bread. I'm not a pro photographer and these shots were taken using my Sony Tx5, I hope you enjoy these photos!

Shangri-la Mactan Resort Beach

It's been 2 weeks since I came back from Shangri-la Mactan resort and I am still dreaming of the beach and the wonderful marine life. I love the beach of Shangri-la Mactan, very cozy, just the right size and with white powdery sand. I have to warn you though that some part of the beach is a bit rocky, but don't worry, the resort provides beach shoes for free.  What makes this beach different from others is that schools of fish are right by the shore!

Here are the photos which I took on a sunny weekday. I used to stay in the resort during weekends in the past. Now, I got a taste of what the resort feels like during weekdays and it's way way better! Less crowds and more activities!

 

Shangri-la Mactan Pools and Garden

Shangri-la Mactan has two main pools, one in the main wing and the other in the ocean wing. I personally like the ocean wing pool as it is less crowded and the infinity pool opens to a lovely view of the sea. The pools are safe as life guards are always in standby.  The surroundings gardens are very well maintained and are in tip top shape. 


Main Pool

Shangri-la Mactan Resort Activities

One thing which I regret with my previous stays is that I did not took advantage of the free activities in Shangri-la Mactan aside from the non-motorized sports.  I think its a good idea to be locked up in the resort for two to three days in order to fully enjoy the activities Shangri-la has to offer. After all, 90% of the activities are free including intro scuba and yoga!

The Room: Shangri-la Mactan Deluxe Sea View Room (Refurbished)

The Refurbished Deluxe Sea View room is very spacious, with a touch of elegance and smartly laid out. The bed is the best bed I've ever slept at, soft and comfortable with high thread count sheets. Wifi in the room is free, very reliable and ultra fast. Bathroom is spacious with a tub and shower. The room we stayed in is simply perfect, we could not ask for more. The lovely turn down service is something we did not expect for a room in the main wing and it was a nice bonus!

Room 8043 - the best room ever! The adjacent room 8045 is good too!

Comfy King Size Bed

The View: Shangri-la Mactan Deluxe Sea View Room (Refurbished)

View from Room 8043 - "Refurbished" Deluxe Sea View Room at Shangri-la Mactan

I previously stayed in a Premier Ocean Wing Panorama Suite (via a free upgrade) and a Deluxe Sea View Room in my past two stays. The Panorama Suite is very spacious with all modern and luxurious amenities, however since the suite assigned to us before is in the second floor, the view is blocked by coconut trees. You can view my previous review of Panorama Suite here.  The Deluxe Sea View room which I stayed before is spacious too with a nice view of the resort's pool and a distant view of the sea.

For this stay, I booked a "Refurbished" Deluxe Sea View room at local residents rate of P8,500.00++ / USD198.00++ (+22.75% service charge, VAT and government taxes). The refurbished room is just P500.00++ (USD12.00++) more than the standard Deluxe Sea View room and is well worth the price. Make sure to explicitly request for a high floor room facing the pool to ensure you get a jaw-dropping view.  Since I was with some senior citizens, our room rates were slashed 20% further from the local residents rate and VAT of 12% was taken out. Net, we had a savings of 30% equivalent to about P3,000.00 (USD70.00) per night. What a very generous Shangri-la!

Shangri-la Mactan for the Third Time

I am back in Shangri-la Mactan again and this is my third stay in the past 1.5 years. I love this place so much, it looks like my vacation here will be an annual (or a bi-annual) thing.  The star of Shangri-la Mactan are truly its people. Everywhere you go, they greet you with a smile. All staffs welcome you warmly and are very caring. Evelyn, the staff from the beach sports center, remembered me and even recounted my previous stays, cheerfully mentioning what I did and whom I am with before.

Mactan International Airport Arrival, Mactan Airport to Shangri-la Mactan

A bright sunny morning welcomed us as the plane landed in Mactan Airport. The weather is just perfect for beach bumming!  I would describe Mactan Cebu International Airport as compact and efficient, we were able to disembark and pick up our luggages in less than 30 minutes time. Although the airport is a bit tired, the festive atmosphere well compensates for it.

Philippine Airlines flight to Cebu: PAL Boeing 747

It's been a while since I last flew with Philippine Airlines and getting to a Boeing 747 plane felt like a luxury.  I have nothing against Cebu Pacific, but sometimes you get better value for money with PAL. We booked our Manila-Cebu-Manila flight during PAL's weekend midnight sale and was able to get a round trip fare of P2,350.00 (USD55.00) per person inclusive of tax. It was a sweet deal considering that you will be flying Boeing 747 (we took the 9am flight from Manila). After flying with Cebu Pacific for a time, you will definitely miss the little luxuries of full-service planes like more leg room, snacks, in-flight entertainment and newspapers.