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Shangri-La Mactan Resort Hotel, Cebu
The “Shang Mactan,” as the hotel is known, is probably the finest all-round resort hotel in the Philippines. Shangri-La Mactan Resort Hotel has won a raft of awards n the last few years, including “Top 15 Resorts in Asia” by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine (Reader’s Choice) in 2005 and “Top 3 Resorts in Asia” by Time Magazine (Reader’s Choice) in 2006.
Once you’re here it’s easy to see why. Occupying a verdant 14 hectares (35 acres) on the northeastern tip of Mactan Island with a private 350m (383-yard) white-sand beach, it really is an oasis, with a range of quality eateries and activities plus a magnificent spa.
This is a large resort, with 547 rooms, but it never feels crowded. Guests find themselves at one of three free-form pools set amongst clipped lawns or at the 9-hole golf course. You can dive the house reef just offshore or take a boat trip from the jetty to Olango Island with its sea-bird populations, or islands further afield. It’s only a 30-minute journey across the bridge to the attractions of Cebu City., known as the “Milan of the Philippines” for its famed design expertise.
Rooms are spread across two wings. The Main Wing and the newly renovated Ocean Wing offer six different standards of rooms of varying sizes, from 34 square meters to a presidential suite of 216 square meters. Décor majors in contemporary neutral tones but numerous little Filipino touches, from capiz shell bowls to native wood picture frames and rattan chairs, hint at your location. You can be sure that these are manufactured locally by Filipino artisans.
The flavors of the world are available at Tides, where several buffet stations make eating easy. From sushi to New York deli-style desserts, there’s something for everyone here at the largest hotel’s eatery. The hotel also offers excellent Oriental cuisine at Tea of Spring, and mouth-watering Italian dishes at Aqua, their newest restaurant, while Cowrie Cove, with its romantic waterfront location, serves fresher-than-fresh seafood.
(L. Bennett, Island Guide: Philippines, 2008)