Philippines: Radisson Blu Cebu Stay

Date: 2018-11-23

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The Hotel

Radisson Blu Cebu is the only 5-star hotel in Cebu City at the time of our visit. The building is owned by SM Mall (the adjacent shopping centre); the two are connected. 400 rooms. Opened 2010.

We stayed for 4 nights with family on local business.

Lobby and Design

The entrance atrium is large and double-height. We arrived in mid-November and the hotel was already fully decorated for Christmas — a large blue Christmas tree greeted us in the lobby. The hotel's colour theme is blue, carried through in decorative arrangements in the lobby, elevator halls, and table settings. Evening illumination is impressive.

The Room

Deluxe Room, 8th floor. 61 sqm — spacious. King-size bed, extra roll-away added. The room was upgraded to floor 17 on Day 2 after the shower enclosure in the original room developed a drainage problem (the hotel moved us promptly after reporting it). The new room had better views: Cebu port and container terminal visible from the large L-shaped study desk.

Bed: King-size, Egyptian cotton linen, soft down pillows (2–3 can be stacked for height preference). Bedside table with iPod dock clock — a reminder that the hotel opened when iPods were standard.

Bathroom: Overhead and handheld shower, glass door (properly closing — important distinction from some Cebu properties). Washbasin, toilet, bidet (Philippine-style handheld shower). Hairdryer in desk drawer.

Amenities: This Works — a British brand created by Vogue's beauty director. 100% natural ingredients with aromatherapy oils. Citrus and lavender fragrance. Shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, body lotion, soap. Scent and texture were notably good.

Minibar: San Miguel beer (brewed locally in Mandaue, just across from Cebu), mango and pineapple juice, cola. Complimentary: tea, instant coffee, kettle, cups. One 350ml water bottle provided daily.

Garden and Pool

Despite the hotel's position directly on a main road, the garden and pool area creates a genuine resort atmosphere: palm trees, a pool, an evening bar, and greenery that makes the surrounding traffic invisible.

The gym overlooks the pool and garden — a pleasant training environment.

Note: After one night in the original room, the shower area flooded outside the enclosure. We reported to the front desk; a maintenance team inspected and determined the issue couldn't be fixed quickly. We were moved to an identical room 9 floors higher — same layout, better views. The relocation was handled efficiently.

Breakfast

Restaurant Feria, ground floor, 6am–10:30am. Also used for lunch and dinner buffet at other times.

We arrived at opening time and ate comfortably with few other guests.

What stood out: Chinese congee (porridge) and noodle bar — choose broth, noodle type, and toppings. Filipino garlic rice with corned beef. Salad counter (vegetables are scarce in Filipino cuisine generally — this was welcome). Various breads including gluten-free, activated charcoal, challah, and Italian styles. Standard Western and Filipino hot items.

Adjacent: A small "Sushi Sake" bar opened recently in the lobby area — open evenings only, with sushi and drinks. Sushi remains a luxury item for most local customers.

Lobby and poolside bars also available.

Overall

Rating: 4/5. The room quality, amenities, lobby décor, and pool garden were all strong. One minor note: female front desk staff were largely unsmiling during our stay — attentive when spoken to, but not warm in the way that usually marks the best-reviewed hotels globally. The housekeeping and male staff were more naturally friendly.

Radisson Blu Cebu is a reliable, well-appointed base for anyone with business in Cebu City. The SM Mall connection is a practical convenience. Recommended.