Paradise Philippines

i was having a hard time looking for a resort to stay in Cebu. i was hoping to find an affordable accommodation with a clean and breathtaking beachfront view. I had a lot of options but still, I wasn't contented with what i have researched. i did consider a lot of things, including the guest reviews in TripAdvisor, and that made it difficult to decide where to stay in.

at long last, i finally found alegre beach resort in Cebu. the first time i visited their website, i was asking myself if the photos posted there was real. the sand is white, the water is clean, they have a breath taking view, and not to mention the spacy rooms they offer their guests. frankly speaking, their prices are not affordable. actually, they are expensive... but that's the price of staying in a 5-star beach resort...

anyway, i contacted their reservations office here in manila and inquire if they have some promos that we can avail. luckily, they were offering three promos that will end on December 22, 2009. we decided to take advantage of their great allure escape promo (the other two promos were called the great romantic escape, which are perfect for honeymooners, and the great adventure escape, which are perfect for those who are sporty). it's an overnight accommodation for two in a de luxe room that includes complimentary roundtrip shuttle to and from the airport, welcome drinks, fruit basket, full breakfast, and an alegre cruise with a chance to see dolphins. it only cost Php 7,400.00, but if you wish to extend your stay, the rate for an extra night will be Php 6,500.00. So what we did was, we availed of the promo plus an extension for one day (since we will be in Cebu for three days and two nights), plus we decided to pay extra for extending our accommodation for a half day since our flight is at 11:00 p.m.

the driver who fetched us at SM city cebu was very polite and gave us some complimentary mineral water the moment we entered the car. one disadvantage of staying in alegre beach resort is that it is a 2 hour drive away from the city, which means it's also a two hour drive away from the airport. however, we took it as an advantage because it means that we can sleep and rest in the car for awhile.

when we reach the resort, we're already somehow full-charge but even though it's already 8pm in the evening, i was still overwhelmed on how the resort looks like outside. it is very beautiful, peaceful, quiet, and i can honestly say that i will have a relaxing vacation in Alegre.

when my companion and i got out of the car, some crews are already waiting for us so they can take out our luggages. all of them greeted us and they totally made us feel very special (which is a PLUS for me because not all resorts have that kind of treatment). the sound of the running water coming from the fountain on the reception area was very relaxing. and the receptionist were very polite and friendy. she was smiling the whole time while talking to us.

we didn't have to wait for our room. instead, the room was the one who waited for us to check in. when i entered our room, i did confirm to myself that the pictures on their website didn't lie. it is beautiful, clean, complete with the things we need, PLUS it has a huge bathroom. the bathtub was very nice, that's why my first bath in that room was a bubble bath. we have two queensize beds that can accommodate four persons. we also have a sofa where another person can sleep in. the room is fully equipped with television, dvd player, refrigerator with some snacks, a table, a cabinet, and a safe. i can stay in the room for days without going out.... literally!

after fixing ourselves and our things, we decided to have some late dinner. their pavillion is beautiful! it looks romantic, yet it is also good for business meetings and family affairs. however, we were not satisifed on their food. there's nothing special about their menu... there's nothing special about the taste of their food... and it is pretty much expensive. if you have a normal appetitie, prepare 500 pesos per meal. but if you have a big appetitie, then i suggest to prepare 1000 pesos per meal. there's no other alternative restaurants outside and you're not allowed to bring outside food. that's another disadvantage staying at Alegre.

their bed was comfy and we had a really good sleep. the next day, we headed to the pavillion to eat our breakfast and once again, i was overwhelmed with the food on the buffet table. they have so many choices and i did enjoye eating my favorite breakfast meal, which is the american breakfast. they have the salad table for health buffs, they have the cereal table for the kids, they have the pastry table, which serves different kinds of breads, they have the juice table and i have to say that i realy really really love their watermelon juice, there's the dessert table, which basically serves fruits and yogurts, and of course there's the main table that serves soups, rices, and different viands.

i was so full after eating breakfast that i decided to stay inside the room for a little while and rest. after 30 minutes, we decided to swim on the beach and on the pool. everything was PARADISE... i so love their beach that even though my skin is already toasted from the scorching heat of the sun, i still decided to swim with the fishes... YES... with the fishes... they are friendly that they swim with the people... their pool, on the otherhand, is big and it is only 5 feet deep. im not a good swimmer that's why i enjoyed their pool so much. i know for a fact that i'll not drown :p

at around 4pm, we decided to have our alegre cruise and we were lucky enough to see dolphins... unfortunately, my cam didn't have enough battery anymore that's why i didn't have lot of dolphin pictures. what a shame... anyway, they were a bit shy that's why having a good picture of them is quite difficult. they swim fast and they swim away our boat.

oh... i almost forgot their game room. it has two table tennis tables, a videoke, a mahjong table, a library, and a coloring table for the kids. outside the game room, you will see a mini playground for you will never get bored on alegre.

i was lucky to experience a barbeque dinner buffet by the beach on our second night. we had a dinner candlelit since we were participating on earth hour that time and i really enjoyed myself. it is really enjoying because eating while listening to the waves of the sea is a relaxing experience for me.

all in all, i think my experience in alegre beach resort was one of a kind. it is unforgettable and i would surely love to go back there again. if ever i decided to go back to cebu, then staying at alegre beach resort is a must! yes it is expensive, but it is all WORTH IT!

VERDICT: 5 out of 5

ALEGRE BEACH RESORT
(http://www.alegrebeachresort.com)
Calumboyan, Sogod, Island of Cebu, Philippines

I went to Coral Beach Club last November 25, 2008 with my partner to celebrate our third year anniversary. We decided to celebrate it by means of going out of town so that we could also relax at the same time.

I reserved a room online. Reserving through their website (http://www.coralbeachclub-batangas.com) was a breeze. Never encountered any problems, plus I it is secured. When I submitted my reservations to them, I left a note asking how to go to their resort. And within 24 hours, I got a response and taught me how to go to their resort via commuting. I advise to go their with your own vehicle. It's a bit far and its not a one-bus ride away.

when we arrived, the security guard immediately assist us going to the reservations office. the people there were very friendly and approachable. After 5 minutes, they already gave us a room to stay in.

we reserved a big standard room. At coral beach club resort, room number isn't used to remember your room. they use names and our room was called 'fiesta' room. there's nothing special about it so I suggest that you reserve the deluxe room because it has a beautiful view, plus i think, its more beautiful and elegant than the big standard room. Although if you're going there with your family, then I think that that big standard room would be perfect. it has 3 beds: 1 queen size and 2 single beds.

i have some issues with our room. First, the remote control for our television is broken. so we have to ask for a replacement for that. Second, the vault is not working. we asked the receptionist to send someone to fix it. she said their technician will be available at 5pm (it's only 3pm that time) and she said she will send the technician asap once he arrive. we waited but no one came to fix it. we didn't bother to repeat the issue since we will only be staying for 3 days. I hope they check first their amenities on their rooms and see if everything is working fine. they should assume that their guests are tired and want to rest after arriving.

we ate a late lunch on their restaurant. I love the two big flat screen tvs but it shows two diferent channels also. i can't seem to understand what to watch! plus their food is not so great. there's nothing special in it plus it is costly. i hope they add some more food on their menu and assign a price that justifies the serving and the taste.

i love their swimming pool and their jacuzzi. it feels so relaxing.

the beach in front of the resort is not swimmable. you have to walk a little to the left to have a good swim. plus, there are some people outside the resort that are very importunate in selling souvenir items. oftentimes, it gets to my nerves already because I already said no but they still follow us and continue to sell us their stuff. however, the view of the sunset from the resort is priceless!

all in all, i think coral beach club resort is the best resort to stay in when you're in matabungkay.