Costabella Tropical Beach Hotel in Mactan Island, Cebu is one of the beachfront hotels in the Queen City of the South. During a quick weekend getaway, we decided to indulge ourselves for a treat at this resort. Coincidentally, we were just in time for their 35 years promo so we were able to avail their accommodation with a 35% discount.

Upon arrival at the resort, we were greeted with welcoming and warm smiles by their staff. It’s a Spanish inspired resort with the intricate wooden carvings and local beautiful art pieces, A welcome drink of mango juice refreshing us on a hot sunny day was handed to us before checking into our Superior Room. It’s Php 8,000 for the regular rate but we only paid Php 4,700 for an overnight stay.

There are two types of Superior Rooms, one is located near their Lema Spa which is the Superior Cottages while the other is near the reception area called Superior North Wing. We chose the newer ones so we were given a room at the Superior North Wing. Though there’s no view, the room amenities compensated for it.

Done in cozy, green and cream with wooden interiors, it was a beautiful room indeed. There were two comfortable double beds; a flat screen TV with cable channels; a mini refrigerator complete with local snacks (of course, there are Dried Mangoes!) and drinks; a safety deposit box; and a washroom with bathtub and hot shower. There are several toiletries such as mini bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion and soap bars. Though they were only good for one instead of two.

The room was quite spacious with soft yellow lighting which is good if you have lots of luggage and just want enough ample space. It’s quite clean and everything worked just fine. It was ideal for a well rested sleep because of the big comfortable beds. Despite the construction from the neighboring Tambuli Resort, it wasn’t noisy so it was all good. Though we wish we had a better view but nonetheless it was still a good room.

After settling in and resting for awhile, we went down to the beach and caught the beautiful sunset. You can take good photos with the sunset, the beach, several fishermen boats and the island of Olango from afar.

One of the favorite things I love about Costabella Tropical Beach Hotel is there are several bean bags, day beds and lounges for people to chill on while gazing at the sea view. I love how there are trees with several lounge chairs underneath so if you want to escape from the heat a bit then you can chill here. The beach area wasn’t too crowded so it was quiet and peaceful, which is one of the things I definitely look for in any travel spots I go to. There’s also a small beach bar you can order several fruit juices or liquor from.

Don’t expect much from the beach as Mactan Island don’t really have the best beach in Cebu but it was alright. The sand is white though not as fine compared to Sumilon Island and the beach is quite low tide. One of the things they can improve on is there are plenty of seaweeds so it wasn’t that pleasant to swim apart from being too shallow. You have the option to go to the deeper area of the ocean by walking on the two ramps surrounding the beach and there is a floater you can go to in case you get tired of swimming.

Some prefer the swimming pools which are l-shaped and free form pools. The l-shaped pool has a small waterfall feature while the other one has a bridge and a slide. Both are ideal for children since it goes deeper gradually. The l-shaped pool has a section cordoned that’s shallow enough for the kids to swim in. There are also several lounge chairs guests can lie down on to catch some sun and get a tan. There’s also another small pool bar you can order drinks from.

Costabella Tropical Beach Hotel serves scrumptious food and you’re palate will thank you afterwards. It’s pretty much one of the things we truly enjoyed during our stay. They have two restaurants La Marina and Brisa plus a newly-opened bar called Luna. If you prefer local and international cuisine, you can dine at La Marina. It’s also where the breakfast buffet is served.

You’ll love the filling dishes of bacon, fish, breaded pork, beef tapa, noodles and garlic fried rice. You can request to have eggs made into a delicious omelette, sunny side up or fried egg. There’s a wide array of bread from Ensaymada, wheat bread, Pan De Sal, french toast etc. with different marmalade, butter and other spreads. They have several fresh juices, hot chocolate and coffee. We were stuffed to the brim especially with their buffet. For ala carte dishes, you may check out their menu at Zomato.

Meanwhile, Brisa serves Asian cuisine and there’s a talented singer crooning your favorite classic love songs during dinner. The ambiance is romantic at night with the soft lights. We ordered their Salt and Pepper Squid Salad (Php 350) which was quite good as the Calamares were crunchy with lettuce, jicama, nori and miso dressing. We also tried their Chicken Bacolod Inasal (Php 350) which was a mouth watering coco vinegar marinated grilled chicken. For their complete menu of ala carte dishes, you may visit Zomato.

Of course, end your night with cocktails at the Luna Bar where they serve delicious Caipirinha. You can hang out at the bar while watching TV or sit at the beautiful gazebo like coaches. They also have some billiards if you love playing the game. You can also have dinner if you wish. There are also outdoor patio tables if you prefer to dine al fresco.

They also have a spa called Lema Filipino Spa where you can get different massages and scrub services. It’s tucked behind the Superior Cottage which is the quieter part of the entire resort. We didn’t availed their services though but their rates start at Php 1,000  + for one hour or one and half hour massages.

It’s the perfect beach resort for a quick vacation in Mactan Island if you want to simply swim, get a tan and eat delicious food. If you want to destress and relax by the beach all day long then this is the place you should visit to get away from the busy city life. Their service is quite impeccable and their facilities are well maintained. Their staffs are friendly and courteous. They’re not snotty and always greet their guests with a smile. It makes spending more than the usual worthwhile. The HodgePodge Lifestyle definitely recommends Costabella Tropical Beach Hotel.

 

For more info about Costabella Tropical Beach Hotel, you may visit the following websites:

Website: Costabella Tropical Beach Hotel

Facebook: Costabella Tropical Beach Hotel

Address: Buyong, Mactan Island, Cebu , Philippines

Contact Nos.: +6332 238 2700; +6332 495 1000

E-mail: rsvn@costabellaresort.com