The Reef Island Resort Mactan, Cebu

Great birthday stay with a few caveats We stayed at The Reef Island Resort Mactan to celebrate my birthday, and overall we had a wonderful time. They even gave us a slice of cake. Our room had a sea view, and we really enjoyed breakfast with a view of the sea and the beach — where you can go snorkeling. In the water, we saw lots of corals, fish, small clownfish (Nemo), and even a triggerfish. The infinity pool is awesome. There are several restaurants and a spa on the property. All guests get 30 minutes of free access to the arcade room, which has billiards, air hockey, table tennis, and a small basketball game. On the top floor, there's a restaurant with a panoramic view, and the prawns and panini were very tasty. However, there is one major downside: we asked for more water to make tea, and we were told that each additional 0.5L bottle costs 150 pesos. In our room, we only had 1 liter for two people per day, which is very little. For reference, a 0.5L bottle costs 10 pesos in a store, so the price is simply unreasonable. Also, there are no shops within walking distance of the hotel. Despite the water issue, we still enjoyed our stay and would recommend it for the location, facilities, and snorkeling.

The location is pretty remote, and most of the on-site amenities come with an extra fee. That said, the property is generally clean and well-kept, and power was restored very quickly whenever there was an outage.