Fili Hotel NUSTAR Cebu — Hotel in Cebu City

We only planned to stay in Cebu for one night, and ended out here for eight nights due to sickness (Dengue Fever) and we could not have been in a better place! The rooms are incredibly comfortable and spacious - we had a deluxe double with a sea view and the only thing I'd change was the fact that it turned out to be an adjoining room, which of course does mean you can hear your neighbors more than usual. The bed was really comfortable and a great size which was especially useful as my partner spent two days bedbound at the start of our visit due to sickness and fatigue. Room service was great and we tried a number of items and were never disappointed - and of course the service linked to this was also always impeccable. All the staff here seem to be trained so well and are incredibly polite, hospitable and could not do enough for the guests - really making the experience!

The gym is great, although I would encourage the hotel to look into moving the treadmills away from the windows (or to install some direct air conditioning above these). While I understand it's an impressive view to run to, both times I went I felt it was unnecessarily warm in this location, while the rest of the gym felt much cooler. The pools look lovely, but unfortunately lack depth, making them fine for lounging, and probably ideal for a family, but not the best for actually swimming in.

The location of the hotel is okay, but not perfect (depending on what your plans are in Cebu). It's definitely out of the way, which suited us, especially as we only planned to be in Cebu for two nights, we thought we'd visit the mall and otherwise just take advantage of everything the hotel had to offer.

The only real reason I have to review this four stars instead of five is due to our experience in the spa. We both opted for the traditional massage with cupping and felt very dissatisfied with how the experience went. Unfortunately, the spa is near to building works, so even with the spa music playing, you can clearly hear these works going on, ruining the relaxing vibe. The spa staff also just didn't seem as polite or accommodating, or potentially even as well trained as all other staff at the hotel. Both our massages were a little lackluster, and my husband even had one of the cups from his back slide of and hit his head at one point - on top of this he also suffered a burn on his lower back due to the glass being heated rather than just the air inside - not exactly the relaxing treatment we had planned. Especially considering the cost of the 60-minute treatment, literally five time the price of a 120-miute treatment we'd had in Bohol a week earlier, this was not a great experience and until something changes I'd probably suggest people avoid the spa currently.

All being said, all staff were incredibly helpful when my husbands illness worsened - from the reception desk, to the hotel medical team and even the duty managers, everyone was brilliant. We ended out spending 3 nights in hospital, while we extended our stay at Fili, and while it would have been nice to have been offered some kind of discount (as we weren't technically there) knowing that we had a lovely room to return to where we knew all our belongings were safe, was a light at the end of the tunnel! Thank you to all the staff who helped us, called us at the hospital to check in, and welcomed us back happily once we were discharged.

I would 100% recommend a stay at Fili Hotel NUSTAR Cebu - but do yourself a favor and just use your time there to...

As an international 5* hotel it is just about acceptable. The staff were all very charming and keen to please (but sometimes did not). However, there are plenty of problems, some not the fault of the hotel. The mall attached to it is miserable. It’s all vulgar designer shops where you are stared at every shop you walk past since it’s quite empty and the staff have nothing to do but stand at the doors. There are no “normal” shops even to buy a can of Coke or bar of chocolate. The casino is OK but full of people who just sit at the machines, taking up space and watching others. The casino staff do nothing to discourage that, so I stopped going. The whole area is a bit depressing but in 5 years’ time may be quite good. The nearby “normal” mall which is very good, is completely inaccessible by foot despite being really close. The road can be horribly congested (making any outing from the hotel miserably difficult) and is too dangerous to cross on foot. There are some waterside basic eateries that are accessible on foot next door, but it’s not a pleasant walk and probably not encouraged. You can eat good local food there and drink beers. It has much more atmosphere than the hotel. There are a few outlet shops there as well, but much has closed down, and there are no convenience stores. The hotel breakfast has a good range but so much of the food is horribly cold, especially around the egg station. Two of my four breakfasts were horrid because it was just at room temperature. This really needs sorting out - it is awful. As a single person I do not appreciate that my room rate includes two breakfasts. Why can I not pay less for one breakdast? Why am I subsidising breakfasts of couples who already get their room at half the cost per head compared with me? It is outrageous (and not unique to this hotel)! All of the outdoor pools and terraces were closed “for maintenance” - except there was no maintenance. My room looked down on the terrace and not one person was seen doing any work for four days. With that resource taken out, I would hardly call it a resort hotel. Finally there were some staffing failure irritations. My laundry was not collected until I asked later on (missing the time for same day service) and then not returned until I had to call for it. I was shown a table one morning at breakfast and told to get my food while it was prepared. OK… except when I returned to sit at it I was asked to move as a couple had “chosen it”. The waitress pointed at an unprepared dirty table. My cold food was already getting colder so I refused to move and started eating it. She looked quite aggrieved even though it clearly was not my fault - quite the reverse. I then explained myself to the couple the mistake the hotel had made as the waitress watched on looking like she was chewing lemons. She then made a big thing about clearing away the second set of cutlery at my table.  Mistakes happen, I know. Anyway in summary I would choose a different location were I to return to Cebu...

Being the first Fili Hotel representing the first 5-star Filipino hotel brand, Fili Hotel Cebu at Nustar is indeed a promising property that has the makings of a great luxury hotel. One of the first things you will notice is the impressive lobby heavily bathed in lustrous gold. The grand and spacious lobby with its high ceiling and glittering chandeliers is enough to wow anyone. There wasnt much of a line during check-in and the process was a seamless experience. The front desk representative was very warm and made sure everything was set for us. While waiting, drinks were served to the guest which was a refreshing concoction.

After we got our room keys (one for each guest which I appreciated as most hotels would only offer 1 for the guest and 1 as power key) we were taken to our Seaview twin room. I must say that Fili Hotel currently has the best room offering within Cebu City. The room was huge! The golden touches continue with the interiors of the room coupled with some Filipino touches through the prints that adorn the space. Another impressive feature of the rooms at Fili is their bathroom which is without any doubt, the best that you can get in Cebu City. Again so much room inside the bathroom and the luxurious look is not in short supply here. As of May, they still do not have live cable channels available but you can cast on the TV using your smart device.

Room tip: the couch also doubles as a sofa bed and its a huge one that can easily sleep 2 extra person. If you pay an extra person charge, extra pillows and sheets will be provided along with the buffet breakfast inclusion.

In terms of amenities, Fili has an impressive fitness center. The gym was, again, huge with sweeping views of the sea. They also have a sauna that you can use and the changing area looks topnotch. The pool area is small in relation to the size of the hotel. They only have one pool accessible for now which is divided into three areas ( childrens pool, main pool and a shallow lounge pool). The pool deck is set next to Sinag Cafe/ Fili Cafe where breakfast is served. The cafe has outdoor seating which lets you dine al fresco while looking into the pool area and the sea. Gorgeous morning views to enjoy your breakfast with.

Overall, Fili Hotel is a very promising property and as more of areas of the property is opened the experience will surely be elevated. I would recommend Fili for weekday staycations for a more...