Ibabaw Mountain Resort — Hotel in Cebu

It's our first time at Ibabaw Mountain Resort and we booked for 2 nights. During our brief stay, here are our observations:

Location: We followed the advice from a local blog site and took the Yati, Liloan route. We rented a motorcycle to take us to the resort which we travelled in less than 15min from the make-shift terminal. We did not have trouble with our commute personally, but our friends who drove their own cars got lost. Direction signages are scarce, and GPS while signal is intermittent is just unreliable. The resort is located on a hill across the Sta. Cruz Barangay Hall and would require good maneuvering skills to overcome the final steep road.

Reception: They do not have a formal front desk. What they have is like a mixed use building that serves as office, convenience store and function hall. This building also houses the rooms 1 to 5 at the lower level. We arrived around 2pm and there was no staff to greet us. We had to assume that this office was their receiving area, and we were correct. We were ushered by Meriam upon confirming our booking.

Accomodation: The room 2 we booked was simple. No TV, no WiFi, no windows, no cabinets or drawer, no recessed lighting, no aircon remote, no keycard, and no safebox. The room is approximately 2.5 x 6 meters. With sliding doors draped with curtain as main entrance. There were two beds. 1 king size with 4 inch premium rubberized foam, and 1 single size with 8 inch regular foam which we believed is intended for massages. The larger bed has micro fiber bed sheets and blanket only. No comforter. The smaller one has no cover, and liquid smudges from past usage are visible, we never used it. The king size bed was very comfortable. The bedframe is made of bamboo, and creaks a lot, which is typical. There was a glass bedside table and a lamp shade on top. This lampshade is one of the two light sources in the room. The other one is a luminaire ceiling fan. It is darker than your usual hotel room. The CR is very well maintained. Clean as brand new. You can even sleep on the bathroom floor if you like. They provide 2 guest kits containing toothpaste, toothbrush, and small soaps. No airdryer in the CR, but has power sockets for you to use if you have one. There is no hot shower. However, they provide an electric water heater for times when you want a hot bath. It doubles as your source for hot water to make coffee. They give out 2 sets of instant coffee and 2 500ml bottled water each day. Towels are fresh, but is already off white in color. They replace this each day as well. There is air-conditioning, and the unit is relatively new. It cools quickly, has thermostat function, and have not given as a problem. A 4 cubic ft refrigerator is provided. A proper ref with freezer, and not the mini type you usually see hidden in hotels. Each room has a porch outside, which has a lounging chair and a round table for breakfast.

Food: Serving size for short orders is meant for groups. A set of two viands and a rice platter can satisfy a group of 4 to 5. Menu is composed of filipino favorites, so flavors are familiar. Due to the location, seafood is more expensive than other types of meat. Food ranges from 165 to 400, while drinks are available at 50 to 180. Corkage applies to undeclared food and drinks. Rates are available at their FB page.

Amenities: The resort has a small sized pool that could fit 20 pax at most. Its open until 10pm. No dedicated kiddie pool or jacuzzi. Pool use is free for booking guests, and has a one-time fee of 100 for day-use guests. The resort has a parking space. The space can accommodate 10-12 cars at a time. No fee, and they have a security guard watching over most of the time. A dedicated place for grilling is also available. There's a public bathroom and shower area. The function hall can host up to 50pax.

Since this hall is directly above rooms 1 to 4, any noise they make can be heard and felt downstairs. During our visit, there was a team that is holding their teambuilding. As early as 7am, they were already playing loud music which is very...

A Relaxing Weekend Getaway

We booked a 1-night weekend stay at this resort and overall had a pleasant experience. Here’s a breakdown:

Affordable and Spacious Rooms: The rooms are very budget-friendly, spacious, air-conditioned, and offer a stunning view of the mountains—ideal for a peaceful retreat.

Challenging Entrance & Parking: Be aware that the entrance to the resort is quite steep, and parking is only available outside the property. However, they do have security guards stationed for safety, which adds some peace of mind.

Bring Your Own Trash Bags: While the resort allows guests to bring in outside food (though not drinks), they don’t provide trash bins. You’ll need to bring your own garbage bag, as leaving outside food waste on the premises is prohibited.

Free Breakfast: Breakfast is available between 6 AM and 8 AM. It includes rice, longganisa, lumpia, and a slice of watermelon, with either juice or coffee. It’s a nice touch, although the limited hours might not suit late risers.

Early Check-in & Check-out Times: Check-in is at 12 PM, and check-out is relatively early at 10 AM, so plan your stay accordingly.

Decent Pool: The resort offers a decent-sized pool with a maximum depth of 5 feet. There’s a small hut with beautiful views by the pool, but it’s available on a first-come, first-served basis, so get there early if you want to relax there.

On-Site Dining & Beverages: The resort also has affordable food and beverage options. You can enjoy dinner in your room, though the restaurant closes at 10 PM (with last orders taken at 8 PM). Drinks, however, are available upon request at any time.

Nearby Cafe: Just a two-minute walk from the resort is Café View, which I highly recommend checking out for a different vibe.

Final Thoughts: Overall, this resort is a great spot to relax and enjoy time with family and friends. Despite minor inconveniences, the affordability and beautiful scenery make it...

The place is very nice.

The resort follows health safety protocols. The following safety standards are observed such as wearing of face mask, temp check, disinfection and social distancing. Other things are observed such as cleanliness of the surroundings is maintained, the service crews are accommodating, the foods served are decent, and by the way, the place has a stunning overlooking 'part-of-the-city' view.

The resort also has its shortcomings. Well, of course, nobody's perfect, and so are they. At the time of our visit we experienced the following: 1) there was no water in the bathroom inside the room we've stayed in the entire time; 2) the foods that we ordered took two hours to be served, which was very disappointing. But, overall, I commend the resort. Budget friendly and worthy of your time and money.

‼ Just an unfortgettable experience we had. ‼ It was raining which came with lightning. And at the time, we were swimming in the pool when the lightning passed just above the pool (but not towards the pool). Water as a natural electric conductor, somehow, caught some of the lightning's electricity which made everybody in the pool electric shocked with a very minimal amount of voltage, just enough for us to feel the electricity. Just then, everybody went out of the pool. I can say "that was the highlight of our trip in Ibabaw...