Solea Mactan Resort — Hotel in Cordova

We are staying at Solea mactan from 21 to 25 may with family, 3 rooms pool view, 7 adults, 3 kids aged 7, 5, 1. I chose this resort because it looks stunning in the photos and the child-friendly facilities it advertised.

We checked in around midnight, reception lady was great, no issues. We were meant to be picked up at the sea port but this did not happen because of an accident we encountered separately (different story). The reception area is nice and clean, good furnishings. Check in took sooo long. I had to fill up so much paperwork handwritten and the receptionist took a while to understand the number of heads each room i was explaining. We got there eventually. There is a deposit of P2000 per night per room. Ours worked out to be P24000, the receptionist let us give P20000 because we checked in very late.

The childrens facilities were over advertised. I thought it was open to all check in guests no limit but it turns out we were given a voucher for 2 adults in each room, even if there was a room with 3. The voucher was for the inflateable park and kids play area that we can use for only 30 minutes for the entire duration of the stay. It did not matter whether we stayed 5 days, we get only 30 minutes. If we stayed just one night, also just 30 minutes! Yes it is as stupid as it sounds. Another guest had a huge and loud argument with the staff and manager about it but the management was pretty firm with the 30 minutes only rule! If we want to have another go it’s P600 per adult and P300 per child - again for 30 minutes. Pool staff was not very strict with the time, which is good.

The rooms allocated to us were meant to be pool view but we were given the farthest rooms on the 5th floor which had the view of the roofs and the makeshift houses of the nearby neighborhood.

The room itself was alright, two double beds. Mattress nice and firm, aircon good too. The tap in the bathroom was broken. The shower tap as well was broken. We called in the next day and it was promptly fixed. There were no slippers nor toiletries, we had to ask for it. Housekeeping was so loud chatting outside and banging the doors to announce their arrival.

The buildings are worn out, not as elegant as the photos. The pools were not all filled in. There were 5 little pools empty/dry. Grouting needs maintenance. Bathrooms are very dated. Close to Waterfront lahug hotel in “ancient-ness”.

There are no hand sanitising stations around.

Food is good but very limited. French toast they serve only on weekends. Filipino breakfast only had 3 dishes. Pancakes were yum but tiny. We can’t request outside of what is being served. The food overall was quite underwhelming. Native hot choco did not taste native, was very watery. No fresh salads. Cold drinks had a good selection, hot drinks not so much.

The floor outside of the infinity pool was very slippery, my son slipped twice despite walking very slowly.

All pools close at 6 pm except the main infinity pool at 9 pm. There are inflateables for rental. We rented a baby sized one for P100 per hour (which my baby did not like and we had to cancel)

The rooftop bar was only a tiny portion, a quarter or so, of the rooftop and did not go all the way around.

Access to the resort is limited, taxis don’t normally pass there, only tricycles in the main road. And not much food in the area. Resort restaurant food is very very overpriced. I’m earning in dollars and still I was in shock.

Our party is not very fancy, mid income family but still we were not impressed. There are cheaper hotels/resorts we’ve been in with better food, sharper amenities. Example, Bayfront cebu.

Staff are nice though.

Mostly the facilities need a good overhaul. Overpromised,...

Check in : August 11, 2023 at 1pm (early check-in time but the usual is 3pm)

Check out: August 12, 2023 at 1pm (usual time is 11am but can extend up to 12nn)

This hotel offers both pros and cons that you should look over.

Pros: 1.) The hotel's location and service is good. 2.) Shuttle service was quick and friendly. 3.) Security guards were active.

Cons: 1.) The front desk staff took us more than 20 minutes before checking us in, and check-out time was around 25 minutes. The management wasn't able to address the long line, which was a little inconvenience. The hotel seems to be understaffed; knowing that it's a weekend plus a Tsuneishi event was taking place on Saturday and DOLE staffs of the entire Cebu were there, the management appears to FAIL in handling it properly.

2.) The garden-view room where we first stayed has broken tiles inside the bathroom, an old split-type AC, and no view at all. Also, the signal reception was very weak (1 to 2 bars). One good picture of the room was sent to our email, as we had requested it to see what it looked like inside, but it is totally different from the actual place and exactly not the same. So we've requested to be transferred and were rejected twice, but my persistence in asking to speak to the manager worked out very well and so we were transferred to the newly renovated building Sea-view room.

3.) To begin with, the greeting staff and the Captain (all women) provided poor customer service. Totally ironic and not welcoming! We dined in for six (6) adults, an 11-month-old, and a 6-year-old. The rate was Php1,980 for 2 persons, and above 4 year old rate was Php1,400 plus one kid.

We requested that my niece (6 years of age), who wouldn't want to eat any of their food, be given one (1) stick of marshmallow chocolate as a one-time courtesy. Surprisingly, staff showed a very strict attitude and rejected this kind request. The two front desk staff also denied it, as did their supervisor, who seemed to be very busy. All of the staff mentioned seriously needed to be retrained for good customer service-relationship.

This SMALL request was totally rejected after a consistent attempt. After dining, they continued to show bad service, and my niece was billed a whopping amount (good thing my wife reviewed the charges); NO FOOD was taken, NOT even ONE! So they've corrected it, and one of the service staff gave me a piece of paper and a pen to write a review.

On our way out, the overseer or captain of the restaurant said something TOTALLY DIFFERENT, saying it was OKAY to take MARSHMALLOW CHOCOLATE and a small food item for my niece. At first, before dining in, it was NEVER the CASE; they highlighted their policy and forgot to genuinely connect with their customers.

All of these inefficiencies need to be addressed, especially the supervisor (2-star rating). It was an unpleasant experience for my niece and displeasing overall for not granting our very small request. I'd like to thank the waiters (5-star) for their...

I am writing to express my grave concern about a recent incident that occurred during my visit, particularly at the Earth Restaurant.

Earlier today, after inquiring about the latest free check-out time at the front desk in Solea Seaview, I went back to the Earth Restaurant. I observed that there was an ongoing pest control operation within the dining area while people are eating. What deeply troubled me was the lack of proper safety measures during this procedure, posing potential risks to both guests and staff.

I slipped without any wet floor signage or warnings in place. This incident raises additional concerns about the overall safety protocols in the hotel premises. This is because of the floor was wet, there was no signage.

The primary issues I observed were as follows:

Lack of Staff Alertness: The Food and Beverage staff at the Earth Restaurant appeared to be unaware of what happened to me. I had to call them, and inform them that I had an incident.

Inadequate Ventilation: There was a noticeable absence of proper ventilation during the pest control operation. This created an uncomfortable and potentially unsafe environment for both guests and staff members present in the dining area.

Absence of Protective Equipment: It was concerning to note that the technician conducting the pest control was not equipped with proper personal protective equipment (PPE). This oversight not only jeopardizes their safety but also poses a potential health risk to those in the vicinity.

Lack of Coverage and Nighttime Operation: Drawing from my professional background in hotel operations, I would like to highlight that pest control operations are typically conducted during nighttime to minimize disruption to guests. Additionally, proper coverage and ventilation are essential to ensuring the safety and comfort of everyone on the premises. In the FNB, we cover our stuff, but in your place, you did it while people are eating.

Having worked in hotel operations myself, with experiences in Cebu, Baguio, Subic, Tagaytay, and even Melbourne, Australia, I am aware of the importance of upholding high standards in guest safety and experience.

And with what happened to me, I did not sign the waiver of liability releasing all claims.

I sincerely hope that this concern will be addressed promptly to prevent similar incidents in the future. I believe that Solea Seaview Resort / Solea Mactan has the potential to provide an exceptional guest experience, and addressing these issues will contribute to maintaining the hotel's reputation for excellence.

Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter. I look forward to your response and...