Buhi Cave Bar — Restaurant in Lapu-Lapu

This is our second stay at Sheraton Mactan, and while the overall service in the property has been pleasant, our experiences at Buhi Restaurant have consistently fallen short – enough to warrant this review.

On our first night, we came in after a late and heavy lunch at 5 Cien, so naturally, it took us a bit of time to finalize our orders. Unfortunately, the waitress serving us seemed visibly impatient and irritated, which made us feel uncomfortable and rushed. Instead of enjoying our meal, we ended up cutting our dinner short and heading back to our room.

Fast forward to our third day, we decided to give Buhi another chance and opted to dine inside for a change, as we typically enjoy the outdoor ambiance. Upon entering, we were met with unwelcome energy once again. A different waitress frowned at us immediately and did not offer a single word of welcome — seemingly annoyed that we were taking videos (which we do as part of documenting our travels). Supervisors and bartenders nearby were more preoccupied with chatting than showing any form of warmth or hospitality.

We truly felt like intruders rather than paying guests. When we finally took our seats, the same waitress took our order with a forced tone and not a single smile. It was disheartening to feel such a stark disconnect in service compared to the rest of the hotel. Honestly, it felt like we were being treated differently — perhaps with preference being given to foreign guests over local ones. And that’s difficult to ignore.

This isn’t our first stay at Sheraton Mactan or a Marriott property, and we are paying guests staying for three nights — not just dropping by. We were not asking for special treatment, just the basic courtesy and warmth expected in hospitality. For a brand of this caliber, it’s disappointing to feel this unwelcome.

Sheraton Mactan is a beautiful property with a lot of potential, but Buhi seriously needs to re-evaluate its service culture and staff training. Pleasant surroundings mean little when hospitality — the core of this industry — is...

Buhi Cave Bar is a hip joint with a nice selection of bar drinks and snacks. We particularly liked the sampler platter and mixed drinks!

They also offer a happy hour where you can buy one and get one free drink from a more specific menu; however, we weren’t informed that the happy hour deal applies per person meaning you can’t share your second free drink within the group. I wouldn’t have gotten a drink had I known about this restriction. It felt surprising and disappointing to me to discover this restriction when resolving the bill rather than upfront when ordering. This felt even more disappointing considering the four of us ordered four drinks expecting to only pay for two. To keep the good vibes going, we didn’t contest the bill, but hope that they explain this restriction to others in the future to avoid miscommunication in the end.

Regardless, the food and drinks were great. We are likely to come back later during our current stay! I think the happy hour is a good deal as long as you are aware how it...

I recently visited this place with high expectations, but unfortunately, the service left a lot to be desired.

First of all, the staff seemed completely unreliable. We ordered two burgers, but they only brought out one. When we pointed out the mistake, instead of apologizing or offering to correct it right away, they made us wait for almost an hour before bringing the second one.

To make matters worse, they also got our drinks wrong. We ordered specific drinks, but they served us something completely different. Again, no apology or effort to make up for it.

The most frustrating part was that the staff didn’t seem the least bit sorry for their mistakes. There was no acknowledgment of the inconvenience or any attempt to make up for the delay.

Overall, the experience was very disappointing. If you’re looking for a place with reliable service and staff who care about customer satisfaction, I would recommend...