Crown Regency Hotel and Towers, Cebu

I chose Crown Regency Hotel and Towers in Cebu for only one reason and that is the Extreme Adventures that they have. I didn't even bother to read reviews of the hotel so I wasn't expecting much when we got there.

I didn't do a lot of research on the hotel but by the looks of it, it appears that the property acquired the building beside it and turned it into the hotel's extension. If this is true, this would explain why the elevators are confusing as you have to make certain transfers to get to the other parts of the hotel and why the floors are not level.

Lobby

The lobby is quite small for such a big hotel and it does get very crowded especially as they "park" all the luggages of guests there and also since wifi is only available there. 

Room

The room is a surprise as it is very spacious, even the toilet gives you plenty of space.

If you need an ironing board, you need to call housekeeping to see if there's any available, which we did. We were informed that they'll send one up but it never came. There are no bathrobes and sockets are quite few as well.

Their towels are also old and are in dire need of replacing. 

Breakfast

What I was most disappointed about with my stay here would be breakfast. You need to wake up a bit early as the restaurant can't handle the capacity of the guests staying at the hotel. There are queues snaking and there can be quite a bit of a wait to get seated unless you come in really early or quite late.

There's a row of dirty tables when we got there and not one of them got cleaned during the entire time that we were having breakfast.

Food is also just so so and I have to point out the bananas that they were serving the the fruit station. Really sad.

Pool and Gym

They have several pools, the 9th floor has 2 pools, a lap pool and one free form. They have an aqua fitness pool on the 17th floor similar to ACE Water Spa but the hydrojets were no longer working.

The gym is quite big and is well equipped.

Other Hotel Facilities

The hotel's main draw is, of course, the Extreme Adventures from the 37th to the 42nd floor - The Edge Coaster, Skywalk Extreme, Zipline, Wall Climbing and the Cliffhanger.

Apart from those mentioned above, the hotel also has other interesting attractions such as the Dimension, a disco cafe at the 43rd floor, a 4D theater and playzone for kids and a "theme" restaurant.

Location

The hotel is located right beside a Robinson's mall and is a few steps away Fuente Circle. Jeepneys outside take you directly to Ayala Center Cebu and the other tourist spots are less than 15 minutes away by cab.

Overall, the hotel feels a bit chaotic. I can recommend this hotel to families with kids or if you are traveling with a big group, otherwise, you'd be better off staying elsewhere.

Crown Regency Hotel and Towers

Tower 1, Fuente Towers, Osmena Blvd

Cebu City

+6332 418-8888

reservations@crownregency.com

Quest Hotel and Conference Center, Cebu City

I learned about Cebu's newest hotel when they offered their introductory rates through one of the deal sites. I had no intention of staying in the city proper at that time so I didn't give it much thought. I did find myself booking a room in Quest through last minute change of plans.

We actually lucked out as we were surprised at how nice and welcoming the people were the moment you step inside. The hotel also looked very classy. At a fraction of what a 5 star hotel would cost, this was one great deal.




Location: 

What I particularly loved about the hotel is its location, it is right across Ayala Center Cebu and the nightlife in Cebu IT Park is about a 20-minute walk away. We tried. Of course, you can take a cab as cabs are plentiful right outside. There are also several thai massage places right outside.

Room: 



The room that we stayed in, the Premiere Deluxe, if I'm not mistaken has a balcony overlooking the pool but is a bit compact.



Facilities:

There is a pool that is nicely designed as well.

There are meeting rooms, I think, right outside the pool area as well. How fun would it be to have your meetings there? Cool.



For formal meetings, there is a business floor with several conference and meeting rooms as well.




Wifi is free but is a bit weak once you're inside your room.

We were so impressed with the hotel that we didn't pass up the chance to take lots of photos.






As it turns out, Quest was also home for some of Philippine Basketball's finest for that weekend, hence, a few more photos.







Read my full review and check out more photos of the hotel here: WhenInManila, Quest Hotel and Conference Center

Hello again, Bangkok!

*picture heavy post

To continue with my previous post, I went to Bangkok alone and I didn't want to stray far from where I was staying so going to the Grand Palace or the Reclining Buddha again are out of the question. I planned to go to a temple nearby but I spilled soup on my only pair of jeans so I decided to just enjoy the malls. So here's how I spent my quick break.

1. I stayed in bed till a bit late and had a quick workout at the hotel's gym.







No, I didn't swim but I wanted to share the photo of the pool.

2. I had ensaymada and a few pinoy treats at Goldilock's.



Where? Goldilock's is at the Column Tower near Asoke and Sukhumvit station.

3. I was craving for some burritos so I did a bit of research and found this pretty good Mexican restaurant, La Monita.





I went in the dead of the afternoon and found the place to be packed.





Where? Mahatun Plaza, La Monita - located right across Ploen Chit station.

4. Enjoyed dinner at a rooftop bar which appears to be all the rage in Bangkok.





Where? Rooftop, 9th Floor, Le Fenix Hotel, Sukhumvit 11 near Nana station. It's quite a bit of a walk and I got lost a bit so it might be best to take a tuktuk after alighting from the BTS. 

5. Visited a horror boutique mall, Mansion 7.





Where? 244/7 Ratchadaphisek Road, MRT: Huay Kwang, a few blocks away from the station.

6. Had the best massage at Urban Retreat, rates are very affordable at a very classy looking spa.







Where? Right across Asoke station. 

7. Explored the food halls of Siam Paragon and its richer brother, Emporium. This is what I really love to do. My friends can all attest how much I love Takashimaya's food hall and the food halls there are bigger and a tad bit sweeter.







A stall selling all possible green tea drink concoctions.





Here's an exquisite looking chocolate.



Gigantic chocolate croissants.



Pastel colored macarons.



8. Saw an interesting home scent at Central World.



9. I also had a disappointing Thai dinner at Paragon. The pillows looked inviting and I so badly wanted to sit from all the walking that I did so I chose this restaurant. Sadly, the food wasn't that great.







10. Good thing, my lunch the next day at the Ninth made up for it, also at the Paragon.









I had a wonderful time in BKK and I can't wait to be back.