Jeff and I just came back from a short vacation in Cebu last weekend. We attended the wedding of Tito Greg and Tita Liz' son, Aaron at Shangri-La Mactan. We stayed in Bluewater Maribago Beach Resort in Lapu-Lapu City. I have personally requested if we could stay there because I loved our stay in Bluewater Sumilon Island Resort for our honeymoon last April 2012.
I'd like to write a not so short comparison of our experience in these two resorts. Check out the photos that I took and my verdict at the end of this post.
Bluewater Maribago
We booked through a travel agency, Travel Asia. They had a promo with Metrobank Card holders and we paid P4,575 per night. We stayed two nights so we paid P9,150. The accommodation includes breakfast buffet for two and free use of pool. Our package didn't include shuttle service.
Bluewater Sumilon
We bought the deal in Deal Grocer in December 2011. Bluewater Resorts is a a regular in that group buying site. They sold it for P15,500 or $350 for a 3D2N stay. The accommodation comes with free breakfast buffet and free shuttle service from the airport or from the city. Believe me, the free shuttle service is really a biggie. Sumilon is in Oslob, Cebu which is about a three hour drive from the city.
Verdict: While Bluewater Maribago's rates are cheaper, it was only a promo that they offered to Metrobank Card holders. I'd suggest you check out Deal Grocer regularly because Bluewater Resorts post affordable deals for their three resorts -- Sumilon, Maribago, and Panglao.
Location
Bluewater Maribago is located in Lapu-Lapu City and about 30 minutes (and P150 by cab) away from the Mactan Cebu International Airport.
On the other hand, Bluewater Sumilon is located in Sumilon Island in Oslob, Cebu which is about three to four hours drive from the city. Good thing our package included free shuttle service. There is actually buses that go from Cebu City to Oslob but I'm pretty sure Bluewater's shuttle service is way too comfortable. We later discovered that you can actually lessen the travel time of three hours from the city to Oslob by taking a plane from Manila to Dumaguete. The resort has a fast craft that will take you from Dumaguete to Oslob. The service is also free.
Verdict: Considering the location, Bluewater Maribago is easier to locate compared to Sumilon. You can take a not so early flight to make it to your 2PM check in.
Rooms
Bluewater Maribago
I was amazed when we first stepped inside our room. From a deluxe room, we were upgraded to a Amuma Suite. Maybe it was because all the deluxe rooms were already taken. It was a big room. There are two queen sized beds and the bathroom is huuuuge! Here are some photos and you be the judge.
Click the photos below to enlarge.
Bedroom
Bathroom
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| They have a bathtub. A bathtub! |
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| This is the view infront of our room. |
Bluewater Sumilon
There are only very few rooms, or should I say villas. The fourteen villas are situated in front of the beach. You literally hear the waves when you wake up in the morning. The rooms also have two queen sized beds and a toilet and bath. There is no bathtub though.
Click the photos below to enlarge.
Bedroom
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| This is the view from our room. I can wake up to this every morning! |
Verdict: Both rooms have pros and cons. Sumilon's villas are beachfront while our room in Maribago is in front of the hilot place. Sumilon's rooms are smaller compared to Maribago's, but Maribago has a bathtub. There is also no wifi in the Maribago room so I had to use my Globe Blackberry to tether my iPad so I can browse the internet. In the end, I think I'd pick Sumilon because it is very quiet and exclusive knowing that you only have 13 other neighbors.
Amenities
Bluewater Maribago
According to one of the staff at the beach, Maribago has been there for about 20 years already. It is situated in a six-hectare land in Lapu-Lapu City. They had so many amenities like three swimming pools, a huge spa, gym, a seafood restaurant, another restaurant named Allegro where they usually serve breakfast (it is now under renovation), a man made island, and a huge receiving area. They also have cultured sharks, which guests can feed at 4PM every day.
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| Pool at the Amuma Suites just in front of our room. |
Click the photos below to enlarge.
More photos of the Amua Suites pool.
Another pool near the beach.
Bluewater Sumilon
There is only one resort in Sumilon Island and that is Bluewater Sumilon Island Resort. Just the idea of being on an island for our honeymoon was already awesome. The place was very quiet and secluded. The place has one pool and about two or three jacuzzis, a man made lake where you can kayak, a trail going to the lighthouse, a sandbar where you can swim and snorkel, a big pavilion where they also serve meals, and a spa.
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| Bluewater Sumilon's infinity pool. |
Here are more photos of Sumilon Island. Click the photos to enlarge.
Obligatory cheesy honeymoon photos.
Verdict: I am pretty sure everyone would agree with me that Sumilon Island wins this one.
Jeff and I were both looking forward to the buffet breakfast in Maribago. We loved Bluewater Sumilon's breakfast and we kinda knew that Maribago will also serve it. We were surprised to know that Maribago also served a sort of oriental style noodles. We later realized that they do serve that because most of the people who go there are Koreans.
Bluewater Maribago
Here are a few photos of the breakfast buffet. We were not able to try their other food because we were mostly out the whole time we were there.
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| Breakfast buffet. The one under the lights are the bacon! |
Click the photos below to enlarge.
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| Photo from Jeff's Instagram. This is our standard Bluwater galit-sa-bacon breakfast. |
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| Photo taken by Tito Bob. |
We loved Sumilon's food. It is one of our considerations on why we booked Maribago. Haha! I remember that we arrived in Sumilon Island at 2PM and we were starving. Jeff and I ordered lunch right away after we've settled in. We requested for the food to be served on the veranda of our villa so we can dine in front of the sea. We had adobo rice and pinaputok na tilapia. It was greeeaaattt!
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| Adobo rice. |
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| Pinaputok na tilapia. |
We didn't have dinner because we had late lunch so we were hungry at around 8 or 9PM. We ordered pizza for midnight snack. Talk about gluttony and post-wedding diets.
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| I believe this is Margherita. |
The next day's buffet breakfast was also insanely good because we discovered the buffet bacon. Hahaha! Sadly, we only had one buffet breakfast because we went whale shark watching the next day. I didn't have photos of the buffet table in Sumilon because, I don't know, maybe I was too preoccupied with the bacon?
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| That's my husband and his bacon covered plate of rice. |
Our accommodation also comes with one free dinner that we availed on our last night on the island. It was a set meal with soup, appetizer, main course, and dessert.
Click the photos below to enlarge.
L to R top to bottom: Pumpkin soup, fried calamares, fried Pugapo which is a local fish, grilled prawns, and rum cake for dessert.
Verdict: I love both their food! I just wasn't able to try other dishes in Maribago because we didn't really stay in the hotel. So I'd pick Sumilon on this. The whole dining experience in front of the beach is a give away.
Beach
Bluewater Maribago
Bring me to a nice beach and the conversation is over. Although from what I heard, Maribago has the biggest beachfront in all the Mactan resorts, I was quite disappointed when I saw it. The water is dark and there were floating seaweeds everywhere. There is a man made island across the beach, but it was a bit dirty too. I think I have this disappointing impression of Maribago because 1) I've seen how beautiful Sumilon's beach is and 2) we just got back from El Nido so all the other beaches look ugly to me. Anyway, here are the photos and you be the judge.
The huts in front of the beach.
L to R: Bluewater Maribago as seen from the man made Island. Korean kids playing with the huge chessboard in the beach.
L: Man made island seen from the resort.
R: Tent skeletons in the man made island.
L: Huts at the man made island.
R: Hotel staff paddling us to the man made island.
Bluewater Sumilon
The whole idea of Sumilon Island being an exclusive resort is what I love most about it. Unlike Maribago, we hardly see people walking around and making noise. Maybe there were only 50 people in the resort max at a time. Just perfect for honeymooners.
These are our post-wedding selves. I am definitely way lighter that's why Jeff can still carry me. Haha!
The sandbar on sunrise (left) and afternoon (right). The resort people told us that this is normally a round sand bar, but it changes depending on the weather and seasons.
The view from our villa.
Verdict: Of course, it is Sumilon Island. I can't even wait to go back here!
Service
I believe Bluewater resorts maintain a standard for their services. Staff on both the resorts were very courteous and polite. They would greet us anywhere around the resort. They also respond very fast, especially in Maribago where there are so many guests when we arrived.
So there's my two cents on these two resorts by Bluewater. It is very obvious that I love Sumilon Island more. I can't wait to visit Bluewater Panglao next year for the bacon and the beach!
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