A surprise trip to Radisson Blu Cebu

Sometimes, life brings you pleasant surprises. For Shane and I, it was an unexpected, all-expense paid trip to Cebu and a memorable stay in a Radisson Blu Cebu business class room.

NESTOGROW Ninfluencer

Earlier this year, our little Shane was selected as one of the Nestle influencers (NINfluencers) for NESTOGROW. She was chosen for the #GrowHappy campaign because Nestokid was reformulated and repackaged into a livelier and happier brand and became Nestogrow.

Part of the deal was to attend the Nestogrow Grow Happy Nation Cebu event at SM City Cebu and we were billeted at the Radisson Blu Cebu. We have stayed in this Cebu hotel several times over the years whenever we go to Cebu, but this was the first time that we stayed in a business room.

This was also our first trip for just the two of us. It was a luxurious getaway and a great mother and daughter bonding opportunity.

Radisson Blu Cebu Business Class Room

The Radisson Blu Cebu provides 5-star accommodations. It has a grand lobby, a lovely pool, garden, bar, ballroom, function rooms, and many more. There are more than 400 rooms in this centrally located Cebu hotel.

One thing about the Radisson Blu Cebu Business Class Room is its size. It’s a spacious 35-square meter room, which gave us a lot of area to move and even play around. The kids usually bring their toys when travelling to keep them occupied, so Shane just kept on running around the room. It would have been comfortable still, even if we had our Papa and Achi Shawna with us for this trip. The room is huge!

The first time we went in, 5-year-old Shane exclaimed, “Oh my gosh! If this is a dream, please don’t wake me up!” Imagine that. The room was just so exciting for her.

Perks of the Radisson Blu Business Class Room

The Radisson Blu Cebu business class room is especially designed to answer the needs of the corporate traveler. There’s a total of 41 of these business class rooms. And we had the privilege to try out one.

When we opened the door, a gentle and pleasing scent greeted us. The room featured muted tones and was well-appointed. We surely enjoyed lounging and sleeping on the king-sized memory foam mattress.

Plus, I was also able to enjoy the executive desk and comfortable chair while working. Despite the fully carpeted floor, I didn’t smell a hint of dust or dankness around here. And I have a sensitive nose.

Other business amenities include the pressing of two garments, express check-in and check-out, and access to the Business Class lounge, which was on the 15th floor. We have the option to have breakfast, all-day refreshments and evening cocktails there.

Meanwhile, the other room amenities included a 37-inch LCD satellite television, an in-room safe, a walk-in shower, a minibar, bathrobes and slippers, an iPod^® dock entertainment system, and a coffee- and tea-maker. We even had a portable espresso machine in the room!

Extended Courtesy

I totally forgot now the name of the front desk officer, was it Solitair? Or Sunday? But I just wanna mention that she graciously explained the perks that came with our room. She also even personally assisted Shane and I in taking the elevator. Lovely lady.

Early Check in | Late Check Out

We arrived on the first flight to Cebu from Bacolod, so it was still pretty early for check in. The front desk officer tried her best to get us accommodated early and also arranged for a late check out the following day. Of course, these are dependent on the availability of the room, but I was just happy to be accorded such liberties in a 5-star hotel.

Access to Business Class Lounge

One of the perks of the Radisson Blu Cebu business class accommodations is access to the business class lounge on the 20th floor. Snacks and refreshments are available there all day.

In the evenings, there are also cocktails. Guests may opt to have their continental breakfast here if they don’t want to have the breakfast buffet in the restaurant. Although the food choices are limited, at least you get exclusivity.

Shane and I had cocktails at the lounge around 6pm. She got so excited because there were so many food choices and there were only a few of us there. A free spirit, she was happy to roam around and pick the food that she liked, including gummies at the candy bar.

We were both quite full so we didn’t need to eat dinner anymore.We just retired early and enjoyed the comforts of our room.

Food at Radisson Blu Cebu

Radisson Blu Cebu is known for their fine cooking. For lunch on our first day, we just ordered food at the poolside because our room wasn’t ready yetBut it was fine because they allowed us to use the pool while we were still waiting. Meanwhile, our bags were safely deposited at the concierge.

We ordered cheese pizza for Shane and pad thai for me. All that we ordered were delicious and the servings were also big. Each order was good for sharing. They were quite a lot so naturally, we were not able to finish them.

We had to move to the bar in the middle of our lunch because it started to drizzle. The staff were very helpful. They knew that I was alone and with a young child, so it seemed that everyone we met went out of their way to make us feel comfortable.

Buffet Breakfast

Radisson Blu Cebu is known for their sumptuous breakfast buffet. My husband and I stayed here one time as well and we declared that their breakfast was one of the most memorable that we have ever had. My special mention would be their pudding. Don’t miss that.

If only I wasn’t watching my diet, I would have pigged out again. I have lost weight already and I don’t want to jeopardize that. If I eat too much and gain some weight, my back pain would recur. Shane picked out some stuff, all the things that she liked. And she was so happy with the choices. haha

Funny Moments with Shane

Shane can be mischievous sometimes. She left some stuff inside the safe and insisted that we get them out. With tears in her eyes, she begged me to have it opened but it’s here stuff in there. But I didn’t know the combination she punched in. Plus she did something to the TV that we no longer had cable. I had to call two people to assist us to open the safe and then restore the cable TV.

But when the safe was opened, we found out that she only left three sheets of stationery in there. I was embarrassed and had to apologize to the staff. hahaha Silly girl. I thought it was a toy or something, but well, I guess that was important for her.

Poolside Fun

There was just the two of us by the swimming pool that morning. So we frolicked and sun bathe. And posed for lots of pictures. Shane also thoroughly enjoyed the water spouts around the pool. She jumped around them a lot.

SM City Cebu

Radisson Blu Cebu is right beside SM City Cebu. As in, literally, it’s just across a narrow road. So after my afternoon nap, Shane and I went malling. We chanced upon the Korean Film Festival going on there and they had this area where you can wear Korean costumes and have your photos taken by their set ups.

The only thing that Shane requested for was a pink hanbok. The rent was only P100 per costume so we went for it. We love wearing costumes! Read: Benefits of Dress Up Play for Children

By the way, she only asked for a small box of Nerds and that’s the only thing we bought for her.

Wishing for a Family Stay

I truly wish that our entire family can come back to Cebu and stay at Radisson Blu Cebu once again. We always have had pleasant experiences here, but never together as a family. Hopefully, it will happen in the near future. Thank you so much Nestogrow and Nestle Philippines for this opportunity! 🙂

How to get to Cebu

Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific flies twice daily from Bacolod to Cebu. Meanwhile, Bacolodnons may also want to take the Ceres bus to Cebu. For this trip, Nestle booked us a round trip flight with PAL.

Contact Information

Radisson Blu Cebu

Related family travel stories:

• Upside Down World Cebu Family Bonding