Radisson Blu Cebu

Geared toward business travelers, this high-rise hotel values space over style. The gigantic marble lobby has wide staircases and towering pillars, but lacks personality and warmth. The most characterful space can be found in the attractive all-day dining restaurant, which has rich dark wood and some quirky design elements. Given its connection to one of Cebu's biggest malls, there's perhaps no surprise that the size of this hotel can make it feel a bit anonymous. Even so, there are a few nice places to step away for a quick business meeting or a cocktail. The Radisson Blu covers the corporate side of things well, and generally goes out of its way for guests, so it draws a lot of families and couples taking advantage of the large rooms and choice of facilities. 

The Radisson Blu Cebu sits on Serging Osmena Boulevard, with views over the port -- and its cargo -- to the Mactan Channel. It’s linked by a walkway to the SM City Mall; a busy mega-mall with lots of restaurants and cafes, plus cinemas, an arcade, and a bowling complex. This is the best aspect of the location; the rest of the area isn’t particularly tourist-friendly to walk around, with construction work, warehouses, and poorly paved roads. Most of the city’s attractions can be reached in a short drive: Magellan's Cross, Basilica Minore del Santo Nino, and Fort San Pedro are 10 minutes away by car. It’s also a 10-minute drive to the Grand Convention Center and IT Park. A half-hour drive leads to the Taoist Temple and the bars and nightlife of Mango Square. There’s also good access to neighboring islands by boat. It’s a half-hour drive to Mactan-Cebu Airport; travelers have the option of a taxi, or a bus from the MyBus terminal at the SM City Mall behind the hotel. 

Rooms are clean and super comfy, and while the dark decor is handsome, it does feel a bit corporate. There’s a lot of beige, gray, and brown and a functional layout with a hallway closet leading through to the sleeping space. The patterned carpets and funky hanging lamps do add a bit of personality, and we like the pops of chic monochrome flannel in the soft furnishings. Views are of the city or over the unsightly port towards the Mactan Channel. Comfort amenities include memory foam mattresses, bathrobes, slippers, coffee- and tea-making facilities, and a minibar with two complimentary bottles of water. There are also modern amenities like air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi, large TVs, and iPod docks. All rooms can sleep three adults or two adults with two children under 12 on a sofa bed -- explaining the high numbers of families in the hotel. Bathrooms have a walk-in shower and toiletries are provided. Most of the rooms are Superior Rooms, which are 375 square feet (35 square meters) -- generous for a city hotel. Deluxe Rooms are more spacious still, at 650 square feet (61 square meters). Business Class Rooms, Premier Rooms, and a choice of suites come with added extras like free breakfast and cocktails and canapes in the Business Class Lounge.

The Radisson ticks all the boxes for city hotel facilities. For breakfast, there are two options. A buffet breakfast is served in Feria, the hotel’s atmospheric international all-day restaurant with creatively-presented food stations. It gets rave reviews from most previous guests for the selection available. For guests needing to be up and out, the ‘Grab & Run’ breakfast that can be collected from the lobby is a nice touch -- it includes tea and coffee in disposable cups. Guests in Business Class Rooms can also choose to have breakfast up in the Business Class Lounge. The 20th-floor Business Class Lounge is exclusively for guests in higher category rooms. There’s a particularly comfy sofa area with dark wood bookshelves housing a mini library and a TV, as well as a more formal seating area, boardroom, and meeting room. 24-hour room service is available. The three bars include one poolside and the Dilmah t-Bar, offering a collection of teas curated from Sri Lanka, China, Japan, and South Africa, and traditional afternoon tea. The hotel also has two ballrooms and 10 meeting rooms. Other services aimed towards business travelers include express laundry and late check-out for no extra fee (subject to availability). There’s also free Wi-Fi throughout and free parking. A gym has a few treadmills, cross trainers and bikes, free weights and weight resistance machines. For relaxation, there’s an outdoor pool and a spa.