I was actually thrilled to experience the newest luxury hotel, bai Hotel Cebu in Mandaue City. Rising from the still open reclaimed part just opposite Park Mall, its a massive hotel that is modern and with contemporary design. I’ve been passing this one when it started construction and it really took some time for it to finish. That’s why I got giddy when my two night stay was finalized.
bai Hotel is a luxury hotel that opened September last year. It got its name from how Cebuanos call one another, bai, and is a home grown hotel. It has 668 rooms in 23 floors and while located in the North Reclamation area in Mandaue City, it’s just a stone’s throw from Cebu City and very much accessible from Mactan International Airport. It’s part of the World Hotels Collection, a group of independent hotels around the world and joins two other Philippine hotels.
The Premier Room
bai Hotel Cebu has three types of accommodations of which I got the Premier Room with king sized bed. The other two are Deluxe and the Executive, with the latter giving access to the Executive Lounge. The Premier room is spacious with floor to ceiling windows that draws in daylight and gives you views of the outside. I love the toned down color palette and the wood headboard and table that gives it a subdued elegance. The bed is really comfortable as well as the pillows. Toilet is complete with amenities but doesn’t have a tub. As for wifi, it’s fast and reliable, all throughout the hotel property. Like most staycations, I just usually stay in the room most of the time and sometimes catch up with work.
Dining at Bai Hotel Cebu
bai Hotel Cebu has eight, yes, 8 restaurants, giving you lots of choices. There’s Wallstreet Coffee + Bar, Marble + Grain Restaurant (for the steak lover) and UME Japanese Japanese Cuisine are all located at the ground floor but accessed outside of the main hotel entrance. There’s also the Lobby Lounge just beside the front desk. Other than food and drinks, a band sometimes play here. At the top is the Pool Bar where you can order while swimming or just enjoying the sunset and the city lights. There’s the Executive Club Lounge for a more private dining experience. The Twilight Roofdeck Lounge + Bar at the top floor is becoming a popular haunt for Cebuanos especially that it almost gives you a 360 view of the surroundings, great especially at night!
The main restaurant is Cafe Bai where guests usually have their buffet breakfast. It can seat around 400 diners and the buffet is quite extensive. For breakfast alone, there are 14 sections: Pancakes and waffles, ensalada, appetizers and salad dishes, bread and pastry, dimsum, asian dishes, beverages, Japanese dishes, egg station, fruits, grill station, mongolian and stir fry and Filipino delicacies. To tell you frankly, I was having a hard time deciding which to start with, and which to choose. I love the dangit and dried squid for breakfast as well as the egg station with their eggs benedict. Of course, the Filipino cuisine is a hit, as well as the dimsum. I love the muffins too as well as the local delicacies like the rice cakes: budbud and biko. When I was there, it was a bit crowded as there were also convention participants staying at the hotel. Walk ins are also accepted and their lunch as well as dinner buffets often have promos, so check their website or their Facebook page.
Other hotel amenities
What I really love most about the hotel’s amenities is the pool and bar at the 21st floor. It’s a great place to watch the sunset as Cebu City starts to light up. Even if you don’t swim, you can just sit around or have a cold beer and a pizza. I especially was in awe at the drama of dusk as the skies got fiery then bluish. The pool is well lighted too at night, changing hues from blue to red to green. Twilight Rooftop Lounge + Bar is also highly recommended.
The hotel has also a spacious gym with the latest fitness equipment. A spa is still being planned in the fifth floor which, at the time I was there was still being constructed and blocked off. bai Hotel Cebu has also a gift shop located near Wallstreet Coffee + Bar while it has function and conference rooms and a ballroom good for 400 people. The hotel also offer free shuttle service to and from specific malls in the city with a set schedule.
Is bai Hotel Cebu worth it?
It’s a resounding yes for me! I love the rooms and the comfort they offer. The amenities are also topnotch especially the pool and the views afforded by the two rooftop bars. Foodwise, Cafe Bai is highly recommended, even if you’re not staying as the food is good and with lots of choices too. Location, it is a good alternative than in the city center where you get entangled with Cebu’s monstrous traffic and it’s just nearer the airport compared to other high end business hotels. A spa is also in the pipeline and I think, once the hotel goes in full blast operation, it would be a good contender for best Cebu luxury business hotel.
Thanx to bai Hotel Cebu for the staycation.
bai Hotel
Ouano Avenue cor. Seno Boulevard
North Reclamation Area
Mandaue City Cebu, Philippines
+63 32 342 8888 | +63 32 355 8888
info@baihotel.com.ph
Excited to stay here in a few days!!
Enjoy Irene 🙂