For years, Crimson Resort and Spa in Mactan has always been one of the top destination hotels in Cebu – a multi-awarded resort that guests and staff alike are proud of. Nestled in a six-hectare beach resort, it has 40 luxurious private villas with individual plunge pools and 250 guest rooms perfect for those who are tired of the usual high-rise hotel set-up.
This year marks their 5th anniversary and celebration of the many recognitions that the hotel has earned over the years. This year alone, Crimson has been recognized by World Luxury Hotel Awards as the country winner for the Luxury Beach Resort category and Continent Winner for Luxury Thallaso and Spa. It has been a mainstay recommended property in Conde Nast Johansen since 2013, and a finalist of the recent Reader’s Choice Award.
“I’ve seen the resort progress nicely; we’ve seen the business volume increase and our service ratings and the awards that we receive every year inspire us to do more,” says Crimson Mactan’s Resort Manager Kristofer Quadros. “We spend a lot of time focusing on the three – good food, beverage and ambiance – and we constantly bear in mind that we have to keep the history aspect and keep the products forever fresh and relevant,” he adds.
Along with the 5th year celebration is the anniversary of Azure Beach Club, the successful additional venue to the hotel that is perched at the tip of the beachside cliff. The venue offers a beachside experience that overlooks the sky and the sea while enjoying an ice cold cocktail on a hot afternoon or under the starry skyline at night. On evenings, the Rock Bar in Azure resembles the Sky Bar Rooftop at Lebua in Bangkok, only it is perched on a cliff and not a high rise and the vastness of the ocean adds to the allure of the place.
Aside from the luxurious amenities of the hotel, the great offering comes from the three major food and beverage options: Saffron Café, the all-day dining restaurant offering international cuisine with a view of the infinity pool and lush gardens outdoor; Tempo restaurant on the lobby level which is more seafood inspired; and the Azure Beach Club restaurant overlooking the beach that offers modern Asian cuisine with a lot of influences from Japanese, Indonesian, Malaysian, and Indian cuisine. “We are very glad because one of our best chefs here is Filipino and has worked in New York, Hong Kong, and Indonesia and he spearheads the food (options) in Azure. We also have a Swiss executive chef who has been around the globe and was part of the Burj Al Arab pre-opening team and we are fortunate to have him here because he is very knowledgeable, and his Western inspired dishes are just fantastic,” shares Quadros.
One of the best amenities of the hotel is its Aum Spa, the Balinese-inspired spa heralded as Agoda.com’s top eight most outstanding hotel spas. “It is isolated from the main building and it has its own pool where people go to meditate, relax or do their yoga starting early morning,” says Quadros. The invigorating treatments are performed by licensed specialists that are internationally trained.
The water activities are what attract the kids and adventure seekers – sail boat, jet ski, scuba diving, parasailing, and snorkeling in the beautiful marine sanctuary where corals are blossoming. Every Saturday people can enjoy the foam party by the infinity pool and revel in the soapsuds with family and friends.
As for the future plans of the hotel, “We are looking into opening a secondary swimming pool that would come with another pool bar. This will be near the parking lot so that it is closer to the entrance. We are also mindful of attracting and entertaining our family and our young guests so we are creating the amusement center for the kids, which should be operational by June of next year. Apart from that we are also working on renovating our Tempo restaurant,” Quadros discloses.
Guests come from different parts of the globe and one thing that people always remember is the hospitality of the staff. They check on your villa every morning and afternoon to see if you need anything without being called. They will happily assist you and leave whatever they are doing when you need them for something. Dine in one of the restaurants and your service staff will be so observant of your needs that if you didn’t touch your drink for a long time they will come to ask if there is something wrong or if they can offer you something else. One thing you always hear when you say thank you is, “It was my pleasure.”
Crimson Resort and Spa in Mactan is managed by Chroma Hospitality, the Philippine based Hospitality Management Company of Filinvest Development Corporation. For bookings and other information visit www.crimsonhotel.com.