The Reef Island Resort Mactan, Cebu

Amenities, location, Staff, facilities, stellar included breakfast. Amazing views. Modern facility. I felt safe and relaxed during my stay.

I would give this hotel 5 stars all around but only 4.5 because I had an adjoining room separated by a closed door. The room was assigned to me without my knowledge. Luckily my neighbor wasn't too noisy but I did hear her a few times coughing after midnight. I'm a light sleeper so her cough disturbed my sleep. Also I felt as though my partner and I had to keep our voices down so we would not disturb her. This changed the dynamics of the stay a bit. Not that we are noisy people but I didn't know what my neighbor could or could not hear.

Proximity to other resorts and restos in mactan

Beach is not calm for swimmingProperty is run down

Location was great the stuff was nice

The breakfast wasn’t good

All the staff is very friendly and helpful. Breakfast had many choices of dishes, we liked the bread and fresh fruits. Staff brought us an extra portion of fresh and juicy mangos. Snorkeling was exciting. Nice rooftop bar. Beautiful pictures and decor

Elevators were a bit slow, because of unnecessary stops. Location remote for walking. Coffee could be better.

Stuff for water activities was good and helpful

Paid for two queen size beds, but bed size were much smaller, quite challenging to sleep with childPaid for three pax, but inside of the room everything was for for two pax I have asked stuff to bring extra water and towel, but nothing was arranged, he has taken tips and then fly awayLater I called and asked again, then only it was arranged Breakfast was good Lunch in Halina greatLunch in Bakery not good, French fries was cold, but later they changed to fresh oneDuring check out, I said I have used one bottle of water from minibar, but they charged me two bottle of water, I was shocked. I asked them to check, then they say, ok you can pay only for one bottle ??‍♀️Too expensive for this money

The facilities were incredibly clean, and they were very convenient. Being able to swim in the pool while watching the sea is exceptional, and being able to rent snorkel / life jackets to go swimming on the private beach was quite convenient. In addition, the included breakfast buffet was exceptionally delicious. So much variety in the food and all of it was very delicious.The service crew was exceptionally kind and always smiling. Bob the manager of the kitchen and resturants talked with us extensively and he was so kind and sweet. He offered us multiple different foods to try, even beer. He made the experience so memorable and comfortable. The arcade room with pool tables and basketball and other sports was so convenient. My wife and I frequently went there and played pool. It was quite fun. Lastly, the room was very nice. The bathroom was super clean and the shower/ bathtub was very nice to use. The bed was exceptionally comfortable and the view from the room was amazing!

The only thing that I didn't like was the tile in the main pool. Many times I felt the sharp corners of the pool tiles and worried I would cut my foot. Even though my wife and I swam in the pool multiple times, I worried that if I walked too roughly I would cut my foot on the tiles.

The property was beautiful and up to date. There was a small beach below the pool which you can easily walk down to, but it does not lead anywhere except in front of the property. You can rent snorkel gear and swim out from there. Breakfast was wonderful and a great value. Other restaurants in the hotel were good too.

We had many awkward interactions with staff members, particularly the women (we never had any problems with the men). For example, we asked the kitchen for a banana as I had some sort of food poisoning/stomach bug, and they made the request a bigger deal than it had to be and ushered my mother to take a seat while waiting in a condescending manner. The next day they brought us separate meals at the breakfast buffet, which we did not request and approached us constantly as we ate and made us feel on edge. I’m sure it was coming from a good place, but it made us feel uncomfortable. The women in food service seemed very disorganized overall.

Good snorkeling, great food, great service.

Had some trouble getting the elevators to sense the wristband keys, which is required to select your floor.

I had a wonderful stay! The rooms were very clean and spacious, providing a comfortable and relaxing environment throughout my visit. The staff were also exceptionally nice and friendly they made sure we felt welcome and well taken care of. Overall, a great experience and I would happily stay here again!

The Reef is a perfect location for an ideal vacation.The staff are world class, highly professional and attentive to every detail.The breakfast is beyond imagination as they serve a wide variety of of international cuisines.there is so much variety in their food options.Again, the staff is so friendly and professional.The rooms and the whole facilities are very comfortable, such nice decor and furniture.As a foreign traveller i felt at home as soon as we stepped into the lobby.

Truthfully, I cannot see anything that could have been done better.This is a world class resort.Everything is perfectly arranged so that your stay brings you memories of refinement and comfort at its highest level.

Extremely kind staff who organized a great bday surprise for my mom, great facilities, good spa, access to the beach, cool pools, breakfast was quite good!

The lifts were a bit confusing to use as one set leads to the hotel while the other leads to the residential building (but also to the taxi pickup area)

The staff was very friendly. The room was excellent. The breakfast selection at the buffet was perfect. I would enjoy a stay there again and I would recommend The Reef anytime

The beach , pool and restaurants

Nothing everything was perfect

Beautiful resort, great staff. Natural beach great for snorkeling or swimming with gear for rent. Top notch food.

Shower in the room was kind of useless, no pressure, volume or heat. You can't get to the hotel except by taxi, everything else prohibited. Walking in/out is discouraged by staff. Game room limited to 30 min free use and equipment is in quite bad repair. Only TV options are for you to use your own Amazon/ Netflix. No local channels.

I like how the property is facing the beach, it's so comforting

the Bakery didn't have A/C on and it was so hot that day

Excellent and friendly staff and receptions, she is superb. Sea view/access is a plus, and excellent service are undeniable beyond expectation. We enjoyed the breakfast with many options to choose. I love how the rooms are maintained very comfy and clean. We’re allowed to use the facilities after checkout to wait for our flight.

We absolutely loved our stay! From start to finish, everything was perfect. The staff were incredibly friendly and went out of their way to make us feel welcome. We were even upgraded to a bigger room, which was such a nice surprise and made our stay even more comfortable.The room was spotless—super clean and well-maintained—and the whole property felt very well cared for. We really enjoyed the amenities too. There’s a beautiful pool and direct access to the beach, so we got the best of both worlds.The food was a real highlight. Every meal we had was delicious, fresh, and full of flavor. You can tell a lot of care goes into the menu and service.We couldn’t have asked for a better experience and would absolutely come back again!

The whole stay was wonderful. The staff was amazing. Attentive, professional, kind. Lovely room. Enjoyed the beach. And the food was exceptional. The breakfast experience was my favorite. We chose to eat outside and the selections of food was luxurious.

hmmmm. I'm trying. but can't remember anything I didn't like. it truly was a wonderful stay.

We really enjoyed our stay here. The room was clean, spacious, well-equipped, and felt freshly renovated. We had a sea view, which we absolutely loved. Breakfast was excellent, despite going late each morning, nothing felt picked over and the variety was impressive, with fresh and tasty options including meats, fruits, and local dishes. The hotel has three restaurants, and the food in all of them was delicious, especially the traditional Filipino cuisine at The Grounds. The beach area is small, but it wasn’t crowded during our stay, so we had a great time. You can borrow coral shoes for free and rent snorkeling gear, which was a nice bonus. We also visited The Spa and really enjoyed the massage. For the price, no other Mactan hotel we considered came close in terms of service and facilities.

There’s not much to do outside the hotel - the surrounding area looks a bit barren. But thankfully, there’s plenty to do within the hotel itself.

If you are a couple looking for a romantic getaway that is quiet, secure, beautiful and peaceful, this place is great for that. The building is modern, new looking and the food is amazing at the restaurants located onsite. The beach area is small but beautiful as well. They grounds keepers keep the place looking great outside. There is not much to do for kids or any other activities, so I would say it's a great place to recharge for 2 to 3 nights only.

Because The Reef is back off the main road quite a ways, there is no other things you can really do, except what the Reef has to offer. To leave the area, you must book a Grab or Grab Taxi, there is no walking to anything close by. This is a plus and a minus, it's quiet and secure, but then if you want to grab something at the 7-11, it will cost you more to get there than grab something convenient. That is probably the one suggestion I would add to The Reef management is to add a convenient store on-site somewhere. Maybe there was one? I just never found it. It would have been great to be able to grab things you would normally get at a 7-11. I don't recommend you bring your kids to the Reef, it's a bit more of a couples paradise if you ask me with not much to keep your kids busy with things to do.