Cebu tends to pop up again and again in the many Philippines itineraries we put together each year. The country’s second-largest city sits in a strategic spot that works perfectly for us to use as a base to arrive and head out to another destination. Whether moving by sea to Bohol or Siquijor; overland to Malapascua or Moalboal; or catching a flight to Palawan or Siargao, Cebu is always a point we pass through time and time again. On this occasion we decided to try a new place that seemed to have a good location and great value for money: the Cebu Hotel Plus, in Cebu City.
Location of the Cebu Plus Hotel: central accommodation
When we pass through Cebu we usually base our choice of accommodation on the purpose of the visit. So when the idea is to take an early flight or arrive at the airport late, we tend to opt for another of our favorites, the Travelbee Airport Mactan. This time the requirements were to be close to Raintree Mall (with the best euro to Philippine peso exchange rate in Cebu, as we explain in Money in the Philippines), be in a central area to keep exploring Cebu, and have easy connections with the port area.
After searching and comparing the different options, we went for this recommended hotel in Cebu: the Cebu Hotel Plus. With no traffic, it takes about 5 minutes to the South Bus Station (towards Moalboal), 10 minutes to the port and 28 to the airport. At rush hour it can take twice as long, as Cebu City’s jams are almost on a par with Manila’s.
The Cebu Plus Hotel is in the Fuente Osmeña area, which is Cebu’s nerve center. Here you’ll find loads of shops, restaurants, and money changers. Also, in case you’re wondering, it’s a totally safe part of the city.
Cebu Plus Hotel, a highly recommended hotel in Cebu
In the Philippines, as in the rest of the world, it’s common for hotels to publish photos online that sometimes differ a bit from reality. The photos we’d seen of the Cebu Plus Hotel actually looked very good for the room price, and we arrived thinking that when we opened the door perhaps not everything would be as promised.
After stopping by reception and leaving a deposit of 1.000 pesos (which was returned without any issues at check-out), we went up to our room. On entering we realized that this time the photos did deliver on what they promised—great call!
The first thing that caught our attention was the view. We’ve stayed in Cebu many times and normally, if you’re lucky, you get a view of the building opposite. Our room at the Cebu Plus Hotel looked out towards the mountains surrounding the city. That greenery, plus the fact that all the buildings around the hotel were much lower and the view towards a picturesque Chinese temple, gave this hotel a really nice first impression. That said, the window doesn’t have a mosquito screen.
The room itself is very modern, clean, and with the space you need, without being huge or small. The bed is really comfortable and has a small lamp on each side to read by or to light up without disturbing your companion. Plus, another big plus is that not only does it have power outlets on each side of the bed (not very common in the Philippines), it even has a USB port to charge your phone directly. Also, as we explain in Plugs in the Philippines, they do have modern sockets here so you can use the same prongs as in Spain.
Next to the bed there’s a small desk where you can sit to write and a telephone that we used a couple of times to order food directly to the room. The room area also has a split-type air conditioner (the modern kind that doesn’t make noise or smell) and a TV with endless channels.
By the entrance, rooms at the Cebu Plus Hotel have a small fridge to chill drinks and the typical kettle set to boil water, coffee, tea, cups, and water, along with a small closet to leave your luggage. At this point in the room tour we found what is perhaps the only negative for us at the Cebu Plus Hotel: it does not have a safety deposit box. Even though we felt 100% safe and confident during our stay, we always like the option to lock away things like a camera, passport, or money with a code.
The bathroom, like the rest of the room, is modern and updated. The shower lets you choose a rain mode (as Claudia likes) or handheld (as Jairo likes). In addition, by the sink they include the usual amenities like soap, toothpaste, and shampoo.
The Wi‑Fi at this recommended hotel in Cebu works like a charm and let us watch an episode on Netflix at maximum quality without any issues.
Restaurant at the Cebu Plus Hotel
The Cebu Plus Hotel has a small restaurant offering a variety of dishes ranging from typical Filipino adobos to sandwiches. The vegetarian offering is practically non-existent, but the couple who run it were super friendly and did everything they could to prepare something to our liking.
Also, if you want to order delivery, the reception staff will gladly help. In our case, they looked up all the nearby pizzeria options and once the order arrived they brought it straight to our room. Kudos to them!
Cebu Plus Hotel video summary
We like to show you the places we recommend as closely as possible. So we recorded this video so you can watch it live with us:
Final opinion on the Cebu Plus Hotel
When we write reviews of recommended hotels like this one on the Cebu Plus Hotel, we always turn to the same question to reach a verdict: would we repeat? And yes—after spending a couple of nights there we can say without a doubt that this stay was a total win and it’s very likely we’ll sleep there again.
Pros:
- Perfect area to be close to Ayala Mall and the port
- Good-value laundry across the street
- Clean, modern rooms
- Very friendly staff
- Small restaurant
- Good Wi‑Fi and air-conditioning
- Good value for money
Cons:
- Does not have a safety deposit box
Final score: 8/10 Filipino suns.
Check prices and book
Check Cebu Plus Hotel availability for your travel dates here, or take a look at these other hotels where to stay in Cebu:
