7 Best Luxury Resorts for Your Next Mactan Holiday

Mactan is by far the most popular vacation spot on Cebu Island especially when it comes to luxury resorts. While the beaches in Mactan aren’t the most spectacular (you can find many more beautiful but less famous places in Cebu), there are a few distinct advantages which make it so popular.

First and foremost, being right next to the international airport has to be the main reason. You can land and be at the beach within 20 minutes, which makes it a very comfortable choice, especially for families with small children. Then, there’s also the fact the hotels there are all perfectly suited for short stays with your family. On top of that, Mactan is very well organized and adapted to cater to the needs of visiting tourists – and serves as an excellent base to start your day trips from. You can book tours to anywhere in Cebu, and get picked up straight from your hotel’s doorstep.

With that in mind, we’ve created a list of 7 places where your stay is guaranteed to be enjoyable and won’t leave you feeling disappointed. We also made sure this list is as diverse as possible, so it can help out many different types of travelers. We didn’t want to just list the most expensive 5 star hotels, but rather give you a wider selection of different resorts that cater to different needs. So, here’s TheCebuano’s list of 7 of the best Luxury Resorts in Mactan, listed in no particular order:

1. JPark Island Resort & Waterpark

We start the list with one of Cebu’s most popular resorts. Known not only its amazing beach resort facilities but also for its water park amenities, JPark Island Resort and Waterpark is perfect for long stays with the whole family. You can read a more detailed review we wrote about it here.

Why go:

• Very kid-friendly with tons of activities
• Huge swimming pools
• Fantastic location
• 5 star resort
• Great restaurants and food choices
• Excellent waterpark facilities

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2. Mövenpick Hotel Mactan

A great alternative to JPark, Movenpick Hotel Mactan is probably the most romantic and best suited for couples. They offer a great all-inclusive service – you’ll feel pampered and really won’t have to ever leave the resort.

Why go:

• Most affordable rates for 5 star accommodation
• Great service and attention to small details
• Wonderful facilities and dining options
• One of the most romantic hotels in Mactan
• Gorgeous pool area
• Ibiza Beach Club – considered one of the most happening entertainment spots in Cebu

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3. Cebu White Sands Resort and Spa

There are quite a few decent resorts right at the center of Mactan, and White Sands is one of the best among them. The very fair rates for a 4-star resort make it one of the best picks for families who want to keep to a budget.

It’s worth mentioning though, that while researching for this list, we noticed reviews online are somewhat mixed. Still, we have had a lot of good experiences there, so for us, it’s still recommended, but let us know what you think!

Why go:

• Great value for money
• One of the best locations in Mactan
• 2 large pools that are great for the whole family
• Clean and large rooms

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4. Bluewater Maribago Beach Resort

Located right next to White Sands, this is another great 4-star resort which is excellent for couples, large families, and even solo travelers. They offer a much more complete all-inclusive stay, but they also price their rooms accordingly.

Why go:

• Excellent for families with a ton of free services and activities
• One of the best locations in Mactan
• 3 swimming pools and a good private beach area, better than most resorts
• Excellent reputation for service and cleanliness
• Their man-made island is perfect for various private gatherings
• Great restaurants that offer various food choices

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5. Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa

You can’t really write a list about luxury resorts in Mactan and not mention the Shangri-La’s. For many years now, it has been the top rated hotel on the island, and enjoys a perfect reputation. When you book a room at this resort, you can never go wrong and you are 100% guaranteed to have a wonderful vacation.

We learned from our research, however, that recently they have canceled their cart service. This might be a bit of a problem considering that the resort is huge. So, if you’re traveling with senior citizens or a disabled person, it would be best to contact the resort beforehand.

Why go:

• The ultimate luxury experience
• Fantastic private beach and marine sanctuary
• World-class facilities and dining options
• Best ranked Mactan resort

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6. Crimson Resort & Spa

For us, this is the next natural item on the list after the Shangri-La. Also a veteran establishment in Mactan, it enjoys a great reputation for many years now. Crimson doesn’t fall short by much when compared to Shangri-La, and actually has some things which make it better.

Why go:

• One of the best rated and most liked hotels in Mactan
• Half the price of Shangri-La and not far from it in terms of quality
• Good balance between romantic and child-friendly, this resort really suits everyone
• Probably the best private beach in all of Mactan
• Azure Beach Club is open until 2 am
• Several amazing restaurant and food choices

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7. Plantation Bay Resort & Spa

We wrap up our list with the Plantation Bay – one of the most praised luxury beach resorts in Mactan for over 20 years now. The unique Colonial design and the artificial man-made lagoon make this place look like a piece of heaven. There’s no doubt that Plantation Bay Resort and Spa is considered one of the country’s most beautiful resorts.

Why go:

• Unique design creates an amazing atmosphere
• Complete luxury and all-inclusive experience
• Great for both couples and families – big resort but with lots of privacy
• Rooms are much larger than any other 5-star resort
• Lots of open space for recreation and relaxation

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We hope we have given you some idea as to what to expect when planning your all-inclusive stay in Mactan. We are certain that if you choose any of the Mactan luxury resorts and hotels listed above, you’ll have a wonderful time. Next, we might do a similar list for budget hotels as well. After all, not everybody wants to spend a fortune on accommodation, and there are some really nice cheap resorts in Mactan to choose from.