Launched in late 2019, Citadines Cebu City is one of the newest hotels to open in the “Queen City of the South”. Expanding the global four-star hotel brand to the south, it is the first property of The Ascott Limited in the Visayas region.
Whether you’re visiting for leisure or business, or need a convenient staycation with family or friends, here are 7 awesome reasons why you should book a stay at Citadines Cebu City:
1. They’re centrally located.
Rising above the midtown area, Citadines Cebu City is located at Base Line Center along Juana Osmeña St in Barangay Kamputhaw. It’s a stone’s throw away from Gen. Maxilom Ave – formerly and still widely called Mango Avenue — a popular thoroughfare known for its bars and restaurants for decades.
Historic landmarks like the Redemptorist Church, Fuente Osmeña Circle, Cebu City Public Library, and Cebu Provincial Capitol are all a brief walk away from the hotel. Moreoever, trendy business districts and shopping malls are a short taxi ride away: Cebu Business Park (Ayala Center Cebu, 1.6 km away), Cebu IT Park (3.3 km away) and SM City Cebu (3.5 km). If you opt for public transportation, it’s easy to catch a jeepney or bus along Mango Avenue or Osmeña Boulevard.
2. Their rooms are all apartment-style.
Delivering beyond what most four-star hotels can offer, Citadines has 180 rooms inspired by condominium living true to its “apart’hotel” brand. Decorated in inviting earth tones with touches of vibrant colors, the units are spacious and fully furnished. Even their smallest rooms, the Studio Queen or Twin, range from 30 to 40 sqm in floor area.
The hotel rooms provide space not only to rest but also to cook meals — a great option for those on longer stays. All units have a fully-equipped kitchenette with refrigerator, microwave oven, induction stove, cookware and cutlery. Conveniently, there’s a Robinson’s Supermarket and Mini Stop convenience store at the ground-floor levels of Base Line Center for all your grocery needs.
The larger One Bedroom (48-51 sqm) and Loft (49-93) units also have a washing machine and dryer. Big families or groups can be accommodated in adjoining Studio and One Bedroom corner units linked by an anteroom with keycard access.
3. They offer great city views.
With their hotel rooms occupying the 9th to 22nd levels of the building, floor-to-ceiling windows offer expansive views of the city from the mountains to the sea. The small gym and corner infinity pool near the 9th floor main lobby overlooks the surrounding skyscrapers. One could see as far away as the newly opened Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX), the country’s longest bridge linking Cebu City to Mactan island! I wish Citadines had taken advantage of their building’s height and central location by having their swimming pool — or at least a bar or lounge — at the topmost floor to offer even more fantastic views, similar to Seda Central Bloc Cebu.
4. They serve excellent food.
If you don’t have the time or energy to prepare your own meals, no worries! Adding an extra ₱1,000 to your room rate gets you a sumptuous breakfast buffet for two at the ground-floor hotel restaurant run by Abaca Baking Company, one of the best restaurants in Cebu. For lunch and dinner, they offer a wide selection of Asian and Western rice bowls, soups, salads and sandwiches.
Their dishes are a little pricey, ranging between ₱300 to ₱500 per plate, but the servings are mostly very generous and can shared by two. Hands down, everything we tried on their menu was really good. Among the best we had were the Malaysian Beef Curry (₱495), Roast Beef Melt Sandwich (₱410) and Seafood Bacon Chowder (₱225).
While the food itself was unquestionably impressive, the customer service wasn’t, especially outside breakfast (which was self-service anyway). The waiting staff was terribly inattentive especially during our last dinner, when orders were switched with another table, and we have to ask up to five times just to have our glasses refilled with service water.
Alternatively, there are other restaurants one could try at Base Line Center like Samgyupsalamat (Korean grill) and Sunburst (Filipino fried chicken). Kiosks also offer snacks and drinks, like Potato Corner, The Lemon Co and BTS (Bubble Tea Station).
5. They’re eco-conscious.
One of the best reasons to support this hotel is their sustainability. In order to greatly reduce plastic waste, refillable dispensers for shampoo, conditioner and body wash are provided in the showers, instead of standard disposable bottles. A potable water dispenser is also provided at the kitchen counter, instead of complimentary bottled water. Furthermore, trash bins in the kitchenettes are segregated into biodegradable and non-biodegradable. More hotels should be doing this!
I hope Citadines would do more to become more sustainable. For example, there should be clear reminders for guests on how they can reduce their carbon footprint (eg. turn off air-con when no one’s in the unit, reuse towels, etc). Abaca restaurant should also completely do away with requiring plastic gloves at the breakfast buffet, which is not even standard health protocol against COVID-19.
6. They’re pet-friendly!
Yes, your well-trained, vaccinated furbabies are also welcome to stay! Citadines is one of the few hotels in the city to accept cats and dogs as guests. Our one-year-old rescued aspin Ocean really enjoyed staying with us for a night. Take note, however, that there’s a reasonable nightly pet fee of ₱500 for small to medium animals, and ₱1,000 for large dog breeds to cover additional cleaning and sanitation.
7. They celebrate local culture.
Citadines may be a global brand with 175 hotels across 26 countries, but their Cebu City hotel refreshingly celebrates local heritage and culture, setting it apart from other hotel chains with cookie-cutter aesthetics. The hallways are brightened up with colorful paintings of location maps and nearby historic landmarks while a few furniture pieces by acclaimed Cebuano designer Kenneth Cobonpue can be found at the main lobby and pool area. The elevator entrances and walls are paneled with solihiya, a rattan weave traditionally used in Filipino furniture.
The Base Line neighborhood itself has long been synonymous to the city’s biggest religious and cultural celebration, the Sinulog Festival, held every third weekend of January. Juana Osmena St is especially known for its wild street parties near the parade route, which passes through Gen. Maxilom Avenue. During this festive weekend, Citadines Cebu City organizes its own private party exclusively for its guests.
