Last Updated on July 14, 2023 by Ran
Ah, Cebu, the Queen City of the South.
Last time I was in Cebu, I stayed at an Airbnb with my cousin. It was really homey, cozy, and comfortable; however, it was quite far from the city center. We had to take a taxi or a Grabcar every time we wanted to go somewhere, and the fare added up really quickly.
This time, K and I have decided to stay in a hotel within the city proper. Let’s see where we’re going this time!
Table of Contents
Location
Best Western Plus Lex is located in N. Escario Street, a stone’s throw away from Cebu Ayala Center, better known as Cebu Business IT Park.
Location was one of the top reasons why we chose this hotel. It’s right in the middle of Cebu City, very near to city sights, restaurants, and fast food. Since we booked this specifically for a Cebu staycation, I think that’s a great thing. Everything is within arm’s length, so you wouldn’t have to worry about anything. If you really want to, you don’t even have to leave the hotel since you can just get everything delivered to you.
Price
For a 4-star hotel, Best Western Plus Lex Cebu offers very competitive pricing. They don’t seem to have a set price on their website, but here’s what I got after a quick search for the dates we were staying in late August.
Take note, these are their “Advanced Purchase” rates, which means you have to pay in full via credit card beforehand. Nonrefundable, no cancellations or changes.
- Superior Room – ā±4,474 / 1 King bed or 2 Single beds, 25sqm, Full breakfast, 2pax
- Business Room – ā±4,720 / 2 Single beds, 42sqm, Full breakfast, 2pax
- Deluxe Room – ā±5,152 / 1 King bed, 45 sqm, Full breakfast, 2pax
- Suite Room – There are 57 suite rooms according to the official site, but their prices don’t appear on the site and they’re always sold out on booking apps.
You can also arrange for an airport transfer for only 850 PHP. If your booking doesn’t include breakfast, you just have to add 400 PHP per person for a breakfast buffet at Kai Restaurant.
Since it’s my birthday anyway, K and I decided to splurge a bit, so we got a Deluxe Room. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind even just a Superior Room, but since K was paying for this one, who am I to complain? š
Here’s the best part about this, by the way. Since I already had an awesome time using booking sites, and since I am, of course, a budget traveler by heart (hehe), I told Keun that we should try booking this through a booking site. He left all the planning to me, as always, so I did more price comparisons to see where we could save the most money.
This time, we booked through Traveloka, another booking site that I just happened to come across while searching online. At the time, they were having an ongoing promo, 15% off of all hotels. You know my budgeting motto, a penny saved is a penny earned!
Guess how much we got the Best Western Plus Lex Cebu Deluxe Room for after all the promos and coupons? ā±3,500! What a total steal! Thank you, Traveloka!
Room Inclusions
Like I said above, K and I booked a Deluxe Room. Our main reasons for choosing this room even though it was more expensive was a.) king-sized bed b.) bathtub c.) higher floor = better views. Plus, this was K’s treat since it was my birthday so… ya gurl’s got no complaints.
For a Deluxe Room at Best Western Plux Lex Cebu, here are the inclusions:
- 45sqm
- 1 King-sized bed
- 32″ LED TV w/ cable
- Mini-bar
- Fast Wi-Fi
- Working desk w/ lamp
- Bathtub w/ a flat screen TV
- Amazing city views
The city view was absolutely worth it. Our room had floor-to-ceiling glass windows covering two of the walls. You can request for a higher floor for an even better view at night.
Amenities
Another thing that’s good about Best Western Plus Lex Cebu is all its amenities.
- Infinity pool at roof deck
- (Small) Fitness gym
- Buffet restaurant
Sadly, we weren’t able to try out the amenities except for the buffet restaurant. We only stayed here for a night because we were bound for Bantayan Island the next morning. We did want to try the infinity pool at the roof deck but there were plenty of guests when we went up there.
Don’t let the pictures fool you! The pool is quite small, more akin to a private lap pool, really. At the time, there was a group of friends there and the girls were getting their photos taken, so K and I didn’t want to bother them. š
There’s also a small table area where you can bring drinks and food with your friends… provided that you get there first. Again, it’s just a really small area so it’s basically just one group of guests at a time.
Kai Restaurant
I’m not sad even though the restaurant is the only amenity that we got to try though. The breakfast buffet was super yummy! There were plenty of choices too. K and I really took our time in trying out all kinds of dishes, especially him. You know that guy’s motto: “food is life”! š
Thoughts
Pros:
- Customer Service – Best Western Plus Lex Cebu’s customer service seems to be top-notch! I confirmed my reservation through their FB page, and they sent me a confirmation message through my email. Very professional.
- Front Desk – The representative who received us at the front desk was very welcoming and professional. If this is indeed representative of the staff who works at Best Western Lex Plus Cebu, then I’d have to commend them for choosing their staff well.
- Housekeeping – I actually lost my beloved gold necklace in our room, and housekeeping tried to help me find it. We weren’t able to locate it (I think it might have gotten accidentally flushed down the drain or something) but I still appreciate their efforts.
- Connectivity – Hi-speed Wi-Fi is available all throughout the premises of the hotel.
- Breakfast – Splendid breakfast buffet! Probably the second-best breakfast buffet in the Philippines that I’ve ever tried in my life. The first one? Conrad Manila‘s Brasserie on 3, of course.
Cons:
- Room size – Strangely, not as big as we thought.
If you want to see more of my Cebu adventures, please take a look at this tag!
