THERE’S a saying that goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” So, Crimson Resort & Spa Mactan, being on the resort island of Mactan in Cebu, takes advantage of the resort ambiance and thus offers luxurious villas (40 units!) and guestrooms (there’s a total of 250 such rooms) located in its low-rise hotel to give everyone a feel of the relaxing resort lifestyle while staying there.
Master-planned by the world-renowned resort architectural and interior design firm of Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG) from California in tandem with the Landscape Architecture of Belt Collins from Hong Kong and the interior design talents from Manila-based Erfe & Associates, Crimson has been designed and landscaped to be reminiscent of Balinese-inspired resorts, although what makes it more impressive and unique is the fact that it also boasts of Cebuano touches.
Crimson has a lovely beachfront, and to take advantage of this, a beautiful infinity pool has been built right in front of it so that guests get a full view of the beach. The infinity pool gives an illusion that it plunges right into the ocean, and it is dotted with shower elements and picture-perfect bridges.
The main resort building has an open-air design that takes advantage of the cool breeze that blows in from the ocean. The main lobby houses a giant multiple sungka board, which allows locals from Manila, Cebu and other places in the country to be able to play the native board game (where small shells are moved from one hole to another) when they feel like it. Lounging chairs are also all around so guests can relax, and, towards the back, the main resort building is so designed that it seems to “hug” the whole resort and provide a view of the pool area anywhere you are.
LUXURIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS
Landscaped gardens and contemporary and muted tropical aesthetics punctuated by elements of wood, stone and woven natural Philippine fibers resonate throughout the sprawling 6-hectare resort. The villas are built around the gardens, making them very accessible to the beach but at the same time private and secluded. The villas, which come with their own private plunge pools, are clustered around the main resort building, the infinity pool and the beach.
These luxurious villas are categorized into four: Beach Casita, Private Pool Villa, Beach Front Private Pool Villa and Ocean Front Private Pool Villa. The Ocean Front Villa is the most exclusive of them all, although they are all spacious 115-square-meter units designed with luxury in mind. Each villa has its own “gate,” with a pocket garden right inside, but the villa itself opens up to a mini dining area an open plan living room with a pull-out sofa sleeper. The main bedroom is crowned by a 4-poster, king-sized canopy bed, and the spacious bathroom is equipped with sunk-in tubs and separate rain shower – and, guess what!, aside from having separate TVs for the living room and the bedroom, the bathroom also has one! How spoiled can you get while on vacation?
As for the 250 guestrooms, they are categorized into Deluxe Rooms (36 square meters) and Deluxe Garden Rooms (44 square meters).
ATTENTION TO DETAIL
What makes staying at Crimson Resort & Spa Mactan really special is the resort’s attention to detail. There is, of course, a basket of fresh fruits that greets guests in the room. Not exactly a basket, though, but a beautifully angled wooden tray that is in itself a classic work of art.
Speaking of art, the décor pieces hanging on the walls and sitting on the display cabinets are all made from twigs and other recycled natural fibers and materials.
Inside the main bedroom, the attention to detail comes in the form of towel art. Yes, towels are folded into different animal shapes, including a swan, a pig, a dog, an elephant, even a little doll that sits right on the edge of the bed. On the day my husband Raff and I checked in with the Philippine Star team of Lualhati Fausto, Fernan Nebres, Gillian Gacuma and Lester Hallig and got into our own villa for the weekend, I had a swan towel sitting right on the edge of the bed. The next day, it was an elephant, and on the third day it was a dinosaur. You could see the care that went into it, as the housekeeping team invested extra time and effort in creating a different towel animal for each villa on a daily basis. I loved the towel animals so much that I lifted them up carefully from the towel each day and placed them on the side table so I could stare at them.
Another personal touch that I like about Crimson is the plate of sweet treats that housekeeping leaves in the room every late afternoon. It’s small bites of chocolates, cookies, bars and pastries that you can pop into your mouth and enjoy for a late afternoon treat or for a not-so-midnight snack before going to bed.
– to be continued –
