The good life reigns at Shangri-La 's Mactan

MANILA, Philippines -  Just seeing the beachfront of Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa Cebu teeming with happy faces and their excited voices in the bright mid-afternoon is enough to convince anyone that this is the place one would rather be. It is refreshment to the senses indeed. No wonder that after all these years, Shangri-La’s Mactan remains a mainstay in the lists of the country’s top vacation spots.

For the hotel resort’s general manager Joachim Schutte, “Shangri-La’s Mactan is a part of the Cebu lifestyle.” It is impossible to disagree, considering that locals are still Shangri-La’s Mactan’s largest market.

Schutte adds: “The local market is very close to our heart. We consider ourselves a Filipino hotel here. The market continues to increase for us. We continuously find ways to improve ourselves and offer something new to our guests.”

To rest on their laurels is certainly not the case. Fact is, Shangri-La’s Mactan recently introduced its Sunset Cruise. Shangri-La’s Mactan sports and recreation manager Dominic Patterson tells us that the Sunset Cruise is another way for guests to enjoy the natural surroundings.

“The hotel has obtained the largest trimaran yacht in the country called M/S Vainelle. It can accommodate up to 30 people and will take guests around the Mactan Channel for two hours in the sunset,” Patterson shares.

The Sunset Cruise more than just brings guests to view the Mactan sunset. They also get to enjoy wine and beverages, and hot and cold canapés. If this is not luxury aboard the 72-feet long vessel, then we do not know what is. The M/S Vainelle can also be chartered for private cruises.

Patterson echoes Schutte’s sentiments that the hotel resort is all about making sure that guests enjoy themselves as much as possible. This is done by coming up with exciting activities for guests of all ages.

“I would certainly recommend water sports, which Shangri-La’s Mactan offers in abundance. There’s diving, snorkeling, fish feeding, activities that allow them to relax and get in close contact with nature in our marine sanctuary,” Patterson says. “Just last summer we held a children’s summer camp. Because of the overwhelming positive response, we are doing it again even if it’s no longer summer,” he adds.

One of the newest additions to the activities is the picnic. Yes, guests can opt for a more casual picnic-style meal by the beach, resort gardens or in the room balcony. The picnic menu includes salads, appetizers, sandwiches, desserts, and refreshments. Mats and pillows can be requested to complete the picnic feel.

The hotel resort also recently concluded its three-year renovation program on its 537 rooms and suites. The general manager reports that the program also covered meeting rooms, ballrooms, and banquet facilities.

“We are building a water slide very soon as well as landscaping our garden, which is a signature feature of Shangri-La’s Mactan. The renovation of the beach bar and outside kitchen is in the works. We have also invested in furniture, particularly garden furniture. We have to keep everything at a top-notch level,” Schutte says.

That is exactly what its in-house Chi Spa is doing. As one of the largest and most luxurious spas in Asia, Chi continues to outdo itself with its exclusive line of products and treatments. The latter boasts of what could be the most extensive locally inspired treatments in this type of setting.

The difference lies in the use of locally available plants, herbs, and botanical products. Guests can choose from such treatments as Barako Coffee Bean Scrub; Mactan Synergy Scrub, a combination of papaya, mango, and calamansi or sampaguita; and Hot Dinu-ot Muscle Relief, a deep pressure massage that combines sambong, native lemon grass, lagundi, and morin, among others.

Notable among these is the Palina Hilot, which features two therapists massaging the guest. Spa director Jeanette Haua says, “When we first introduced the Palina Hilot, some of the guests were taken aback by the presence of two therapists. But the guests tried it and afterwards appreciated the feeling of the treatment. It has since become a hit.”

Haua is proud of Chi Spa’s reputation, saying, “The training of our therapists is intense. We have a very good product. The oils that we use are specifically designed for Chi Spa and are not available in department stores. Over the years, our procedures are stringent. It’s also about the people of Chi Spa who continue to uphold professionalism and excellence.”

She does promise that there is more in store in the coming months at Chi Spa. “We are always up to the minute when it comes to what’s new and what guests want. In that respect, you can expect more surprises in store between now and next year,” she says.

Schutte agrees that keeping up to speed with their guests is essential in their day-to-day business. A performance monitor is in place to keep the entire hotel resort updated on how guests respond to their products and services.

He relates: “We e-mail our guests and ask them about their overall stay experience and then we go more into details, what did they like and not like, from arrival to departure, F&B experience to everything else.”

“Most of the positive feedback had to do with people, that our people are the best in this hotel compared to the other places they had visited. It’s just simply the Filipino nature; they are warm, which made guests feel welcome. We have customer delight cards and we read them out every morning. We have respectful comments from guests who even name some of our staff and nominate them for rewards – and we do reward staff who do good work,” he explains.

There are always the choice restaurants which Shangri-La’s Mactan is proud of: Acqua and its modern take on traditional Italian cuisine; Cowrie Cove with its al fresco seafood dining experience and the adjacent Chill Out Bar; Tea of Spring with its contemporary Cantonese menu; and Tides with its international offerings.

Schutte happily notes that things continue to look up for Shangri-La’s Mactan. He believes that the general feeling of optimism owes itself to the stability of the local business environment. He says, “It is positive news to the international community which is why they are coming in in droves.”

He reveals that the hotel resort has been receiving inquiries for conferences. He adds: “We are getting bookings from overseas – things that were not happening last year.”

Coincidentally, it was also in 2009 that Schutte assumed the position of Shangri-La’s Mactan general manager. He remarks that he is so much more comfortable in the Philippines.

“It is a fantastic country. When I came here, it was not what I expected. The people were much more than I thought. They took me in like I am a part of their family. I have been here for 15 months and the feeling has stayed. I truly feel we have one team in this hotel, pulling on one another’s strength,” he beams.

With all these happening at Shangri-La’s Mactan, Schutte and their valued guests have every reason to.

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Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa is located at Punta Engaño Road, Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan, Cebu. For more information, log on to http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/cebu/mactanresort or call (63 32) 231-0288.