I had been to Cebu quite a number of times before this particular trip yet I still looked forward to this one. The child (and water baby) in me was excited and ecstatic about the idea that our media group would be staying in a relatively new resort that features a… waterpark, teehee! Not to mention that I would be traveling again with “THE” Tita Rita Neri and Tita Nerissa Neri as well as Teddy Manuel, the same amazing people I was with during our fantastic Kota Kinabalu trip.
I “took my chances” on the two slides (Open Body Slide and Tube Slide) but had to beg off from the Space Bowl. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough courage to be swirled there lest my two-piece bikini go “berserk.” But don’t get me wrong: the waterpark is absolutely safe as it is designed by Dream Park International USA, which is the expert in building theme parks and water parks in the US.
Since it’s a “vacation,” I decided to spend a lot of chill time at the Amazon River Pool, where you just float and literally go with the flow. There are a dozen more things to do here.
Find out how else you can have a great time in Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa in Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City from my article in 2010. Of course, there have already been a lot of developments but basically, it’s still the same resort I loved more than three years ago.
Welcome to Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa.
For more than a year now, tourists have been getting the “royal” treatment in this part of Cebu.
Conveniently located just 15 minutes away from the Mactan International Airport and 30 minutes away from cosmopolitan Cebu, Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa promises its every guest that he or she will be treated like a king or queen for the duration of his or her stay in this eight-hectare property.
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 Waterworld in Mactan, Cebu. See that girl at the Space Bowl? Uh-oh. |
The resort is managed by international hotel management group Imperial Palace Hotel Group, which has two other hotels in Seoul, South Korea and in Fukuoka, Japan. The former was recently rated by Time Magazine as the best hotel in Asia, a testimony to the group’s high standard of management style and industry expertise.
 Beach time. |
 The beach area of the resort. |
 Beach Pool. |
 The resort holds activities for guests. |
 ..And so we joined the aerobics class in the morning. |
Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa in Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City opened its regal doors in September 2009 and offered something that has never been seen or heard in the Queen City of the South. The resort features Cebu’s first and only Waterpark that both the young ones and the young once can truly enjoy. Designed by Dream Park International USA, this one-of-a-kind Waterpark lets you choose from five different pools (Wave Pool, Amazon River Pool, Captain’s Hook Pool, Toddler’s Pool and beach pool) and three exciting water slides (notable is the thrilling Space Bowl).
 Still alive post-Tube Slide. |
 The gang taking it slow at the Amazon River. |
 …and by the beach. |
Imperial Palace allows you to have everything on your travel wish list peppered with the Cebuano’s own brand of hospitality. The resort boasts of elegantly furnished rooms including 128 Deluxe Rooms, 372 Suites, nine Spa Suite rooms and 48 Villas with private pool or Jacuzzi. Your well-appointed guest room is an interesting discovery in itself. Each room offers luxurious amenities designed to give you the utmost in luxury and comfort. It is in your plush room that you find out that Imperial Palace leaves no stone unturned to provide you with first-class rest and relaxation package — large sculptured granite bathrooms with separate shower and bath, 37-inch LCD television and DVD player, Internet connection, fully stocked mini-bar and refrigerator, radio clock with iPod dock and 24-hour room service.
 Welcome to our suite! The living room awaits you by the entrance of the room. |
 Bedroom at the one-bedroom suite. |
 My bedroom at our two-bedroom suite. |
 There’s a kitchen in our suite! |
 …and a balcony so you can better appreciate the view! |
Those with discerning palate will have gastronomic excursion at the resort’s eight F&B outlets, which offer sumptuous cuisines from around the world. The search for Asian flavors will take you to the Maru Korean Restaurant and Cheonsan Chinese Restaurant. The Coral Seaside Restaurant, which is perched on the seaside overlooking the picturesque panorama of the Hilutungan channel, guarantees to be a feast to your palate, as well as to your eyes. There are five other outlets to satisfy your gastronomic cravings. Also, let your musical instinct guide you to Bel Ami Karaoke, where snacks and a variety of liquors and beverages are served.
 We had our welcome lunch at Cheon San, the Chinese restaurant. |
 Then dinner at Maru Korean Restaurant. |
 Maru Korean Restaurant. |
 Dinner, Korean style. |
 Farewell dinner at Coral Seaside Restaraunt. |
 Dinner by the sea. |
From sun up to sun down, the tourist menu is filled to the brim at the Imperial Palace. The resort also features a 180-meter-wide beachfront and a marine center that offers an array of water sports for those who yearn for some adrenaline-pumping activities. The 570-sq.-m. Caracalla Spa has 11 well-designed treatment rooms as well as a separate sauna for men and women, steam room and plunge pool. There is also a fully equipped Fitness Centre and Beauty Salon (one of Korea’s most popular) to complete guests’ total fitness and wellness experience.
 The Presidential Suite: Where an uber popular Korean star stayed a week before we arrived in the resort. |
Imperial Palace also takes business seriously. Its Grand Ballroom (which can seat up to 600 persons) and four collapsible meeting rooms cater to business meetings, conventions and exhibitions. (In fact, at the time director of sales and marketing Jun Cordova hosted our stay at the resort, functions were happening simultaneously — yet all were orderly and organized. In one meeting he attended, hotel manager Edgardo Tongco was commended by fellow hotel executives for the close to a hundred percent occupancy rate of the Imperial Palace.)
 Pool Villa. |
 Lounging with Rina at the Pool Villa. |
Special events like weddings are most welcome at the resort. If you wish for a destination wedding, you do not have to worry as you can expect the Events team of the Imperial Palace to keep you organized and to be on top of every important detail of your wedding. The resort’s “Weddings at the Palace” Indoor and Outdoor packages include lunch or dinner menu for a minimum of 50 persons and an overnight stay at the Pool Villa and Mactan Suite with honeymooner’s set-up and breakfast buffet. If the couple wants an outdoor ceremony, the Poolside and Beach Front area are the perfect spots. Here, the bride and groom exchange “I do’s” as they are presented with a magnificent blue vista of the sea while they watch the sun sink into the horizon.
 Sunken bar in the pool area. |
 The resort has its own shuttle to provide guests with comfort and convenience. |
 Going around the resort is easy with golf carts. |
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You work hard all week and then leave the rat race far behind to get a breather from the hustle and bustle of life. Trust the Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa to give you that “majestic” escape. After all, its first-class facilities and friendly services are indeed fit for royalty.
 Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa will surely give you a different kind of Cebu experience. |
(To experience the royal treatment, call Imperial Palace at +6332 494-5000 or visit www.imperialpalace-cebu.com)
Jerni Camposano 