Cebu

So after missing our first flight, we caught another 2 hours later and arrived without issue in Cebu. Pronounced See-Boo not

Our driver, sent by the hotel, was kind enough to wait the extra 2 hours for our new flight to arrive. After a 30 minute ride we arrive at the Radisson Blu. Now the room we booked was the business class suite, about 30% more expensive than the cheapest room in the hotel we had planned on booking before reading reviews saying that the upgrade was worth it. The room cost us 13,000 pesos for 3 nights (plus tax), a little over 100$ a night. For comparison, our room at the Golden Monkey in El Nido cost us around 90$ a night. That room was 2 beds, ac, a deck with a view, but no amenities at all, and though water front, offered no beach... overall pretty dismal.

The Radisson Blu is a huge 21 story building with a courtyard, fountain, huge lobby hall with a large bar, a restaurant that seats 250+, and full of beautifully dressed people greeting us with smiles and English. In booking we had asked for the highest/quietest room (due to mom's 3 days and 9 hours of sleep). Well we got it. 20 stories up, we go to the business lounge for our personal check-in counter for executive class rooms, we get our key and go to the top floor corner room where the elevator requires the key to go. We get to a large spacious room with a king size bed, 3+ feather pillows each, down filled blanket, wired and wireless internet at human speeds, welcome desserts, our own espresso machine...

Golden monkey had sheets for blankets and 1 thick pillow each, no safe, hardly any water pressure in the luke-warm shower...

We unpacked and changed and headed to the restaurant, a multi-themed buffet, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, deserts, Mediterranean, and more. So we had our fill of sushi and roasted duck... We had a great night's sleep, and went down today for the free breakfast buffet in the morning, same thing, huge, expansive, busy. Afterwards we walked across the street to the biggest mall in the Philippines to browse. Not as cool as the mall in Dubai at all, mostly everything you would see at home for the same prices. Mom bought a book and some laxative tea.

Then we went to the Crown Regency hotel which has a few activities for me. Walking on a narrow path outside of the 38th floor while strapped in, a tilted face down rollercoaster ride off of the 39th floor, and a zip line between 2 buildings off the room of the top floor. Pretty cool, pictures to come probably.

Then we spent the afternoon laying by the pool reading, then in the business lounge reading, then in the business lounge it hit 6pm. For business and executive class patrons there is a happy hour from 6-8, basically a mini buffet of sushi, meats, cheeses, salads, hors d'vours, with a self serve wine and cocktail bar. They also come around offering fresh hot small dishes to everyone, grilled tuna over vegetables and sauce, and a sweet fried large chicken wing. Soooooo I'm happy here... gaining weight, mom is too after a few weeks of overpriced roughing it. It's now basically all inclusive. Woot woot.