The Broken Halo: The Mövenpick Resort & Spa Cebu: My Luxurious Experience

I was done with my deliverable for the day. In 15 minutes, we all would be logging off the phone. So I spent the rest of the time with the remaining agents in the floor. I glanced on one of the phones and it read 8:12AM. I thought I lost my balance. I felt dizzy in a different way. I couldn't stand still. I was swaying from side to side. Then I found myself a grip. It wasn't just me, I thought, as I heard people reacted. They must have felt the same way. Then I came back to my senses and saw CPUs swaying from side to side too. It came with this weird sound like a rolling boulder. Earthquake, one agent exclaimed.

As it continued I heard the sound of a glass about to break from the window. Dust filled the atmosphere from the ceiling, as the boards were about to give in. My mind wander again, what if the floor above us would give in? I found myself under one of the agent's station.

It read 7.2 magnitude from the Richter scale. This memory kept playing even days after it happened. I was emotionally drained. Traumatized. All the what ifs. It was knees shaking experience. Physically drained. I couldn't get enough sleep. There were days I couldn't sleep at all. Aftershocks after aftershocks. The tremor became a natural alarm clock. There were times I was crying while driving because you wouldn't know what would happen. Stressed.

If only I could fly to the other side of the world and visit my sister just to escape from this experience. A week after, I got a message from a friend asking if I would be interested to have a staycation in Mövenpick Resort & Spa Cebu. Who would say no this this grand invitation? First, I needed to distress. Second, its a rare occasion to spend a night in a luxurious hotel and lastly and the best part its for free.

This was the sight that welcomed me. Their high ceiling lobby was just grand. It was a heavenly sight as its painted mostly in white. The cool ocean breeze made a happy crescent in my face. After all the tension a week before, what a better way to relax.

Their friendly receptionist led us to our room. She was very accommodating. She assured that our stay would be perfect. When we entered the room the first thing that my eyes spotted was the bed it spelled comfort! Those fluffy pillows gave me a sound sleep.

We didn't waste time so we went down to check the place. They had a playroom.

My ideal job is to sit in these couch, get some drinks, feel the ocean then get paid.

A must have chair and table! I love them!

Our itinerary said dinner at 7PM in Ibiza. We were required to bring our empty stomach for a 15 course meal. Wow did the king just win a battle and call for a celebration? I could get used to with this royalty treatment. In the meantime we continued our stroll in this lovely place.

during happy hours you might enjoy the bar and the Jacuzzi .

net pod

No diving in this part but just sitting here and enjoying the sea could make your day. Bring a book, maybe?

photo by khonie

So it was dinner time. The chef was a Canadian cooking a Brazilian Churrasco way.

For starter we had the salad. It was a buffet. From the salad bar I got, potato, some green sprinkled with bacon bits and ranch dressing, cold cuts and a corn puff bread.

Are you ready for the main entry? not quite. They gave us this disc, red for not ready and green means your ready for the next course.

These were different butter infused with spices for the meat.

I thought this was the meal already, it was only the side dish. ha ha Paired with overflowing rosette wine we had:

Lamb Chops, Beef Rib Eye, Fillet Mignon, Lamb Leg, Beef Rib

Parrot Fish, Squid, King Prawn, Rock Lobster

Chicken Thigh, Ostrich, Pork Rib, Pork Belly

My favorite: the Lamb Chop was the best. It was juicy, tender, the flavor was full packed, cooked well not so rare not so done. I have not eaten meat for 8 months and that dinner was worth a year of abstinence.

We closed it with some desserts. Not that I don't like their dessert but I don't like cooked pineapple, at all. It creates a weird taste in my tongue.

So I got this almond ice cream instead. Spell y-u-m-m-y! O.M.G! I wanted more.

The entire dinner we were entertained by these graceful dancers.

We wanted to check the pool after dinner. Too bad they closes at 10PM, so we called it a night.

The following morning a beautiful sunrise greeted us. It was the best sleep I had since the earthquake. Though we felt another shaking around 3am, the clanging of the glass lampshades woke me, I was too lazy to stand. I doze off again. The bed was just too comfortable.

Did I not say I love their furniture? So it was breakfast time. Another buffet. There were a lot to choose from, American, French, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Filipino breakfast.