Tambuli Seaside Resort and Spa

This is the most appropriate accommodation to enjoy the details. Also, the staff in Montanba is so friendly and provides excellent service. I visited here alone, and we talked a lot so that I wouldn't be bored.

Thank you for Maico, Rey, Rod, Belle, Sam💙

We stayed at Tambuli expecting a luxury beachfront resort experience and unfortunately, left fairly disappointed. The marketing and photos create the impression of a high-end resort hotel, but in reality, it feels much more like a collection of residential apartment towers with shared facilities rather than a purpose-built luxury resort.

The first thing to understand is that this is not a traditional hotel. Accommodation is spread across large condo-style tower blocks, many of which include privately owned Airbnb units alongside hotel-managed rooms. This creates a mixed and inconsistent standard, and in several cases the Airbnb units within the same buildings appeared better furnished and better value than the official hotel rooms.

The room itself was underwhelming for the price point. There was effectively no proper seating area at all — just a single uncomfortable chair placed in a large empty space and two dining chairs at the counter. Despite sufficient space to design a small lounge area, nothing has been done to make the room feel comfortable or relaxing. There was no coffee table or anywhere to put down a drink beside the chair. The overall layout felt awkward, more like a bed placed inside a basic kitchen setup than a resort room designed for leisure.

The kitchen facilities were also disappointing and felt far from “fully equipped” as advertised. There was no sharp knife provided at all, leaving only very basic utensils such as a spoon and a spatula, which makes even simple cooking impractical.

The bathroom experience did not meet expectations either. The shower pressure was very weak and the water temperature was, at best, lukewarm and inconsistent, which further added to the sense that maintenance and quality control are not a priority.

The balcony, which should have been a highlight, was also poorly designed. A large external air-conditioning unit takes up roughly half the usable space, leaving very little room to actually sit and enjoy it. When in use, the unit also pulses on and off noisily, which detracts significantly from any sense of relaxation or “resort” atmosphere.

In addition, there are security cameras positioned on the balcony area, which significantly reduces any sense of privacy. This is particularly uncomfortable when the expectation is a private outdoor space to relax in.

Maintenance and general upkeep around the property were also inconsistent. Some areas appear unfinished or poorly maintained, and the “garden view” room category is particularly misleading. Rather than landscaped gardens, the view largely consisted of dirt areas, construction materials, and unfinished landscaping, which does not match the expectation created by the description.

On arrival, we found the in-room safe to be non-functional. A team came to repair it after about an hour, but 30 minutes later they gave up and replaced it with one from another unit — only for that replacement to run out of battery power after a short period.

Another major issue was the day pass system. The resort appears to sell a large number of day passes to non-residents, which makes the facilities unpredictably busy throughout the day. As a paying guest, there is no clear priority or separation between hotel guests and day visitors. This means pools, beachfront areas, and common spaces can become crowded at peak times without warning, undermining any sense of exclusivity or relaxation that a resort of this type is expected to provide.



Breakfast included with the stay was also poor quality, lacking flavour, and if you arrive after 9:00 am there is very little left and it is not replenished.

The overall environment feels more like a busy residential condominium complex than a resort. With multiple tower blocks, a high number of families, and constant external visitor traffic, it lacks the calm, curated atmosphere usually associated with a high-end beachfront stay.

The beachfront during our stay was busy and unexpectedly rocky, with seaweed and some trash accumulation. We did not end up using the facilities we had paid a premium for, as they fell short of expectation, were crowded, and not particularly well maintained.

To be fair, some staff were polite and doing their best. However, the property feels caught between residential development and resort branding, without fully succeeding as either.

We are sharing this feedback as we were not aware of most of these issues despite extensive research and reading prior reviews of Tambuli.

At its current pricing, Tambuli does not offer good value compared with other beachfront stays in Cebu and falls short of expectations set by its marketing.

Food was good. Although not very cheap, they offer happy hour and pizza promos for dinner, which helped make dining more worth it. Breakfast was also good, the room was spacious, and I liked that there were several pools to choose from. We went on a weekday, so there weren’t too many guests, which made the stay more relaxing.

Nice beachfront, large pools
Super nice staff

Resturant and rooms were good...spacious hotel grounds

Looking for a luxurious escape in Mactan? Let me tell you—Tambuli Seaside Beach Resort is an absolute gem! We had the pleasure of staying on the 10th floor, and the view of the ocean from up there was nothing short of breathtaking. Waking up to that endless blue horizon every morning felt like a dream.

The room itself came with a delightful surprise: a small kitchen! If you enjoy cooking your own meals, you’ll love the convenience of preparing food right in your room. But wait—there’s more. We were genuinely amazed to find a washing machine too. Doing laundry while on vacation may not sound glamorous, but with the warm Philippine weather, our clothes dried in no time, and it made packing so much lighter!

What truly stole our hearts, though, was the service. The staff welcomed us so warmly, and check-in took only five minutes. A buggy car was even arranged to take us straight to our building’s lobby—such a thoughtful touch. As we explored the resort, we couldn’t stop taking photos. The pool area is gorgeous, and if you’re traveling with family, you’ll be thrilled to know it’s a very family-oriented place with plenty of activities to enjoy. There’s even a pool open until 10 PM, complete with a lovely bar—perfect for evening unwinds.

We also had breakfast at the resort, and the spread offered a nice variety of delicious choices. We checked out the menus for other meals too, and the prices were very reasonable.

The only tiny wish we had? A 7-Eleven nearby for quick snacks or essentials! That minor detail aside, Tambuli gave us an unforgettable experience. Highly recommended for anyone seeking beauty, comfort, and genuine Filipino hospitality. ❤️

Friendly staff, modern rooms, clean

The resort is outstandingly good, very nice ambience and the staff are very friendly, Rey is the best.

Its a top quality resort in Cebu.

A must go!

Piscinas y acceso playa

La qualité de l’accueil et les infrastructures.

We’ve been to Tipsy Dog a few times — the value of the food is worth it. Spinach Dip with extra chips is a must with their cocktail drinks. The service is excellent and very friendly!

It checks all the boxes to me

The entire experience from arrival to every day at breakfast with Rey was awesome! The food top rate - the property wonderful and the staff is the secrets sauce as they always lead with kindness.

This is my home base all thing Philippines and Cebu now.

👮🏻‍♂️There are clearly recurring concerns about how access and security are handled here, and unfortunately my experience reflects the same issues as a returning guest. While I understand the need for a wristband system for safety and guest verification, the way it is implemented feels unnecessarily inconvenient and poorly coordinated.

🏝️For a resort setting, the process should be smooth and guest-friendly. Instead, it often feels somewhat ridiculous and inefficient. Guests, including those staying in private units or via Airbnb—are required to go all the way to the main lobby for wristbands, even when there are staffed reception or security points in each tower. This creates unnecessary friction, especially when access points between buildings already exist. Especially when u still need to go through the lobby even if u already have a wristband of the day. Why can’t a guest wearing a wristband enter back to the resort through tower A and B?!. It makes no sense. What are u paying the staff for?.

A more decentralized approach, such as allowing tower reception or security to handle wristbands for those staying in Airbnb would significantly improve the experience without compromising safety. There’s really no point for non-resort/airbnb guest to be around the resort lobby area. It’s difficult to understand why this hasn’t been addressed, given the number of staff on-site.

The property itself has potential, but operational inefficiencies like this take away from what should otherwise be a relaxing stay. A review of internal processes and a stronger focus on guest convenience would make a noticeable difference. Afterall, it’s a resort not a high security facility.

And by the way, the beach area has so much potential but is poorly maintained. You could wish they put some effort into making the beach area of good standard.

Very good customer service. Special mention to Vincent Emnace, well-done!

formal:

“Mr. Vincent Emnaci (OJT) delivered excellent service. He was courteous, attentive, and very accommodating.