Alegria Water Front Beach House review
One of the main reasons we had booked the Alegria Water Front Beach House on Cebu island was the infinity pool with ocean view. The other was its proximity to Kawasan Falls, a popular tourist attraction south of Moalboal, Cebu.
And we were not disappointed! We arrived around noon, on a tricycle from Moalboal and our room was available already. In fact, we were the only guests for a few hours. So we really got to take advantage of the lounge area with ocean view, the infinity pool and the room.
Room Amenities
Compared to other rooms we saw in the Philippines, this was fabulous: Fresh paint, clean bathroom, comfortable bedding, a complete set of bathroom amenities including dental and vanity kits. The AC was set to a pleasant temperature when we entered. And our request to separate the beds from a king to two twins was accommodated swiftly.
Hotel Amenities
The small hotel has no restaurant, but we were able to buy water and snacks from their shop. And so we watched the sun set over the Pacific from the patio. We were made aware that we were actually sitting at a table reserved for one of the suites.
But the staff was so courteous as to set up chairs in front of our room in anticipation of us moving when the guests for the suite arrived. They were very kind about it. There is a need for more pool furniture, but we were told the request has already been sent to management.
Dinner was a bit of a challenge. There are not many options around Alegria. We ended up in a pizza “restaurant”, the terrace of a private house with a large table and 8 chairs around it. But hey, we got food and even leftovers for the next day.
On the way home we passed a few bakeshops were we got cheap pastries the next day for snacks. We had dinner at the Philippine restaurant on the corner, just a few minutes walk from the hotel the second night.
Main attraction: Kawasan Falls
The Alegria Water Front Beach House is indeed close to the Kawasan waterfalls. Canyoneering tours are offered with pick up from the hotel. We decided to take a tricycle there in the morning and walk back to the hotel afterwards. It was about an hour walk, but you really cannot get lost, just along the main road.
Sustainability at the Alegria Water Front Beach House
From a guest perspective there are several noteworthy sustainable practices in place, but there is also still room for improvement.
I liked that the electricity in the room is automatically turned off when you remove your key card to leave the room. It is common practice in Europe, but in my experience many hotels in the US don’t offer this feature yet.
Also, I liked that there is a water fountain where guests can refill their bottles with drinking water. Given that you cannot drink tap water in the Philippines this saves on plastic waste, yay!
At the same time however there is still a lot of single-use plastic among the bathroom amenities. Other accommodations in the area had bulk shampoo and body wash in the shower. But I am afraid it is still considered more luxurious for some reason to offer individual travel size bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion.
As many other hotels the Alegria Water Front Beach House won’t change your sheets and towels until you ask for it. Personally I prefer it that way, but it is something to be prepared for if you are used to day housekeeping service with fresh sheets and linen.
The chemicals they save on laundry they probably make up for with the chlorine pool. But it is the main feature of the hotel, so it would be tricky to get rid of. Especially in a hot country like the Philippines where guests expect a decent pool at any hotel.
Ocean view lounge area
All in all I very much enjoyed my stay at the Alegria Water Front Beach House. It is an upscale oasis tucked away from the business of Moalboal, peaceful and quiet right on the water. If you are planning on going I recommend investing in the higher room category, so you get your own patio with western exposure, perfect to watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.
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