One Manchester Place Exec. 1BR

You can forget about sleeping here. There's noise all day and night, with only a quieter lunch break and a few calmer hours overnight. Even earplugs often don't help. People come back from parties in the middle of the night, older residents are up at 5, and things like furniture being moved can wake you suddenly. Discos, karaoke, parties, it's all part of it. Everything else feels minor beside the lack of sleep, which was torture for me. I wouldn't recommend staying here.

We paid over 5000 PHP a night, which felt absurd for this place. The listing for Mactan Newtown Condo One Manchester Place made it sound like a nice, posh condo across the street, but we were put in a dirty, run-down room, 8H. The booking confirmation also gave us that impression. The bedding was old, the room dusty and grimy, and it had a collection of mismatched secondhand furniture. The bedroom door wouldn't close because its knob was broken. There were roaches in both the kitchen and bathroom, a foul smell in the hallway, and room deodorizer covering the odor inside. The washer and dryer stank so badly we didn't use them. There was no hot water either, so we contacted the host. The plumber came promptly and said the electric heater was clogged because it hadn't been cleaned. Construction was going on all around, but we hadn't been told. We also skipped the pool and beach. Reaching the beach takes at least a 15-minute walk, and costs another 350 PHP per person each visit. The location itself is nice and clean, though it feels like staying in Korea town, and Cebu city center is an hour away one way. The cash-only policy was the first warning sign. The agent/host emailed that they only accept cash, but we had no time to find somewhere else. We felt charged a 4-star price for a zero-star stay. Avoid the mistake we made, and don't deal with hoteliers who insist on cash and won't be clear about the actual rental address.

We booked through AirBnB and stayed in Tower B, in an east-facing room. The place worked well as a family vacation spot, with a pool area focused on families and two towers to choose from. There's one pet allowed per room, but we got approval to bring both of ours. It's on Newtown Blvd, where there are several shops already and more on the way. A nice place to rest during a trip.

Expats and foreigners staying long term, be very careful with the building's agents. Stay away from Windsor Tongo and his fellow agents. When it's time to return your deposit, they disappear and say they're looking for damage.