AAnonymous UserWe booked two rooms for 7 nights at the Sheraton Cebu Mactan. We are two families traveling together with three young children and a pregnant wife. We were excited for a relaxing vacation, but after just 4 days, we wanted to check out early.
The hotel agreed to refund only one room (around 900–1000 USD), but refused to refund the second room. This decision was made even though the hotel is completely full (Chinese New Year, peak season). Our rooms could have been sold to other guests immediately, so there was no financial risk to the hotel.
Why We Wanted to Leave Early:
1. Food Issues (Very Important for Muslim Families)
The hotel is in an isolated location with no restaurants nearby. The on-site restaurants serve mostly spicy Asian food, often containing pork. As Muslim families with young children, we cannot eat spicy food or pork. This made every meal a struggle.
2. Transportation (A Nightmare)
Getting a taxi is extremely difficult.
· When we wanted to leave the hotel to go to the city, we often waited over an hour for a taxi.
· When we tried to return to the hotel from the city (like Cebu), we waited up to 2 hours because drivers refuse to come to this hotel.
· Even within the Mactan area, finding a taxi was not easy.
· The hotel offers a transfer service, but it costs 2–3 times more than a regular taxi. For a family, this is not a practical solution.
3. Maintenance Issues
On the very first day, we reported that the sink was clogged – water drained very slowly. We were promised it would be fixed. After 3 days, nothing had been done.
On day 3, I personally told the General Manager, Mr. Robin Bernard, about the problem. He said: ”No problem, I will solve it.”
But even after his promise, nothing happened.
Finally, on day 4, housekeeping came to our room. We showed them the problem by running the water. They saw it immediately and called an engineer, who fixed it within 20 minutes.
Mr. Bernard's promise meant nothing. The regular staff fixed it.
Our Conversation with Management
We requested an early checkout. Mr. Ross Bautista genuinely tried to help us. He suggested a possible refund for one room and arranged a meeting with his superior to discuss our case.
That meeting was with General Manager Robin Bernard. Here is what happened:
· He claimed he ”knew the situation”, but could not explain any details. We had to tell him everything again: about the children, the pregnant wife, the food, the transportation.
· Throughout the conversation, he was arrogant and condescending. It felt like he was not listening, just waiting for us to finish.
· We explained that the hotel was fully booked (Chinese New Year, peak season), so letting us leave early would not hurt his business. The rooms would be sold again immediately.
· His response was shocking. He looked at us and said, word for word:
”You should not think about my business. It's my concern.”
Then, one minute later, when we asked for understanding, he said:
”I have to think about my business.”
There is no logic. It felt like he just wanted to show his power and punish us for asking.
The result? Nothing changed. Ross Bautista tried, but his hands were tied. Robin Bernard simply confirmed his original decision and showed zero empathy.
As long as Mr. Robin Bernard is the General Manager, we will never return to this hotel. His arrogance, empty promises, and complete lack of care for families with children and special dietary needs are destroying the reputation of this Sheraton.
To other Muslim families or anyone traveling with young children: I strongly recommend choosing a different hotel. Here, your needs will be ignored if the manager does not feel like helping.
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