Design Folder: Your Online Design and Decorating Resource

in good taste: abaca restaurant

When we went on our CebuNext / Design Folder company outing a few months ago, the team could only admire Abaca Boutique Resort and Restaurant from afar. Luckily, when I went back to Mactan island this July, I had the chance to have a great lunch at the world class restaurant. The look of Abaca Restaurant, like their food, is simple but pleasing to the senses. I’ve always liked minimalist aesthetics so the no-frills classic style of the restaurant appealed to me. Unfortunately, since it was a very exclusive resort, we weren’t able to tour the whole place, but we were shown one of the rooms. The room’s style is consistent with the theme of the resort — very clean and ultra classy. It would be perfect for a honeymoon or a romantic getaway. My friend told me that the place looked even more romantic at night with all the lights. I will definitely go back to Abaca, hopefully with the whole DF team in tow.

*Photos courtesy of Jason Raval. Thanks Jason!

space matters: beach time!

Good morning everyone! Before we take a break for the weekend, let me leave you with some tropical eye candies to help keep your cool amidst the burning heat of… El Nino. Haha!

We spent the morning of our second day in Cebu to visit BE Resorts (formerly known as Mircrotel Resort) in Mactan Island. The resort’s relatively different approach in resort design caught our attention.

Garry Garcia, BE Resorts’ general manager, toured us around during our visit. He explained to us that the resort’s design was primarily inspired by the new generation of local and international tourists that they usually cater to. “These are the young, dynamic individuals who love traveling,” Gary shares.

Noticeably, Be Resort’s interiors sport a hip and vibrant look through the design’s playful use of color and pattern. The white-washed interior spaces are dotted with bright colors of lime green, orange, fuchsia, and tangerine. Their furniture pieces are a mix of modern, organic designs and updated classical pieces, showing off Cebu’s distinctiveness as a furniture design capital.

A similar “refreshed hotel” theme continues to their 160 guest rooms. For this room (above), a fresh color palette of white, soft yellow, tangerine, blue, and green create a welcoming and relaxing setting. It also has a balcony that allows you to enjoy the view of the beach.

What we love the most about BE Resort is its ambiance. It is youthful, happy and vibrant and, at the same time, it maintains the casual and relaxing atmosphere that everyone wants from a resort hotel. We’ll definitely BE back in BE!

BE Resort has an ongoing promo until May! Visit their Facebook fan page for details. [Thank you again Garry!]