An Imperfect Paradise: Les Maison d'Itac

An imperfect paradise would best describe Les Maison d’Itac, a humble resort located at the less popular part of Cebu.

Hello, Les Maison d’Itac.

We chanced upon this resort while checking Deal Grocer for our Cebu hotel accommodation. Since we saved a couple of thousands from our airfare and figured that a 3D2N accommodation with full- board meals and transfers for PHP15,000 sounded like a steal, we bought a voucher the same night we saw the deal. 

Booking was a breeze as Bryan, the resort manager, was quick in replying to my inquiries. The supposed airport transfer is also flexible. Instead of picking us up from the airport, we were picked up from the first hotel we stayed at and very promptly at that.

I made a terrible mistake though in booking our first hotel in Mactan. For some reason, I thought that Les Maison d’Itac is also in Mactan but it turned out that it is at the opposite side of Cebu, just an hour and a half drive to Oslob! In the end, we took a 3 hour drive to and from the resort. 

Tired from the long (and slightly crazy drive) to the resort, we were warmly greeted by Maritess who gave the impression of being the head housekeeper of the resort. She briefed us of some rules with “no swimming allowed 150 meters from the shoreline” as the most important one. Lame rule? Well, not exactly as the place is rich with coral reefs! 

As soon as we were done sorting our stuff, we were called for lunch and it was a simple yet good food. We had shrimps and chicken pochero. 

For dessert, we had ripe mangoes which, sadly, were a bit sour as it is no longer in season. 

Throughout our meal, we were accompanied by the resident friendly dogs Itac and Stacy. Note that Stacy is such a glutton and she will keep pestering you once you give in to her charm. 

After a short nap, R and I decided to walk around the beach and take a quick dip in the pool. 

As we were about to head back to the pool, we spotted a paddle board which apparently anyone could use for free! We decided to take advantage of it and went past the roped area. (Note: It is still shallow past the roped area especially during low tide so take caution when paddling your way to the deeper part of the sea as you might hit some of the coral reefs with the fin of the paddle board.) 

We had a short chat with some local fishermen while there but we quickly headed back when we saw the water getting darker which means that we were on deep water, which was very scary especially after seeing the sky getting darker as well as it was about to rain. 

We were lucky that there were no guests using the pool when we took a dip. Given that the pool is quite small, having other people around could make things slightly awkward due to lack of space to swim or float around. 

Dinner was served promptly (or too promptly) as we were still full from lunch when we had to eat our next meal. It felt like we were at a retreat where we had to eat at a specific time whether we’re full or not. 

We didn’t stay out that long after dinner as there were a lot of mosquitos during our stay. We borrowed one of the boardgames instead and played all night inside our air-conditioned mosquito-free room. 

The second day though was different as we had insect repellants on the whole day! In terms of activities, it was pretty much the same— wake up, eat, nap, eat, swim, eat and sleep. 

Unlike our first night though, we decided to spend our second night by the common area to use the wi-fi and watch a long movie.

On our last day, the car bringing us to the city arrived a few minutes before 12 noon and they were very patient with us checking out a bit over the agreed check out time. 

Though food was just so-so and the beach wasn’t exactly swimmable, R and I liked that we practically own the place during our visit. We loved that we could use the paddle board, life vests, scuba shoes and other facilities without extra charge.

Before booking Les Maison d’Itac for your next getaway, take note of the following:

-Les Maison d’Itac is located at Ronda, Cebu which is roughly 3 hour drive from Cebu City.

-It might be best to bring your own food if you do not want to avail of the meals offered by the resort. Les Maison d’Itac is quite far from other establishments so it could be a hassle to keep going out for meals. 

-Wi-fi doesn’t reach the room furthest from the dining area. Also, that same room’s lounge chair outside has been deemed as Itac’s bed at night. There is no way to shoo him away. 

-Insect repellant is a must if you decide to book here.

Les Maison d’Itac is located at Santa Cruz, Ronda, Cebu. For inquiries, contact them at +639 17 624 5774.