Eats a fun-filled summer at Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort in Cebu

School’s out, summer is in! The warm temperature serves as an invitation for families to spend more time outdoors — playing, hiking, or having barbecue parties on the beach! If you’re planning to spend summer with the rest of the brood in the Queen City of the South, head to Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort & Spa in Cebu.

Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa is Cebu’s newest five-star hotel with 556 luxuriously furnished rooms, including 172 deluxe rooms, 380 suites, and 48 villas with either a private pool or Jacuzzi.

While the resort’s main feature is its one-of-a-kind waterpark which boasts a wave pool, a 300-meter long flowing current pool (Amazon River pool), Captain Hook’s Pool with tilting bucket and slides, toddler’s pool, and beach pool. It also features three slides — two exciting nine-foot-high tube slides as well as the Space Bowl where you get literally flushed down to a six-foot-deep pool. The resort also takes pride in its fascinating mix of restaurants that offers cuisines from around the globe that serve as a magnet for tourists and locals alike.

Beef, beef: The L.A. Kalbi is a Korean staple. The meat is grilled and rolled in Romaine lettuce, garlic slices, and Korean red pepper paste.

If you have an appetite for good food and adventure, it’s time to pack your bags, throw in your aqua gear and your ever-reliable Citibank credit card for good measure so you can eat, drink, and be merry this summer in Cebu.

Gourmet Dining in Cebu Citi

Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa has partnered with Citibank in its Citi Dining Privileges Program not just to thank its loyal clients but also to ensure them a summer to remember.

“Citibank’s database of cardholders — quality-conscious people who reward themselves and their families with the best things life can offer — is exactly our market,” explains Richie Kang, general manager, Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort.

The Citi Dining Privileges is a program that gives Citibank cardholders perks at select dining places not only in the Philippines but all over Asia as well.

Pool of fun: The slide at Imperial Palace Waterpark will get you literally flushed down to a six-foot-deep pool.

“Citibank cardholders from the Philippines get the same preferential treatment when they travel to Singapore as well as to all the other participating countries in the region — in the same way that a Citibank cardholder from Indonesia can come to say, Cebu, and enjoy the same privileges in over 1,000 dining locations nationwide,” explains Bea Teh Tan, Citi Credit Payment Products.

Let the Feast Begin

Perched on the seaside overlooking the blue vista of the Hilutungan channel, the Coral Seaside Restaurant features eight F&B outlets, which include Cheon San Chinese Restaurant, Maru Korean Restaurant, and the Familia Buffet Restaurant, among others.

Cheon San tickles the palate with its menu that’s similar to the Cheon San Restaurant at Imperial Palace Hotel in Seoul.

For starters, relish chef Kenny Yong Tze Hin’s Dimsum Basket set menu. For P888, it consists of two bowls of congee, three fried dishes, three steamed dishes, and dessert.

If bibimbap or kalbi chim (Korean beef rib casserole) knock on your palate, reserve a table at Maru Korean Restaurant.

Dimsum indulgence: Chef Kenny Yong Tze Hin’s Dimsum Basket set menu at Cheon San restaurant in Imperial Palace

Maru, which means summit or peak, is an authentic Korean resto serving a full Korean menu ranging from popular Korean fare like Dolsot Bibimbap (Korean rice mixed with veggies and topped with raw egg sprinkle served in a hot stone pot), naeng myun to table-grilled Korean-style beef.

I heart the L.A. Kalbi. The sliced beef short ribs, marinated in a ganjang-based sauce (Korean soy sauce), are grilled in a smokeless grill right on your table. Once cooked, roll it in Romaine lettuce leaves, white rice, lightly browned garlic slices, and gochujang (Korean red pepper paste). Each bite reminds me of my culinary journey in Seoul a few years back.

“Diners can enjoy a 20-percent discount when they use their Citibank card in these ala carte restaurants,” shares Bea.

Over at Familia Buffet Restaurant, Citi cardholders can enjoy a 30-percent discount on lunch buffet, and P1,000 credit on buffet dinner for two.

Familia Buffet Restaurant has four different kinds of open kitchen: Japanese corner, Oriental corner, Western corner, and the Desserts and Fruits corner.

If it’s sushi and sashimi you want, hop to the Japanese corner, or have your fill of assorted jeon and porridge, seafood kway teow and prawns kong pou, liempo, and adobo at the Oriental corner.  The Western corner, on the other hand, serves Italian and American favorites. Cap your gourmet tour at the Desserts and Fruits corner.

The suite life: Live the luxe life this summer at the Mactan Suite of Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort in Cebu.

“With the objective of being the preferred credit card in dining spend, we assure Citibank credit cardholders that the next time they dine with their loved ones, they no longer need to think about which credit card will give them the best value for money,” adds Bea.

Here’s more.  If another credit card offers something better than your Citi Card in any place that carries the Citi Dining Privileges sign, Citi will reimburse the difference.

With Citibank’s Citi Dining Privileges program, deciding on where to dine out is as easy as visiting their website at www.citiworldprivileges.com.

Fun Under the Sun

Citi cardholders can also enjoy a complimentary summer bucket at Aqus Pool and Island Bar (a bucket of any five drinks — choice of local beers, sodas or chilled juices — with complimentary French fries or chips valued at P500).

“They can also have a complimentary view upgrade valued at P1,500, P1,500 credit on Kid’s Club,  P300 credit for Fun Under the Sun summer activities (like arts & crafts, tamiya car racing, fun games and rides), P1,000 credit on dinner for two at the Familia Buffet restaurant, limited edition Woopee souvenir item (valued at P500), and 15-percent discount on jet ski, island hopping, and diving,” adds Kang.

Let’s meat at Maru: Bulgogi is a must-try dish at Maru Korean Restaurant.

All offers are available upon booking for at least one overnight stay. Promo period runs from April 15 to May 31.

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Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa is at M.L. Quezon Highway, Brgy. Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. For inquiries, call its Cebu sales office at (63-32) 494-5241 to 45, its Manila sales office at 753-1291 or e-mail rsvn@ip-cebu.com.