Cebu resort features senior-friendly architecture, amenities

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May 10, 2026 | 5:35pm

MANILA, Philippines — Summer usually sees a lot of families traveling to their favorite destinations. Filipinos, known for having large extended families, often consider this season a perfect time to bond. 

While many resorts offer topnotch facilities, it is a bonus if a destination features amenities that cater to the whole family, most especially for the elderly, who might have health-related concerns. 

A resort owner in Cebu believes that they can accommodate every member of the family, including the senior members who might have special needs. 

“We are explicitly trying to cater to seniors. Well, not cater because our thinking is like this, it so happens na 'yong design ng resort is ideal for seniors. First it's patag 'yung daan. You can go around. You're in a room, you walk down the corridor and you take the elevator. Then you walk to the swimming pool,” Plantation Bay Resort and Spa owner Manny Gonzalez told Philstar.com during a recent media junket where a noticeable number of senior citizens were among their guests. 

“What is a senior actually going to do in front of the swimming pool? OK, he's going to watch. They don't actually swim. They're going to watch, and that gets pretty boring. So, here, there's lots of stuff to do all around the resort and it was designed,” he added. 

Gonzalez also said that his resort’s architecture is very senior citizen-friendly. 

“The facilities are spread out and so there's something interesting. You don't feel I had to walk there to do that and then back which is the case in all hotels. Almost all hotels, you walk to the swimming pool and then you walk back to have lunch. And here the facilities are spread around the circle.

“So you can just keep going. And there's always something new for you to do and there's lots of places for seniors to sit around and just enjoy the view," Gonzalez said.

The resort has places that encourage exercises, such as the Savannah Park, where there is a trail intended for backward walking. He is particulary proud of this feature, explaining how it benefits anyone who tries it. 

“Backward walking is not well known. The point is if you are going to exercise, it's a way to exercise different muscles than you expect. It also encourages a better sense of spatial awareness if you're walking backward," Gonzalez explained. 

There are also recreational activies and games, such as a Bingo game once a week. Their spas are matched to the needs of different types of people addressing issues such as weight management, stress relief and better nutrition.

To stress his point about Plantation Bay being a place for most vacationers, Gonzalez said that the resort caters three-generation of families. 

“So if you were, let's say a three-generation family, you would have a hard time finding a better place than this anywhere in Asia. Because typically it's honeymooners. OK, somebody, I'm sure they have very nice hotels, pang honeymooner lang,” he said. 

“Then they have very nice hotels, I suppose in Vietnam na pang-bata lang but it's not suitable for older people. And so here if you if you are a typical Asian family na three generations and all one get together, this is a place where everybody has something to do. Again, without any false humility, we are the best resort for all around seniors to want to visit with their families or by themselves," Gonzalez said. 

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