Celebrate your big day at NUSTAR Resort and Casino in Cebu

Moments and milestones like weddings, debuts, engagements, or even life’s simple pleasures leave an indelible imprint in one’s memories. Given the chance, why not make them extraordinary and in exceptional style, right?

All things are heading South—and in the best way. Cebu is a prime destination for life celebrations, especially with the recent opening of NUSTAR Resort and Casino in Cebu, a premier integrated resort in the region.

NUSTAR Resort and Casino's ribbon cutting ceremony for 'Beloved'

Rita Neri

Beloved bridal and celebrations fair

Fili Hotel at NUSTAR Resort and Casino Cebu promises to make dreamy celebrations as it recently staged its first-ever bridal and celebrations fair dubbed Beloved. The inaugural two-day event, slated to be an annual one, was a grand showcase of the hotel’s convention center. It also presented an impressive lineup of wedding and fashion designers, as well as event planners.

Over 90 leading suppliers were assembled at the event—including stylists, event coordinators, jewelers, florists, hair and makeup studios, bridal shops, cake designers, and photographers—to help inspire the guests to envision their dream events and celebrations.

Seasoned wedding planner Rita Neri graced the event during its opening ceremonies and lent her expertise in a lecture on “Wedding Expectations: From Dream to Reality.”

Beloved also served as a gateway to world-class talents for the Visayas and Mindanao region. The grand finale of Beloved is a celebration of Cebu talents where ten designers collaborated for a fashion show to feature designer couture for important celebrations created by no less than Cebu’s fashion royalty: Philip Rodriguez, Protacio Empaces, Jun Escario, Wendell Quisido, Marichu Tan, Valerie Alvez, Hanz Coquilla, Mike Yapching, Oscar James, and Agustin Pedrano.

One of the event highlights was Covenant, an exclusive bridal fashion show by renowned designer Francis Libiran. “If you see the first portion of Covenant, it’s all about lace. The second portion is minimalist while the third is very embellished. And the last part is so Filipino wherein it’s all embroidery and embellishments. It’s like treating brides in different types of details. I wanted it to be wearable and at the same time, the technique is different by using traditional French laces embellishments, minimalist gowns and Filipino embroidery,” the designer said.

“Covenant is a promise in getting married. It’s like the covenant of two people falling in love with each other,” Francis added.

Francis Libiran

He also expressed his gratefulness for the opportunity to work with the Cebu clientele once more.“I have had a lot of Cebu brides for the past 25 years that I’ve started. Sometimes they fly in. They’re very sweet and they’re very sure of what styles they want,” he remarked.

Metro.Style asked how the partnership with Beloved came about, and Francis said it was borne out of working together with NUSTAR Cebu on an earlier project. “I’ve been working with NUSTAR from the very start as we did their uniforms for the hotel so we had that relationship. We proposed having a bridal show in Cebu and said that we needed to do something that’s historical and that’s what happened [here]. What we did here is very special. We did a concept where it’s non-traditional. Bridal fairs are usually in pastel and in bright colors, but we did the opposite way by making it all black so that everything stands out,” Francis generously shared.

NUSTAR Executive Chef Martin Rebolledo

NUSTAR Executive Pastry Chef Mac Macaatangay

On the second and final day of Beloved, the guests were in for a treat as Fili Hotel launched new banquet packages offering new concepts at great value. The event featured a Culinary Showcase by the NUSTAR chefs led by Executive Chef Martin Rebolledo and Executive Pastry Chef Mac Macatangay. The two hosted sample tastings of the special banquet menus offered by Fili Hotel.

The banquet menus were Stella, composed of international and Asian cuisines; Aurora which is made up of heritage Western dishes; Celeste which included Chinese, Thai and Indian dishes; and Luna which showcased Filipino culinary heritage.

Stella International Menu

Aurora Western Menu

Luna Filipino Culinary Heritage Menu

Metro.Style talked to Chef Rebolledo about the kinds of flavors that they would want guests to associate with NUSTAR Resort Cebu.

“NUSTAR is eyeing international flavors aside from Fili [Hotel], the Filipino concept. For Fili, we are doing more of an elevated Filipino [cuisine]. NUSTAR is most likely [to be] an international brand that we’re aiming for. There’s no limitations or no specific cuisines but for NUSTAR, we wanted it to be bespoke—customized according to guests’ preferences,” Chef Rebolledo said.

“Couples, debutantes, or anyone planning a celebration will find Beloved a truly meaningful event,” says NUSTAR Fili Hotel General Manager Roel Constantino.

“Beyond showcasing the magnificent ballrooms of the NUSTAR Convention Center, this show provides visitors a valuable networking platform with over 90 quality suppliers, a meeting point of ideas and information that make organizing celebrations a more fulfilling experience,” he continued.

Fili Lobby Lounge

Mott 32

Fili Cafe

Making mundane moments special

Grand celebrations aside, NUSTAR Resort Cebu also offers a variety of dining and recreational options so one can mark and make beautiful moments by simply enjoying life’s simple pleasures.

At Fili Hotel, one can enjoy a warm and luxurious stay with incredible views of the sea or the city skyline be it at the spacious guest rooms and suites, the Fitness Center, or by the outdoor infinity pool.

There’s also a variety of dining options starting at Fili Hotel’s Fili Café, a buffet restaurant where one can indulge in international flavors and local favorites like the popular Cebu lechon and sutukil. NUSTAR is also home to the world-famous Mott 32 from Hong Kong—an award-winning, Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant widely recognized for serving the “best Peking duck in Hong Kong.” One can also indulge in IL Primo, Cebu’s first Italian steakhouse, which offers premium quality steaks, pasta, and a curated selection of authentic Italian fare, beverages, and wine. For comforting Filipino cuisine and heirloom dishes from Cebu, Fina is the go-to place in the area. Xin Tian Di is another dining option where one can enjoy southern Chinese and Southeast Asian specialties in a casual dining setup that’s open 24/7.

Perhaps one of the highlights and one of the best offerings in NUSTAR’s Fili Hotel is Crucero, a romantic way to celebrate moments through a memorable sunset cruise that’s a feast for the senses. While sailing into the sunset, guests are treated to a stunning view of the city’s bay area and the city skyline where you can spot landmarks such as the CCLEX Bridge, the port area, the Cebu City Hall, and the spectacular view of NUSTAR Resort Cebu at night from the sea.

NUSTAR Crucero

For inquiries and reservations to celebrate life milestones and moments, call (032) 888-8282, email: contactus@nustar.com.ph, or visit www.nustar.ph/hotels/fili.

Photos courtesy of NUSTAR