For dinner, we ate at Lime and Zest, the in-house restaurant on the ground floor of Watergate Hotel. The restaurant interiors matches the rest of the trendy design of the hotel. Cool colors of Lime and grey lends to a comfortable space with its distinct style of modern dining.
While here, we tried their Thai Papaya Salad, their Chicken Satay, and red dragon sushi rolls. I enjoyed all of them a great deal but if I have to choose a favorite, it has to be the very tender and juicy chicken satay. The food here is fresh, seasonal and is a mixed array of  Asian food —  from Thai, to Japanese to Vietnamese food. This is very exciting for Butuan because much as I LOVE their food staples here  such as Kinilaw, Tadyang, and Tinolang Isda, I think it’s about time we get to have more variety, as well.
You also have to try their fried ice-cream which they make for you just as soon as you order it. One of the chefs prepare it right within view and it was very interesting to watch (and if it’s the handsome head chef that prepares it, you’re in for a visual treat too!). We got to try their strawberry-banana as well as their durian ice cream. The sweetness of the ice cream is just right and with the addition of real fruit, you can’t go wrong with this delectable treat!
The second floor of the restaurant has more space and they even have this small area for small groups that want to have a little bit more privacy. As the hotel and restaurant are still on soft-opening, the crew are still getting used to their quality and speed of service. Butuan is still a growing city and the opening of this hotel has created a buzz in our city, so much that understandably so, a lot of people want to see and experience the place for themselves.
While we were there, the place started to fill up quickly and so there were minor mishaps  here and there, mishaps which the staff and crew quickly apologized and made up for. As in most cases in places that have just opened up, a few glitches is expected. I don’t doubt that the staff and crew will soon begin to work together much more smoothly and efficiently.
About the hotel suite that we were booked in for the second night, I have to say, I was absolutely impressed with the output. Our suite had a small kitchen counter, a dining room, a living room area and access to two other rooms on either side of the living room. The suite room is very cozy, it makes you feel as though you have your very own condo unit right in the heart of the city. The best part? You can either lazy the day away in the pool which the suite has direct access to, or better yet, try relaxing in the luxuriously inviting bathtub.
Soon, a salon, a spa and an events-styling studio office will be joining the line up. Also, one of the good things about this hotel is it’s close proximity to other important landmarks in the city – It’s more or less 15 minutes away from the airport, 10 minutes away from Robinson’s Mall and about 5 minutes away from downtown Butuan.
Dive sites are about less than an hour from this hotel and the closest beaches about an hour and a half away, so a day trip outside can very well be planned to make your stay here even more memorable. For those of you that don’t know, Butuan is a gateway to the rest of the raw and rustic beaches of the Caraga Region. Watergate Hotel can help make trip arrangements for you should you wish to explore the region more.
All in all, in my opinion, this hotel has certainly raised the bar for all the other hotels that wish to follow suit and I’m so glad for it. I think that the Butuanons will be very happy that the quality of these rooms and this hotel is something we can hopefully see more of as more hotels continue to pop up in the future. Watergate Hotel checks all of the boxes for a memorable trip in Butuan: a comfortable retreat in a cozy and stylish room, good food just outside your doorstep and access to all things even more amazing in the region.
Watergate Hotel Butuan
J Rosales Avenue, 8600 Butuan City
Website:Â https://watergatehotelbutuan.com/
Need to know more about Butuan City? Check this out: Top 5 Things to Keep You Busy in Butuan City
