After numerous trips to the province of Cebu and skipping the opportunity to stay on the island of Mactan, I must admit to never having heard of Jpark Island Resort and Waterpark before. I had my assumptions managed to a middling level when I joined fellow travel and lifestyle writers on a media trip celebrating the resort’s tenth-year anniversary.
A Decade of Splash and Luxury: Jpark Island Resort Cebu Celebrates 10th Year with a Bang
Upon our arrival at the property, reality quickly overtook my median expectations as I stepped inside Jpark’s open-air lobby. Directing my eyes to several interesting design patterns in the entrance hall led my gaze to the expansive lawn-covered grounds that stretched to the waterpark—where shrieks of merriment from guests could be heard even from a far distance. At that moment, Jpark—sounding like a nom de guerre of a heroic Korean character in a Koreanovela series—instantly introduced its brand name to me: a five-star waterpark resort and, unbeknownst to me five seconds ago, one of the island’s primary tourism attractions frequented by families from South Korea, Japan, and China.
The Country’s Only 5-Star Waterpark Resort
Jpark's seventeen-hectare property housed a total of five hundred sixty-eight rooms, villas, and suites, six themed swimming pools, ten restaurants, activity zones, dive shops, and a private beach. Constructed in 2009 as the then Imperial Palace, it rebranded to the Jpark name in 2014 by combining the name of the founder, Mr. Yong Jun Park, and the now full-owner Justin Uy—a known Cebuano businessman.
Through the years, the resort had become a favorite family destination for tourists from Asia—and more recently, had also started to attract hordes of local tourists from all over the Philippines. Not resting on its laurels, even while remaining the country's only five-star waterpark resort, Jpark continued to improve through expansion and the introduction of new innovations.
Pororo Indoor Park Grand Opening
Speaking of which, Jpark had also launched its newest attraction targeting the young ones: The Pororo Indoor Park. That indoor park, based on the popular Korean children's 3D anime television show “Pororo the Little Penguin,” was the first in the Philippines and only the eighteenth in the world—with eleven branches located in South Korea. The park featured the show’s main characters: the tender Polar Bear Poby, the pink beaver Loopy, Eddy the studious Fox, and Crong the roguish but lovable baby dinosaur.
The multi-level theme park housed an assortment of playrooms quirkily designed with lavish colors and adorned with various setups of interactive games and fun rides. There were more than twenty game rooms to choose from, such as Patty’s Merry-go-round, the Digital Sketch room, the Aqua Play zone, Rodi’s Racing game, Tutu’s 4D rider, the Sliding ball pool, Crong’s jungle gym, Eddy’s sliding car, the Pororo Train, the Pororo fishing zone, and an indoor two-story-high slide.
Every day, the whole gang of Pororo main characters performed live shows to the delight of the children. To maximize the Pororo experience for the young guests of the resort, Jpark also transformed more than forty rooms to replicate the Pororo universe. Those rooms came with Pororo-inspired interiors and were furnished with ball pits, trampolines, and mini slides in the living areas of the one-bedroom suites.
Celebrating Jpark’s 10th at the New Triton Ballroom
Coinciding with the celebration of the tenth anniversary of Jpark Island Resort and Waterpark was the unveiling of the newly refurbished Triton Ball. Influenced by the mystical underwater kingdom of King Triton, that spacious ballroom was laden with advanced lighting and sound system technology and an interior design that incorporated both modern and indigenous local materials.
The Triton Ball could accommodate one thousand people in a banquet setting, sit one thousand five hundred people in a cocktail setup, and entertain two thousand guests in a theater setting.
Musical performances from Mr. Pure Energy Gary Valenciano, his daughter Kiana, and opera performer Zsarie Vidal concluded the festive celebration, which also saw Jpark’s employees, tourism partners, and media friends being honored on stage for their numerous contributions to expanding the market of Jpark to all of Asia.
Jpark’s Expansion Plans
As the curtains dropped at the grand Triton Ball to cap the festive ten-year celebration of Jpark Island Resort, each of the guests was convinced that the future of the five-star waterpark looked brighter than before. Earlier in the evening, Chairman and President Justin Uy had revealed plans for future development penciled into some of the most scenic provinces in the Philippines. “We are looking at the year 2020 to open our new property in Panglao, Bohol. We also have plans for Cordova and Oslob here in Cebu, and Anda in Bohol. We are also considering Siargao and Palawan in the near future,” Uy said.
The Jpark brand—with its hefty goals and long tradition of high-quality service—was in a great place and had cemented its position to become a leading player in the country’s hospitality and tourism industry for many years to come.
*Photo credits (Pororo Park c/o Jpark Resort, Drone shot c/o Wanderlass)
Hotel Fact Box
Accommodation Categories
Deluxe & Deluxe Ocean View Rooms 38 sq. m. | A contemporary baseline layout blending modern luxury with tropical comfort. Features a choice of king or twin beds, a deep soaking tub, private balcony, and floor-to-ceiling windows viewing the garden or the Mactan Sea.Mactan & Cebu Suites 76 - 110 sq. m. | Expansive family configurations available in 1-bedroom (Mactan) and 2-bedroom (Cebu) layouts. Includes separate living areas, dedicated dining spaces, and microwave-equipped pantries.
Pororo Themed Suites 76 sq. m. | Perfect for families with kids. Themed entirely around the popular Korean animation, featuring interactive playroom living spaces with mini-slides, ball pits, and colorful character murals.
Pool Villa & Jacuzzi Villa 80.5 sq. m. | Maximum privacy in a standalone setting. Tucked away in a tranquil zone of the resort, offering either a personal outdoor plunge pool or a premium outdoor Jacuzzi, complete with romantic four-poster beds.
