Cebuano families were swept into a world of magic and mirth this past Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026, as the iconic Montebello Villa Hotel transformed into a sprawling paradise. Dubbed “Easter Wonderland: The Greatest Egg Hunt,” the day-long extravaganza was far more than a celebration—it was a sensory feast of play, discovery, and heartfelt connection nestled within the lush, emerald landscapes of Cebu City’s premier garden hotel.
According to Kirk Tarona, Montebello Villa Hotel, Marketing Officer, the hotel focuses on making every event experiential, which makes Montebello’s events unique and meaningful.
”Our goal has always been to create experiences that families will remember, moments that children will carry with them and one day pass on to their own families,” he said.
GIVING FAMILIES EGG-XTRA SPECIAL CORE MEMORIES
Since 2012, Montebello has been making waves as a prime venue for successful family-centered events. This year’s highlight is the introduction of the Family Camp by Children’s Paradise Montessori School designed to bring parents and children together through interactive activities in play, dance, and the arts. The program emphasized meaningful connection, offering families a chance to engage, bond, connect more deeply, and co-create memories beyond the traditional egg hunt.
“Our partnership with Children’s Paradise Montessori School came together last minute, but they pulled it off very well. This worked because we share the same vision, creating meaningful family connections and lifelong memories. We are very thankful to CPMS.,” Bienna Joy Dato-on, General Manager, Montebello Villa Hotel, said.
Dato-on noted the significance of the activities prepared by CPMS backed by experts. “With experts guiding the activities, we’ve elevated the experience. It’s not just play, it’s unique, purposeful, enriching, and very relevant,” she added.
For Marivic Bathan, President of CPMS, the collaboration served as a pilot for the school to explore; bringing their programs to a wider community.
“What makes this partnership work is alignment. We share the same values and mission: strengthening families and creating core memories through genuine, simple, and joyful experiences of play, dance, and arts. For CPMS, this was an opportunity to expand its movement for family mental well-being,” Bathan stated.
She added, “That’s the beauty of this collaboration, when we combine and complement our strengths, despite the difference in industry, we are able to co-create something innovative and impactful for the community.”
Participants found the camp grounding and calming. After all the excitement outside, children and parents were able to settle, breathe, relax, listen and validate their emotions, have a conversation while making their family poster, collaborate, and hug each other to bond like never before. This was made possible by the intentionality of the flow of activities curated by the CPMS team and experts, Rosebelle Daculan, Outdoor Adventure Education Consultant, and Rowena Suarez, Heartmath and Institute Zen Leadership Trainer-Coach.
EGG-CITING AWARDS AND PRIZES
Montebello prepared a massive egg hunt for more than 1,000 participants, dropping across its grounds over 16,000 personally painted eggs by their employees. Children and families eagerly participated, racing to collect as many eggs as possible for a chance to win special awards, including Most Number of Eggs by Individual and Most Number of Eggs by Family.
Adding more fun to the event were special contests such as the Hunt for the Golden Egg and the search for Dinosaur Eggs and Dragon Eggs, which delighted winners with unique prizes.
Parents and little fashionistas made the event grander in Zootopia Superstar Costume Contest and Fashion Show. Everyone had a delightful Easter lunch after all the adventure.
MORE FUN AND EGG-XITEMENT
Beyond the egg hunt, guests enjoyed the interactive Eggventure Quests: Play, Finish, Win Eggs & Candies, a series of engaging stations designed for all ages. Activities included the Hop Through the Carrot Patch, Egg Balance Challenge, Crawl & Discover Tunnel, Chick Obstacle Course, Egg Toss Zone, Bunny Maze, and the lively Parent-Kid Relay. Event partners Anjo World Theme Park, Virginia Food Inc., and International Pharmaceuticals Inc. added to the excitement with their interactive games and prizes.
Children also had the best time at “Easter Zootopia,” the biggest homegrown, privately-owned pets showcase. Animal lovers delighted with exhibits, including exotic species from DNO Wildlife, interactive encounters at TOPS Petting Park featuring birds, sheep, and pigs, as well as fun attractions, The Reptile King Show and The Chicken Show. Guests also visited the Aquarium & Terrarium Exhibition and the Botanical Show, while browsing premium pet accessories on display.
Montebello designed the event for the whole family; not just children. From games to bazaars and food kiosks, everyone had something to enjoy.
Its Easter Bazaar offered a curated lifestyle pop-up featuring premium thrift shops, plants and flowers, local products, and fashion accessories.
The Easter Wonderland Greatest Egg Hunt by Montebello Villa Hotel was a successful and multi-experience event. Organizers noted the enthusiastic turnout and positive feedback from attendees.