Its very name suggests youthfulness, but the lyf brand of experience-led social living accommodations under the Ascott Ltd.’s line of serviced apartments appeals to both the young and the young-at-heart. The good news is, lyf can now be found in two locations in the Philippines four years after its global launch in Singapore in 2019. There’s lyf Malate in Manila, which opened in 2023 and, then there’s lyf Cebu City that started operations just last January in time for the Sinulog Festival.

A recent invitation to check out lyf Cebu City proved to be an exciting introduction to the ever-expanding definition of co-living set-up for those who travel either for leisure or business and those who just need a place to stay for the night, a week or even some months.

The discovery starts by stepping inside the property located at the Tower 3 of Baseline Center. The overall marine theme of the interiors’ design is hard to miss, starting with the butanding mural and the artwork using upcycled materials by Leeroy New, a contemporary fine artist based in Manila. There’s a burst of color in practically every corner that doesn’t fail to put the guest in a good mood, if not full of youthful energy.

Then there are the cleverly named room types: One of a Kind for the studio, Side by Side for the twin bedroom and All Together for both the two-bedroom and four-bedroom units. The theme spills over outside the rooms, such as Connect (coworking space and communal lounge) and Nook (private working spaces). This goes all the way to the amenities: Bond (social kitchen), Wash and Hang (social launderette), Burn (social gym) and Dip (swimming pool), which is a unique feature because all other lyf locations don’t have it.

Enhancing the vibrant environment in lyf Cebu City is its Crew, whose members have a ready smile and assistance. Residence manager Rey Vergel Mulat leads the pack as lyf Champion. He works side by side with his multitasking staff, thus the monicker lyf Guards, plus Ambassador of Buzz Kaylae Astrida. As an AOB, she’s tasked to create excitement and fun for guests’ extra enjoyable stay in the property.

So, this is experience-led social living because, as explained by Ascott Ltd.’s director of Communications Eunice Lodripas to DAILY TRIBUNE, guests can get to interact with the other guests. They can even play board games together and start a videoke session in specific social spaces. Now, that makes for a really youthful vibe.