SEARCA Residence Hotel - For Transients in UPLB

We just came back today from the University of the Philippines Los Banos Campus. Ikee had 2 interviews there and I was the chaperon. The interviews were on a first come first served basis and we wanted to be sure that she had an opportunity to be interviewed so we opted to stay nearby.

Prior to the trip, I searched for where to stay and found out that the most recommendable accommodation was that of the SEARCA Hotel. I reserved for a double room which I was told was the last one remaining for the period I needed it. However, a few days after I called them, they called me only to say that there was a problem in the room and that they would try to fix it. Another call was made and I was told that they could not fix the room in time for our arrival but that they have already reserved a room for us at the SEARCA Guest house. How nice of them.

When we got to UPLB, though, I opted to stay at the Residence Hotel instead because it is nearer to the places we needed to go to. It is conveniently located at Duhat Street about 100 meters from the men's dorm. We were given an economy room which is rather spacious but didn't have its own toilet and bath. The T&B was shared among 4 rooms. We were fortunate that there was only 1 other room occupied apart from ours.



The hotel is rather small. It only has 16 deluxe rooms and a few more of the economy room. It caters mostly to the visitors of SEARCA but they extend this facility to those who need to stay in UP for a few days. Its other facilities are the guest house and the Apartments although I was told that the latter caters only to those from the graduate school.

Our room was spacious. It had two beds - one double and one single. The furnishings are rather old but everything was clean. My impression is that they really cater to those guests who have bulky stuff like books and other educational tools. The room has wi-fi unfortunately we didn't bring a laptop.

There's a small cafe at the hotel. They serve local dishes and some snack but it is best to have some snack bought outside the hotel in case you get hungry and there's no food left to order. So far, the meals that we ordered from them were cheap and delicious. There 's small television, 2 huge cabinets, 2 big tables with a small lamp shade. The accommodation was rather basic but ample.



The one thing that I think needed attention are the bugs. Nope, they're not roaches nor ants even. Those critters were the type that you find on plants. SEARCA is surrounded by trees and other foliage where the bugs might have come from. I did give this feedback to the manager so they could address it. Despite that, I still would go back to stay with them.

If you're interested to contact them, their website is at http://www.searca.org/web/facilities/tariff/.

Regine Suites - A Classy Accommodation at an Affordable Price

Right at the corner of Makati Avenue and Kalayaan Streets is Regine's Suites. It's a clean and cozy inn, with a room that costs 1,700 php per night. I had heard of this place before but hadn't gone there till tonight. My cousin who's visiting from Cebu stayed there with her husband. The only reason that I went into the hotel was because I had to use the powder room. It was raining and the car's temp was so low that my bladder was full in just a short, 30-minute drive from Banapple in Katipunan where we had some coffee and dessert.

The hotel is beside North Park Restaurant which serves tasty Chinese dishes. It is a short walk to several other food establishments, is about 5 minutes ride by public transpo (jeep) to the ayala commercial center, has easy access to most banks and other restaurants. It is very near the Power plant mall too. The room has the basics - a queen bed, airconditioning, hot and cold shower, t&B, a ref, tv, blow dryer.

The only thing that I didn't like is the location - it is set right in the red light district of Makati and the area is polluted from all the cars that converge there. What's more is that it seemed to be dark where the hotel is except for the lights emanating from the vehicles that over-populate the street. If I remember right, it used to have flood in that place when the rainy season came. However, I didn't find any puddle of water tonight though. The city government may have been able to address that already.

The verdict: The Regine's Suites in Kalayaan Avenue Corner Makati Avenue is a place where families, businessmen and other people on a budget can stay if they don't mind being in the middle of a red light district. For inquiries, call them at +63 (2) 897-3888.

Hostels and Budget Hotels in Hong Kong

After asking friends and researching over the internet, I've found that most of the hostels and budget hotels in Hong Kong have very small sizes. Also, that these places mostly do not have towels for their clients to use. Well, for hostels that could be forgiven. But for hotels? How do they manage to get a 1 or 2 star rating?

Another thing is that most accommodations in Hong Kong cannot give a price for a reservation that's made more than 60 days of the check in date. That's because they would like to charge higher rates during the peak season.

To address these concerns, it is necessary to:
1. Check out the room first. Some places have crawling creatures or smell like smoke even when it's supposed to be a non-smoking room.
2. book a large room - if there are 3 of you travelling, then you should probably get a room that's good for 4. That's to assure you that you'd have space for your luggage.
3. Bring a towel or buy one in HK.
4. Reserve with an online travel agency that can get the desired date for you. I've heard that Hotelclubs.com, hotels.com, ratestogo.com, asiarooms.com, asiatravel.com, expedia.com, booking.com, cheaperthanhotels.com, hostelworld.com, tripadvisor.com and travelocity are some of the more reliable sites.
5. Just for added security, it would be best to pay through paypal if the travel agency or hotel will accept it.

Keep safe and happy travelling!