SKYLIGHT APARTELLE

As soon as we arrived at the Skylight Apartelle, one of the staff gave us immediately a free welcome drink (mango juice). I like the apartelle, it's located in the heart of the city and close to everything. What's more, it provides a friendly and relaxing atmosphere with affordable rates in a perfect location.

the lobby and front desk
the hallway

Since we made an early reservation, we had a fast check-in and we were taken up right to our room (Standard Twin: Php1,200.00 / night). I wasn't really expecting too much about the room because of the low price. But I was totally bowled over by seeing the simplicity of the fully air-conditioned room. It was nice, roomy and clean. The beds were simple but comfortable.

kitchenette
the bathroom

It had a 14" cable TV, telephone (NDD/IDD), an individual kitchenette, and a bathroom with hot and cold shower that worked great. There is also a doorway opening onto a private porch at the back of our room, but there was really nothing much to see there.

Breakfast was not included in the price. This was not clear to me when I reserved. But nevertheless, we tried to order room service breakfast on our third day and they promptly accommodated us. We had Filipino meal Php100.00 (choices of tapa, tocino or longganisa), and American breakfast Php120.00, (choices of ham hotdog, bacon or corned beef). Both set meals served with coffee, choco or tea. The food weren't the best I've ever had but it was just okay.

American Breakfast
served with bread and butter/jam, corned beef , egg and banana
Filipino Breakfast
served with fried rice, tapa, egg and banana

The hotel has a nice restaurant located on the ground floor with wifi hotspot internet connection.They also provide banquet and meeting facilities, car rental and tour assistance.


Overall, I would recommend this hotel, the room was more than adequate for our stay. It was definitely worth the money.


Business Address:
Skylight Apartelle
210-A Rizal Avenue,
Puerto Princesa City 5300,
Palawan, Philippines
Tel: (+6348) 434-7176 & 434-7886 or 433-4596
Fax: (+6348) 434-7886
Celfone: (+63929) 223-0924
E-mail: info@skylightapartelle.com


Related Links:
About Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Balinsasayaw Chicken Grill and Restaurant
Ka Lui Restaurant

Cebu Northwinds Hotel

We stayed at Cebu Northwinds Hotel, a good budget hotel in a good location, very safe and convenient. The hotel is suitable for budget conscious travelers. It is ideally located just a stone's throw away from the great restaurants namely Golden Cowrie and Chika-an sa Cebu.

(front desk)

We stayed at the De Luxe Room, which was a little bit small but large enough to fit a double bed and a single bed and its facilities. It had adequate air-conditioning; the cable TV remains uninterrupted and it had a decent hot and cold shower. It was pretty clean and tidy, but our view from the hotel window was disappointing since it was practically blocked by a school building (you can virtually see what's happening inside the classrooms). The room needs to be refurnished, as our beds had a semi-sagging mattresses and the bathroom was already outdated. Not really 100% soundproofed, sometimes you'll hear passerby talking outside the room, but for a price of Php 1,400.00 a night, what can you ask for.

(De Luxe Room)
(the bathroom)

(hallway)
(the view from the hotel hallway)

There are few frills here, no breakfast meal is included (but they do have meal services, either you do order room service or you may just visit Diezza Coffee Shop and Restaurant located at the ground floor of the hotel), no swimming pool, no lobby bar and no foyer for guests. I recommend that you either arrive here on time or come a little late. But if you get here early, you can easily leave your personal belongings at the front desk.

(The Cebu Northwinds Hotel at night)

The Cebu Northwinds Hotel is located along the road. Transportation is a breeze as taxis are most of the time readily available at the hotel, while lots of public utility jeepneys passes by and ply the routes from almost every area. Overall, it was a decent value for money and we would definitely consider going back, and eat out at the nearby restaurants.

One piece of advice though... please book early as these rooms sell out quickly.


Rooms Promo Rate: (2007)
Standard - Php 1,288.00 net
De Luxe - Php 1,400.00 net
Executive - Php 1,512.00 net
Superior - Php 1,624.00 net
Ambassador - Php 1,736.00 net
Presidential - Php 1,848.00 net
Extra Bed - Php 350.00 net


Address: Cebu Northwinds Hotel
Salinas Drive, Lahug,
Cebu City, Philippines
Tel#: (6332) 233-0311 / 0312
Fax #: (6332) 232-5507

Waterfront Airport Hotel & Casino Mactan Hotel

Waterfront Airport Hotel & Casino Mactan Hotel is near to the airport terminal. This five-star hotel offers a wide array of facilities for dining, business and pleasure, including a 24-hour international standard casino.

Rooms
Boasting 164 air-conditioned rooms that range from delightful poolside rooms to grand suites, the Waterfront has all the accommodation options you would expect from a grand hotel.

Restaurant
Good food is a tribute to those who have a passion for good life. You can enjoy superb savoury specialties, bold flavours, season-inspired menu and signature entrees that make an excellent dining experience at the Waterfront. Guests can also relax at the lobby lounge with their favourite cocktails, wines, fresh juices and delectable snacks.

General
The conference centre consists of 6 function rooms that can cater to various types of meetings, seminars or conferences. Enjoy a soothing massage after a day's work and plunge into the jacuzzi for a relaxing night. You can also take a bracing dip at the swimming pool or enjoy a refreshing drink at the Pool Aquarius Bar.

(Aquarius Pool)

Address:
Waterfront Airport Hotel & Casino Mactan Hotel
1 Airport Road Lapu-Lapu City,
Mactan Island, Cebu Philippines

(source: hotel club)

Island Cove Overview and Getting There

Island Cove Resort and Leisure Park in Cavite is the nearest island resort destination south of Metro Manila, Philippines. A sprawling 12-hectare island sanctuary offers, hotel, veranda and duplex/simple cottage type accommodation and complete facilities for relaxation, recreation, entertainment and fun.

Hubby and I decided to have an overnight weekend relaxation at Island Cove. And we made a reservation first. But we had a really hard time getting in touch with them. I sent 3 messages via e-mail but no one replied. I tried to call the Makati branch but no one answered. So, we decided to make a long distance call in Cavite. And thank God, that was the time we got our confirmed reservation.

Getting There:
Taxi cab was our first priority but two cabs refused to bring us there. So, we ended up taking a mini-bus ride from Zapote to Island Cove, which was a very fortunate choice. The bus fare is P20/pax only, very cheap and it's just 15-20 minute ride.

By the time we arrived, we went directly to the Front desk to get our room key.

The promo package that we got was P3,400.00, inclusive of overnight room accommodation for two, buffet breakfast for two and a free entrance at Oceana and use of hotel pool. We had the Veranda Supreme room, which was big enough for the two of us.

The air-conditioned room with private veranda is kinda old and simple, equipped with small cable tv, telephone, mini bar, private bathroom and safety deposit box.

Our room was on the seaside but I wasn't really impressed because there was tons of garbage along the seawall.

Aside from Veranda rooms, there are also Duplex and Half-Duplex units equipped with the following: living and dining area with electric fan, air-conditioned bedrooms, cable tv, NDD/IDD telephone and refrigerator.

Simplex units have the same amenities as the Duplex cottages but with a big air-conditioned living and dining area. It's P5,800.oo on weekdays and P6,600.00 on weekends (rates as of March 2007).

Next... Island Songs KTV >>>
HOME

Part I: Bohol History & Accomodation

TAGBILARAN CITY, BOHOL PHILIPPINES
December 9-12, 2005

BOHOL HISTORY:
Created by virtue of Act 2711 of March 10, 1917, the island province of Bohol is the tenth largest island in the country. This oval-shaped province is located in the central portion of the Visayas lying between Cebu to the northwest and Leyte to the northeast. To its south is the big island of Mindanao, which is separated from Bohol by the wide Mindanao Sea. Aside from the mainland, Bohol has 61 smaller offshore islands and islets. Bohol is about 700 kilometers directly south of Manila and is about 70 kilometers southeast of Mactan Island.

The people of Bohol are said to be the descendants of the last group of inhabitants who settled in the Philippines, called Pintados (the tattooed ones). Before the Spaniards came in 1521, Boholanos already had a culture of their own, as evidenced by the artifacts dug at Mansasa, Tagbilaran, and in Dauis and Panglao, using designs associated with the Ming Dynasty (960-1279). They had already a system of writing although most materials used were perishable, like leaves and bamboo barks. They spoke a language similar to that of the nearby provinces.

The name Bohol is thought to be derived from the name of the barrio of Bo-ol, a barangay found in Tagbilaran City, which was among the first places toured by the Magellan expedition. History has it that one of the Spanish ships of Magellan (the Concepcion) was burned in this province after Magellan was killed by Lapu-Lapu in Mactan. In 1565, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi anchored in Jagna, one of the eastern municipalities of Bohol. He made a blood compact with Chiefs Sikatuna and Sigala in a small village near the present capital of the province, Tagbilaran City, signifying that they were blood brothers.

The province became a Jesuit mission in 1595. At this time, Bohol was a part of the province of Cebu and was called a residencia. It became a separate politico-military province on July 22, 1854, together with the island province of Siquijor. In 1879, there were 34 towns belonging to the province, with a total population of 253.103.

Two significant revolts that occured in Bohol were recorded during the Spanish regime: the Tamblot Uprising in 1621 led by a Babaylan (native priest), and the Dagohoy Rebellion from 1744 to 1829 led by Francisco Dagohoy, which is considered as the longest revolt recorded in the annals of Philippine history. American forces seized the province in March 17, 1900.

Bohol is the home province of the fourth President of the Republic of the Philippines, Carlos Polistico Garcia (1957-1960), who was born in the municipality of Talibon.

TAGBILARAN CITY (ORIGIN OF THE NAME):
How the city got its name is still vague to many chroniclers. Tagbilaran as a settlement is known to have dated back as early as the 15th Century known as the "Bool Kingdom".

On account of her peculiar geographic location, it has been bruited that the place was first named TINABILAN, which means "screened", as she is shielded on the southwest by Panglao Island. But tradition has it that the word "Tagbilaran" was derived from the word TAGUBILAAN, a contraction from two local dialects TAGU (to hide) and BILAAN (a Muslim marauder tribe), which means a place hidden from the pillaging Muslims. How it finally evolved into her present name TAGBILARAN must have been the work of the Spanish conquistadores.


GETTING THERE:
The four of us (Nerie, Nilo, hubby and me) decided to take the roundtrip flight of Cebu Pacific Airline as we got it cheaper than PAL. I called the Metrocentre Hotel in Tagbilaran City and made a reservation for 4 days / 3 nights stay.

The Manila-Bohol flight took us 1 hour and 15 minutes. As soon as we arrived, we saw the the Metrocentre Hotel signage for a free transport transfer. Well, the funny side was... it's only 5 minutes ride from the airport; it's very near that you can just walk if you don't have so many baggages.


MetroCentre Hotel is an 8-storey Standard Hotel, located in Tagbilaran City's financial and commercial district.

THE HOTEL ROOM:
Each guest room is equipped with individually remote controlled air-conditioning, remote controlled TV. IDD/NDD telephone facility, refrigerator, private bathroom with hot and cold shower. 220 volt electrical points, key-card security lock system, smoke and heat detectors, sprinkler system. Most rooms have two single beds (39 x 78 inches), some with double bed (54x80 inches), table and chairs.


We wanted the De Luxe Room but it was not available. They gave us the Superior B Room that can accomodate four people (double bed with two extra beds). The price was only PhP 2,250.00/room/day. Not bad at all. Inclusions are continental breakfast, bottled drinking water in the room everyday, entrance to the Atmosphere's Ballroom, disco and KTV rooms, use of the sauna and jacuzzi, gym, swimming pool and game room and rountrip transfers from the airport to hotel and vice versa.

The four of us having fun ....




















The Health club features sauna, jacuzzi, and massage treatments. They also have gym, swimming pool, table tennis and billiard table in the 7th floor of the hotel. They areopen from 6am-10am and 6pm-10pm.











The Coffee Lounge


















For Continental Breakfast, choices are coffee or tea, croissant, toasted bread or soft rolls, and fruits mango, pineapple or watermelon.


The Lobby









It was getting late after we watched the Pinoy Big Brother Finale. We were not ready to call it a night so we hit up the hotel's disco named "The Atmospheres", located at the ground floor. As soon as we were seated, we ordered a home baked pizza, vodka cruiser blue be, frothy orange smooth and cali. I was the only one who didn't ordered a drink because I brought my own mineral water. The waiter might thought that I'm a tightward person, but hey what the heck! Plus it was too dark, nobody would see me. And I was a little bored and sleepy at that time; we went there around 12:00 am already. But our friend Nilo was still in high spirit, he danced enthusiastically in his inimitable style on the dance floor by himself. People might thought he was nuts. hahaha...

They actually played some decent music and also had live band. but I was just a little disappointed with the crowd. You can see some people who were just wearing slippers and shorts. Duh! It says, "Slippers, shorts etc. are not allowed" or at least wear a proper attire. How come? The management should be stricter with the rules. Just a suggestion.












ADDRESS:
The MetroCentre Hotel and Convention Center
Pres. Carlos P. Garcia Avenue,
Tagbilaran City, Bohol
Philippines, 6300
Tel No. (6338) 411-2599
E-Mail: metroctr@mozcom.com