When I was searching for Cebu hotels, there were a lot to choose from. It took me a while to settle on Palazzo Pensionne located in 49 Sepulveda St., Brgy. Zapatera, Cebu City. I picked it mainly because it has high reviews and ranked #2 of 39 Cebu City B&B and Inns in TripAdvisor.com. It also has an 88.7% rating in Hostelbookers.com. At first sight, it isn't much to look at, but the inside was okay. I'm a budget traveler, so I don't really expect first class accommodations.
My friend booked a Standard Triple Room for 3 nights through Hostelbookers. The cost of the room was P1,750/night. Divide that amount by 3, and we paid about P583/night each. There was an error in our booking at first, they charged us for a Standard double instead of a standard Triple. So we just paid the balance when we checked out.
The reviews online were pretty much correct, the place is relatively clean but a little run down. The reception area was very small, and there's a small restaurant downstairs. When we entered our room, the 3rd bed wasn't even made yet. The guard was very courteous, helping us with our bags and calling a cab for us whenever we needed one.
We had TV in our room, air conditioning, the basic comforts you can expect from a budget hotel. The negatives: There was no Safety Deposit Box. I was actually counting on this because I had my laptop with me so I wanted a safe place to hide it when our room was being cleaned. You can never be too sure and it's better safe than sorry, right? But there was none, only one cabinet and a closet with no lock. For that reason, we didn't let housekeeping into our room. Only on the last day did we leave our room key at the reception, expecting our room to be cleaned when we get back from our day tour. When we got back at around 2pm, the room wasn't cleaned yet. The bathroom was dirty, the floors were dirty, the bed linens were not changed and toiletries were not replenished. We asked them why the room wasn't cleaned yet, they told us that there was only one cleaner at the time and he wasn't finished with the other rooms yet.
It would have been okay for me, but since I had foreign guests, I kinda wanted them to at least have a nice experience of the place. Oh well, another negative for me was the aircon. It was a bit loud and it kept waking me at various times in the night.
On the other hand, the location was good, very near city proper. If it's your first time, it's a bit hard to locate, you need a taxi who knows the place, so you won't get lost. They also have a map available in their website if you're not sure. This hotel requires 2 nights minimum stay. Check in time: 1pm.
Wifi in our room was good, no problems there. Wake up call was prompt. Breakfast was included in the room price, but it was served only from 6:30am to 10:30am. So the two mornings that we requested early breakfast (4am and 5am) we were only given 3 bread toasts with jam and butter, plus a choice between hot choco or coffee. Only on our 3rd morning did we enjoy some real breakfast because we woke up late (which was why I missed my flight!) I chose the meal with Tocino, bread toast and egg.
Apart from some minor issues, overall, it was a comfortable stay at Palazzo Pensionne. It's also good that they didn't eat the pasalubong that I left in the room. LOL.
Hotel Facilities:
Free wifi in room: YES
Free towels: YES
Free shampoo and soap: YES
Free breakfast: YES
Hot/Cold shower: YES
Air conditioning in rooms: YES
24 Hour Reception: YES
Safety Deposit Box: NO
Minibar in each room: NO
Telephone In Each Room: YES
Wake Up Call Available: YES
Palazzo Pensionne
49 Sepulveda Street, Cebu City 6000, Philippines
WEBSITE: http://www.palazzopensionne.net/
E-MAIL: reserve@palazzopensionne.net OR palazzo_pensionne@hotmail.com
PHONE: +63 (32) 255-0105 and 412-5551
FAX: +63 (32) 412-5552
INFO-TEXT NO: 0917-3208752
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