Newdawn Hotel Plus — Hotel in Cagayan de Oro

Edit Sep 8, 2022: Dropping my rating due to issues regarding the included breakfast and issues with long-term stays.

Breakfast: Originally, I tried to be open minded and forgiving about limited food options, limited quantities of what they did offer, cold food, lack of cleanliness in serving and seating area, and the fact that I have to take the slow elevator system to the front desk every morning for a breakfast ticket - but now that the quality is down to 0% I am fed up. Here's the story: Today: no plates, staff ignored guests that ask for plates (literally walked right by), no silverware, no clean tables. The meat options were processed luncheon meat and processed hot dog (junk foods barely fit for a child). After 5 minutes they brought out 4 plates but another family had walked in and got plates first so my friend and I had to share a plate. The garlic rice had so many bugs (insects with legs) in it that I couldn't get a cup with just rice. The only thing worth eating was the freshly cooked eggs - so today's "buffet breakfast" was eggs while sitting in the 3rd floor lobby by the elevators. I asked front desk for a manager who is in charge of breakfasts and I was informed that she (Jennifer) doesn't start until 11am. Breakfast ends at 10am so that might explain the entire situation - no one is in charge during breakfast so they all run around like chickens with their heads cut off.

Long-term Stays: I'm noticing trends like difficulty acquiring a floor towel (necessary for the open shower design, but have to ask for one daily), the same stain on my bed blanket from a week ago (do they not wash this?), nasty buildup and odors starting to become apparent throughout the restroom (shower, sink, toilet specifically), and the toilet requiring multiple flushes with every use (even to clear a small amount of urine). Despite daily HK (housekeeping) service, I feel that this is not a long-term friendly hotel.

Original Review: Nothing here is perfect here, but everything is at least tolerable/acceptable/good or quickly resolved. We are staying here for over a month and issues have been encountered with room amenities, nearby guests, complaint against us, room service, breakfast - basically everything - but everything was resolved to a mutual satisfaction in a timely manner so far. Buffet style breakfast leaves quite a bit to be desired; we weren't impressed. Very little variation in food offerings day by day and the number of times we got even slightly warm food (never hot) could be counted on one hand. The restobar on the roof was out of half the drink menu and service quality and speed was lacking but if you are persistent (and if they have what you are asking for) you will eventually get it. Some rooms are a bit further behind on maintenance/repair so you may want to ask too see the room before you 'move-in'. Terribly filthy window glass ruins the spectacular view from the 18th floor, same with windows/views from the glass elevator. Most requests require the guest to follow-up one or more times before action is taken. Overall, it's not worth the walk-in rate but if you get a good deal and are ok with poor service, quality, maintenance, etc, then this...

I booked this accommodation via Agoda. I chose it for its location and proximity to restaurants, especially Cucina Higala. I also find the room rate cheaper in Agoda than booking directly via the hotel. The hotel accepts cash and card payments. My payment is charged yo my credit card directly by Agoda. There is a breakfast buffet available, but it's not included in my room. You can pay this directly to the hotel. The buffet is located at the restaurant beside the hotel. I suggest that you check it out first before availing. There are also several hole in the wall eateries beside this hotel if you prefer simpler or cheaper food options.

The receptionists are helpful. They gave us information for the van pick-up from the hotel to the airport. Unfortunately, the van operator responded too late as they are closed during holidays. I find the taxi fare and van pick-up almost similar. It would be cheaper and faster to use the taxi if you are at least three in a group.

There is a restaurant for other meals (lunch, dinner, etc). There is also a rooftop bar at night. They serve cocktails.

The hotel provides free bottled water for overnight stays. There is no water heater to make coffee, nor is there free coffee provided. The bed and sheets are comfortable. The pillow is a little too soft for my preference. There is an open cabinet for your stuff, but they forgot to put hangers. I had to request for those. The utilities automatically turn on when you enter your key card, and they place the switches for them beside the table. This makes turning off lights, tv, etc, so convenient. The running water in the faucets, shower, and bidet is connected to a centralised heater. These are the reasons why the hotel room has a high score for me.

The hotel appears secure. There is a security guard on the ground floor all the time. Sunrise and sunset on our room were amazing. If you have the opportunity to witness those, you'll probably enjoy the view.

The WiFi is reliable and mostly consistent. The TV is your basic cable TV.

It can be quite loud at night due to the bars around it, but the noise...

Updated Review:

This is the third time I have checked in. The first time I went there was three months after their opening. It was nice and neat. The second time, I was extremely disappointed. I had doubts about the security of the room when we changed rooms because the initial room assigned was not prepared. The front desk just tapped into a machine and changed the number on the keycard by putting a piece of scotch tape with the keycard number on a small piece of paper. There was a cleaner cleaning the room, and towels were on the floor. The front desk staff forgot to ask for my payment, but I reminded her. Even the buffet was limited, and I didn't have a proper breakfast despite waking up at 7 AM. I was so disappointed that when we came back to Cagayan de Oro, I looked for another hotel to stay in but decided to give this hotel a third chance and stayed there again recently.

When I went to the front desk, instead of seeing one person assigned, I saw several staff accommodating customers. I went into the room and was glad that it was already clean and prepared. I stayed in the superior room, which has an additional table and chairs and a fridge. The buffet now had lots of food. The keycard now has a fixed room number on it. Maybe the downside is that the bathroom smell is kinda nasty but bearable; it needs deodorizing and an investigation into why the exhaust is not working well. The internet is fast; however, when it is peak time, the internet slows down, so it needs upgrading. Also, please change your internet password. I've been there three times, and the password hasn't changed. The service is now quick and accommodating.

Overall, I was satisfied compared to my second visit. I also think that due to my previous comments and voicing my concerns last time, they listened and improved. I would definitely come back for the fourth time to see if they have improved more or worsen. But i hope it'll...