La Guardia Hotel — Hotel in Cebu City

Well, just like the rest of the people here, I was a bit hesitant at first to stay in this hotel. When I arrived at the hotel from the airport around 3:00 in the morning, what gave me the chills was the surrounding area of the hotel. To people who are used to city living, since the hotel is located downtown near the oldest street in the Philippines, this place may not suit you well. ||||But since I had this budget traveler in me, I still went on to check in. And to my surprise, it wasn't as I was expecting. They gave me room 1413, a BIG ROOM on the fourth floor (by the way, the hotel has three big floors with i think has at least 20 rooms per floor, just a guess). For P600 per night, I wasn't expecting that big of a room considering it wasn't even a starred hotel, I think. It was also a good thing that they allow you to check in after 4:30AM without additional charges, so I was on my bed at 5:00AM but since I got too excited, I slept about 9AM.. heehee. ||||The hotel lobby is situated on the second floor of the building. Floors 3, 4 and 5 are where the rooms are located. They have a very small elevator which can carry at most six to seven people. The hallways going to my room are clean as well. ||||About the room I got, it was about 25 to 28 square meters, with toilet bath and sink (before i arrived I was thinking the shower would be above the toilet, but it wasn't. For P600 per room which is good for two people already, this is a steal. Too bad i was traveling alone so I had to pay the whole amount. And since it was a room good for two, I got two sets of towels, soap, shampoo and tissue paper everyday. Room cleaning is done everyday as well even when you're not around. But you may also request room cleaning done only if you're present. ||||And another thing I was surprised about is that each room is accessed by key cards. I was expecting an ordinary key but seems like they are also at par with technology when it comes to doors. And since my room was at the back end of the hotel and not fronting the streets, I got a very good sleep every night. Remember the room 1413.. haha. But sadly, wi-fi can't reach my room so I had to go to the lobby just to surf the net. But good thing I bought my on pocket wifi. Sun Broadband Pocket Wifi has a strong signal in my room since I'm on the fourth floor.||||As far as location is concerned, there are surrounding malls, though not that extravagant, but will do for people like me. You won't get hungry since KFC, McDonald's and Jollibee are everywhere, aside from the street food stalls if you're into it. Supermarkets, drugstores and 7-11s are also just stones away, just don't travel at night alone carrying any shoulder bags coz that place is known for petty thieves, so i heard.||||The hotel is just a ride away to Crown Regency Hotel, SM City Cebu and the Ayala Center. You can just walk to the churches, Magellan's Cross and Fort San Pedro (which I find boring, it took me just 10 minutes to roam around the fort and I went out already).||||Going to the other islands would also be easy since the piers are not that far away. For a brisk walker like me, I could probably get there in about 20 to 30 mins, but you can also just take a ride across the hotel for just P8.00, which is generally the amount of a single jeep...

As said by one of the guests before, they will never give you the ₱550 room. They’ll say that only the ones costing ₱600 are available. Though I’m not really sure since for the two times I’ve come there, I’d always come around midnight. If you really just want to sleep in a comfortable bed, then I recommend this place. They have comforters as blanket and the bed can accommodate two persons. If you’re 6’0 feet tall though, the bed may be too small for you. You also have to deposit a refundable ₱300 during your check-in, that’s in case if there will be damages, stains on the bed, etc., left behind after your stay. Yes, they will thoroughly check the room before they issue your refund. They’ll give you a copy of the terms for the said payment, so you better read them. The room has low lights, there’s a fan and an aircon which totally can’t cool the room, a hot shower and a small non-cable TV. No internet. The glasses and pitcher provided that you can see on the photos are dusty. And for the two times I’ve stayed there, yes, I’ve seen dead cockroaches. If this is a big deal for you, then never consider this place. There are lots of hotel in Colon Area that’s why I think few guests book this hotel. Thus, fewer attention given to the rooms. Their lobby is also on a 2nd floor of their building, accessible only via staircase, and the security personnel will be inside. So if you’re alone, carrying some heavy stuffs and want some help, well… (shrugs) :). The best feature of this hotel I guess is their location. It’s in the heart of the City, McDonald’s, Jollibee, Chowking, 7/11, Metro Supermarket, Gaisano, Colonnade, and others are just within a walking distance. Cabs are...

Pros:||||- Cheap. Economy room (550 pesos per night) is excellent value, IF you can get it (rather, if the staff allows you to get it).||||- Easy jeep access to Ayala and SM.||||Cons:||||- Bait and switch. When I first arrived, I requested the economy room at 550 per night but was told that their cheapest room was 750 pesos. I left and came back later to be told that a 600 peso room was available. Later they had to move me to a 550 peso room because of broken aircons. Classic bait and switch tactic, likely a management decision as I saw different receptionists do the same thing over the course of a week.||||- Everything was broken. The aircon in my first room didn't work, shower head mount was broken, and the toilet valve in my bathroom was leaking. I reported these but the staff didn't care.||||- Cockroaches running around everywhere. In the room, in the hallway, and in the lobby.||||- No in-room wifi, only in the lobby, and the connection was terrible.||||- Terrible area, being in downtown Colon. Not a single good meal in the area.||||Overall:||||The room was bearable but I don't think I'd stay here again and definitely wouldn't recommend...