Golden Gate Suites — Hotel in Dumaguete

The title sums up the only good thing about this hotel. Have you heard that expression "the camera never lies"..?? Well it does in the case of this hotel. The photos of the hotel are very complimentary to say the least. ||||The entrance is through an alleyway nestled between a convenience store and a beauty salon ||||The rooms are quite small. I was first given a double room with the aircon 2 feet from my bed, blasting my head with air colder than an antartic blizzard. I complained and was given a twin room with a better positioned aircon unit. It was still very noisy though. I started itching during the first night. Next day I told reception and they got housekeeping to fumigate my room whilst I was out. The toilet flush was absolutely useless. It only let out about 50 ml per flush. There's a Phillpines wide advisory of not flushing tissues down the toilet, you're supposed to lob used tissues into the adjacent bin. Absolutely disgusting and smelly practice. Anyway, by now I'd given up complaining and decided to enjoy my holiday in the city. There's no hotel restaurant, just a 24/7 shop in the entrance called 7Eleven. Here you can buy hot and cold drinks, snacks etc. Some tables & benches also there. The alleyway mentioned above has an unusual alternative use. From lunchtime till late evening it becomes a "sitting down massage area". The masseuse/masseurs are all blind. I had a massage from them once. It's very humbling to see them working and also very empowering for them too I'm sure. God bless them all.||||Thanks to the cheap but very noisy and polluting tricycles, you can get to anyway in Dumaguete for max 20 pesos. The airport from the hotel is 120 though.||||It depends what you're after really. If you're a young backpacking hostel sharing bohemian type, then this hotel would feel salubrious to you. But if you're an older more discerning traveller who likes some home cimforts, then I'd advise you to...

I stayed in the “Suite” last month (August 2018) visiting from the USA. The Suite had a couch, mini fridge, and kitchenette (cabinets, microwave, sink, toaster oven). The shower door was broken and overall the room could have been cleaner. The shower door did not slide at all so you had to shower with the door completely open and the bathroom floor got wet. Hand soap bars are provided but no shampoo/conditioner. The room didn’t have any windows. We didn’t use the kitchenette because we couldn’t tell if it was clean. The couch wasn’t. Every table and countertop had small bugs everywhere. We didn’t have housekeeping visit our room because it was clear they don’t thoroughly clean anyway. We just picked up towels from the front desk when we needed them. It had good air conditioning, flush toilets, and the necessities. If you have mobility issues there are only stairs. We stayed on the 2nd floor but it seemed like there are only 3 floors. The staff are very willing to help you carry luggage up and down the stairs. Front desk staff was nice. We only stayed there because the other hotel we wanted wasn’t available. My family stayed in Essencia Hotel down the street which is similarly priced and I saw their rooms were newer, much cleaner, and they have a good restaurant in the lobby. Golden Gate Suites’ website advertises a viewing deck on the roof top, but while we were there it wasn’t mentioned or advertised. Wifi password is free and has decent connection. I would look for a different hotel next time I’m...

I immediately booked Golden Gate Suites the moment I read the great reviews through Agoda— no regrets as I enjoyed every single night of our stay there.||Pros (+)||- Value for money. Still couldn’t believe this is a budget hotel. For a room less than Php 1000 (approx $20), you get to have a comfy double bed, clean sheets, spacious room/ bathroom, a/cs in good condition, cable tv, basic toiletries, regular housekeeping (request basis), free drinking water, warm, knowledgeable & helpful hotel staff from the receptionists, security guard, every staff. We were able to borrow an umbrella since it was raining when we visited.|- Place is near the boulevard (where most of the restaurants are located) but not walking distance- near. You would still need to ride a tricycle that costs a dime (Php 10/ride route per person) |- I’d say the hotel is strategically located since there’s a convenient store (7/11), coffee shop, massage facilitated by the blinds, a spa/massage parlor at the ground. A fast food (Mang Inasal) & a rural bank (atm) in front. The public market where budbud & sikwate could be bought is a few steps away from the hotel.||Cons (-)||- I really couldn’t think of any downside considering the cost of the accommodation but a bidet or a dipper could have improved our experience (locals are not used to tissue papers when doing #2) |- As much as possible, request for a room at the 2F since they don’t have elevators||Verdict: Excellent budget hotel. Don’t think...