Hotel Areca — Hotel in Legazpi

I recently had the pleasure of staying at Hotel Areca in Legazpi City with my family for 9 nights, and it was truly a good experience. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with genuine smiles and exceptional hospitality. There is no elevator in the hotel, but the staff will always assist you with the baggage and carry heavy stuff that you might be having. All of the staff were consistently polite and attentive in order to ensure our comfort.

The location of Hotel Areca is very convenient, right in the heart of Legazpi City. Most of the places are just a short walk or drive away. Everything felt easily accessible, which made getting around quite simple. Just a heads-up: the traffic in the area can get a bit hectic at times, but it’s manageable and to be expected in a busy city center.

We stayed in one of the family rooms, which offered ample space for all of us to relax comfortably (some regular rooms might be small for you). That said, we did notice that some of the fixtures, particularly in the bathroom, appeared a bit worn and could use some updating. While this didn’t significantly affect our stay, a little refurbishment would definitely elevate the overall experience. Nonetheless, the cleanliness and the consistent attentiveness of the staff made up for it.

One of the highlights of our stay was dining at Restaurant Sol, located within the hotel. The food was delicious, thoughtfully prepared, and beautifully presented. Whether it was a lunch or dinner, every meal was a delight, and the service at the restaurant was just as impressive as the food and their exceptional cocktails (the negroni is amazing). It is on a higher scale regarding prices, but it is definitely worth it and by far our favorite restaurant in Legazpi City.

There were a few minor hiccups during our stay. My friends had to wait for their exact time for early check in, although the rooms were ready. In addition, we didn’t really like the breakfast as pretty much all the options for both, food and beverage, are from Filipino cuisine (quite heavy breakfast for the most of Western cultures). However, all the issues that we have addressed were handled with such grace and professionalism that it hardly mattered. The hospitality and positive attitude of the staff truly made all the difference, and any small issues quickly faded in comparison to the overall wonderful experience.

We’re grateful for the warm welcome and thoughtful service, and we wouldn’t hesitate to stay at Hotel Areca again on our next visit to Legazpi City. Highly...

Stayed here overnight on business. I had no problem with my previous hotel but wanted to try out other accommodations. The hotel is walking distance to the Provincial Capitol and City Hall and there are a number of reputable dining establishments in the area. One qualm I have with the location is that it's not near to any shopping malls (unless you really enjoy walking under the sun).

The layout of the hotel is unusual in that there is a central driveway splitting what would be the main building and annex. This provides a few parking slots within the property and, thus, safer for those bringing a car.

The hotel seems quite new and is tastefully finished from the lobby, dining, and rooms. You should not that there does not seem to be an elevator (but there are a few ground level rooms). I suggest also being mindful about the type of room you book since there are rooms that do not have windows. There are a range of rooms so just be sure to double check before booking.

The room I got was so-so. Not large nor terribly small. There was a small closet. On the negative side the shower had no curtain and there was a lack of outlets on the desk in front of the TV. I had to unplug the TV or the satellite box to plug in my laptop. I'm not sure if an extension cord can be borrowed from the front desk. Wifi internet was slow at times (despite having a router inside the room) and cell reception was poor in my room (probably owing to the lack of windows). No slippers are provided in the room.

The breakfast buffet was okay. Highlights for me are the arroz caldo...

Very bad price-value-ratio. I‘ve been traveling through Asia for 8 months now and this was one of the most expensive hotels I‘ve ever had in that time. I‘ve expected a lot after getting a welcome drink & seeing the reception such as the excellent google reviews. But what I got was a hotel without an escalator, a superior room without window, no drinking water in the room, a cold shower & a very very poor breakfast. I’ve ordered some drinking water twice and still didn’t get some. Only when I went downstairs the third(!) time and ordered some water did it finally come. Breakfast was the saddest breakfast I have seen in a long time. Firstly, it was cold, secondly, it was almost empty (at 9am) and thirdly, there was almost no choice. The breakfast was supposed to be open until 10am, but nothing was refilled at 9am, after almost everything was gone. At 9:30 the hotel staff started cleaning up. The staff is very nice, but you can expect much more from the service itself at this price. What annoyed me most was that all the food was absolutely cold. Unfortunately, I was not satisfied and therefore cannot give more than 2 stars. I hope the hotel is working on the problems - otherwise I can only...