If you factor in where it is actually located, the Clark Marriott is a veritable oasis and probably the closest thing to a true luxury hotel anywhere in Luzon north of Manila. The service is as good as it has any reason to be, and is the single biggest reason to stay here. Nearly everyone I interacted with was driven to ensure a pleasant and positive experience and some of them went way above and beyond that. There's a cultural baseline to this level of service and it's further honed here to a fairly sharp point, which was evident in everyone from the concierge to the staff at the M Club. There were some loose ends training-wise and occasionally some less professional staff (e.g. support staff at places like the pool bar etc), but that's an exception rather than the rule, and certainly everyone I met at the manager level and above was doing an amazing job.
It should be mentioned that the staff are also working against a pretty significant disadvantage here, which is the actual infrastructure and construction of the hotel. Built in 2018, it still appears clean and modern at first glance. However, if you look closely, there are some real imperfections that keep the building itself from being world class, e.g. the water-stained surfaces near the bathtubs, the creaking and improperly-installed glass doors in the bathroom, the confusing and malfunctioning controls for the temperature and the lights, etc. But I can't hold these issues against the staff at the hotel, who are working so hard in spite of them.
A good example - and this goes back to my point about the service - is when I complained to the front desk about a few issues I was having with my Junior Suite. The water temperature was swinging pretty dramatically between hot and cold. The toilet wasn't flushing properly. And I almost couldn't get out of my room because of a stuck lock. The front desk sent an engineering crew of three men up who told me they would adjust the lock after my stay since it would require taking it apart, and they were able to fix the toilet in minutes. However they couldn't find a way to make the water temperature consistent, as helpful as they were trying to be, and even after coming back a second time. So after a couple more uncomfortable showers, I eventually went down and spoke to Angelica, the duty manager. Her solution, which she offered without me having to push at all, was to immediately upgrade me to the Presidential Suite. It's the largest suite in the hotel and surely costs at least double what I paid for the Junior Suite. Needless to say, I was extremely pleased and went on to thoroughly enjoy the rest of my stay. Problem solved.
There are some other unfortunate realities of Pampanga life that may intrude on your experience if you're unprepared for them, which again I won't hold against the hotel but thought I'd mention since you aren't insulated from them until you get well into the building and practically into the elevators: the cab drivers (every single one tried to trick me out of anywhere from a few to a few hundred pesos) have their cars checked for bombs when they enter the premises, and you are forced to walk through security every time you enter the lobby, even if you've just stepped outside for a moment. But again I assume this is not really something the hotel has much control over. There is also technically a "dress code" for the hotel but this seemed more like wishful thinking than anything else, especially as the hotel is strangely connected right to the casino next door.
I highly recommend the complimentary breakfast, as the buffet at Goji is outstanding, if nothing else then for the variety. And you can also get breakfast at the M Club if you have lounge access, which is smaller but more private.
Smoki Moto was hyped up to me as one of the best restaurants in Luzon and it was lackluster Korean food at best. But again, the service was so absolutely over-the-top in its earnestness that I had a great time. They are trying so hard up here it's incredible.
In the end the best thing about the Clark Marriott is the people. Thank you Angelica for helping me from checkout, to my upgrade when switching rooms, to the gift and note that was sent up on my last night. July at the concierge for helping me via WhatsApp to book restaurant reservations. And finally Jonaz, who is the nicest guy in the whole hotel and who made me feel like family. The staff here are friendly, warm and hard-working, and that easily balanced out any awkwardness with the accommodations. If I were going to come back to the Philippines and planned to stay anywhere for fifty miles around Pampanga, it would be at this hotel, and I would make that reservation in a heartbeat. read more