**Title: The Tragedy in Cebu--The Worst Hotel Experience I Never Want to Go Through Again**…read more
In my entire life, I've never experienced a hotel as terrible as this one. I believe that nowhere else in the world could offer such distress as this hotel did.
The nightmare began right at check-in. We had booked early, confirmed our reservation 10 days before our stay, provided copies of the IDs of all staying guests, and fully paid the total amount. But we were still made to wait over two hours in the sweltering lobby. When we complained, the front desk staff responded coldly. A staff member named Kaye arrived and said, "If you're not satisfied, just cancel! Claim your refund from the booking site you used."
We wanted to cancel, but we had already paid 600,000 yen, and we didn't know if we could get a refund from Expedia, so we had no choice but to endure.
Later, we found out from reviews that this hotel offers a full refund if you cancel within four hours after check-in. But none of the staff, not even the manager, told us this. They shut down our complaints by citing their "policy," but when the policy was unfavorable to them, they didn't mention it. We only discovered this refund policy by reading the owner's response to a complaint in a review.
We requested to add one more person to our reservation, and they readily agreed. We paid the additional fees, including for an extra bed, and finally got into the room. When we asked for the extra bed, we were kindly told, "It will arrive shortly, please just wait." But even after waiting over two hours, nothing came. When we called the front desk, we were told that an extra bed couldn't be placed in our room. They hung up as if nothing had happened. The woman who gave the information over the phone was Kaye.
After three hours, a mattress, pillow, and blanket finally arrived, but towels and toothbrushes didn't come until the third night. Because of this, we had to cancel a birthday party reserved at a restaurant, ruining the celebration.
The next day, our room wasn't cleaned because we left the card key in the slot. A small note said, "We will not clean the room if the card key is left in the slot." When we asked the front desk for help, they told us that the cleaning service for the day was already done, so we had no choice but to use the wet towels from the previous night. It would have been better if they informed us of this earlier.
When you call for a cart, even after 10 minutes, it still doesn't arrive. After a follow-up call, we were made to wait another 10-15 minutes. The cart finally arrived after 30 minutes. So if you book at this hotel and have plans, I suggest booking a cart 30 minutes in advance so your schedule won't be delayed.
Be careful when filing complaints at this hotel too! If you complain, the staff stare at you as if they're going to do something bad to you. Their glares are terrifying.
I can't fully describe the pain and sadness we experienced at this hotel. Many other guests had even worse experiences, according to the reviews we read.
I don't understand how this hotel managed to be listed as one of the "high-rated" hotels on booking sites. Our long-awaited trip to Cebu was utterly ruined by this hotel. It's sad that such a beautiful place like Cebu was tainted by a hotel like this.
I also want to share an experience we had in Boracay. Once, we booked five rooms in Boracay through a booking site. A week before our trip, I had an accident, so we had to cancel. I knew getting a refund would be difficult, but fortunately, the hotel said we could reschedule our stay. While they didn't give us a refund, they allowed us to stay at a different date when I was better. The communication with the staff was excellent, and even though I kept repeating questions out of worry, they patiently answered all my concerns politely. When it became clear that I still couldn't go, they offered to let my family stay in my place. I never expected to receive such service, especially from a hotel in the Philippines. I wanted to share this experience to highlight the stark contrast between the two hotels, even though both are in the Philippines.
I try not to compare, but the difference in service is striking. It hurts to think that I didn't pay attention to the reviews before booking in Cebu, and I can never get back the money and time spent.
In the end, not all the staff at this hotel were bad. Many were hardworking and polite. However, a few staff members and the owner's attitude, based on reviews, were enough to cause extreme disappointment.
I'm sharing this review to help you avoid similar experiences and truly enjoy your trip to Cebu.
