Newtown Plaza Hotel

This was meant to be a relaxing Golden Anniversary staycation for my parents, but it turned stressful and uncomfortable. I had prepaid two days ahead for two Deluxe Rooms with Mountain View, specifically so my senior parents could enjoy their milestone. Instead, they were put in a Standard Room with Residential View, with no mountain view at all. I wasn't told about the change or asked to agree to it. The room had no bedside lights or lamp, so my parents had to leave the bathroom light on all night. My mother can't sleep with lights on, and she lost sleep. We reached the hotel around 1:10 PM. At the front desk, Phoebe told me check-in was at 2:00 PM. I accepted that and asked if we could finish the paperwork ahead of time, or fill out a form, so the keycards could be handed over at 2:00. She repeated the check-in time several times, and only gave me the registration form after I asked specifically. When I came back at 2:00, the rooms weren't ready. I asked if at least one could be released because we'd booked two rooms and my 75-year-old mother was unwell. Phoebe checked and said one room was on the 6th floor and the other on the 7th. I agreed because of my mother's condition, but wasn't told the 6th-floor room wasn't the type I'd paid for. We later found out we'd been downgraded without explanation or consent. I called the front desk to check the room type. Staff confirmed it was a Standard Room, apologized, and said they couldn't move my parents because the hotel was “fully booked.” They said they'd escalate it to a supervisor, but nothing came of that. I appreciate that Ms. Phoebe did find a room that was technically available, but if we'd known this “KIND GESTURE” would RUIN MY PARENTS GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY STAYCATION, we could have waited a few more minutes for the correct room. Maybe proper room allocation is too trivial for the front desk. This was extremely disappointing and unacceptable for a prepaid stay and a once-in-a-lifetime celebration. The right room should have been arranged before we arrived.

The rat in the dining area was already concerning, and we never got a clear follow-up about the sanitation issue. Later, one of our companions couldn't enter breakfast because their coupon stub was missing. Although the hotel has a record of which rooms include breakfast, staff strictly enforced “no stub, no breakfast” and asked them to pay again. When we raised it with the supervisor or manager, John Paul Babylon, we were told the policy couldn't be reconsidered. It was troubling to see such strict handling of a small paperwork issue when the serious rat incident had no clear explanation. We stayed at Newtown Plaza Hotel from January 20 to 24. Check-in was generally smooth, though the breakfast coupons weren't given then and we had to ask for them the next day. During breakfast, a large rat ran through the dining area and into the kitchen. We first thought it was a small dog because of its size. Several nearby guests saw it too. We told the staff at the buffet entrance right after breakfast and were told it would be reported. This used to be our favorite hotel, from when our children were very young until now. Whenever we visit Baguio, it has been the first place we book, and even walk-in rooms are usually available. We were very surprised and disappointed by the response from the assistant marketing staff member, whose name I believe is John Paul Baylon. I asked about Ray from the dining area and whether the rat had been caught. He said it had been caught because they put traps in the kitchen. I asked if they had a photo to show it had been caught and reassure us that the kitchen was clean and safe, but he said there was no photo. 😔 We hope management reviews both its sanitation and guest service policies. Most likely, we won't return.

The hotel's in a convenient spot near the Botanical Garden, Wright Park, and The Mansion. SM and The Marketplace are a few minutes away by car, though the traffic on this side of Baguio is awful. The Wi-Fi worked smoothly. Would I come back? I'm not sure. We were on the 7th floor, and it felt like the kitchen was just one floor below us. We could smell the food, smoke, and cooking aromas. The bedrooms are large, but old and gloomy looking, with deep, obvious gaps between the tiles. White grout might make the room look cleaner and brighter. The bathroom was somewhat clean, though it gave me a communal-use vibe. The food was okay, neither particularly good nor bad. There didn't seem to be enough staff to clear tables or help in the dining area, and waitstaff only started arriving 30 minutes after 6:30am. Breakfast stubs were issued daily, so you had to sign a paper and get another one if needed, which wasted time. You also have to wear a wristband to enter the dining hall. Front desk service felt a bit indifferent and lax. We arrived around 12pm and were told to wait until 2, but the room still wasn't ready, so we got our key at 2:15pm. We were given just one key card, and the male receptionist strongly refused when I asked for another. He was friendly, but so serious about saying no that it felt like asking for a little extra comfort was a sin, almost like being in a military setting. The hotel needs an overhaul.

We had no bellboy or concierge when we arrived, so we had to haul all our heavy bags through the lobby and to the room ourselves. The poor service continued: front desk staff seemed indifferent at both check-in and check-out, barely acknowledging us and giving very little information. Even simple requests for extra pillows and water were either forgotten or took up to an hour, with no explanation. It felt like we were bothering the staff just by being guests. The hotel seemed unconcerned with basic hospitality. If you need luggage help, support, or even a prompt response, I'd strongly recommend booking somewhere else.