GAP Plaza Hotel

It’s right in the heart of the City of Balanga, handy for restaurants and getting around to explore. The hotel is pretty basic if all you need is a place to stay, and it’s clean. The internet was so slow, though, that I had to rely on my mobile data the whole time. Thank God, Smart signal was strong.

The room was clean and good, the food was fair and neat, and the customer service was nice. I gave it 3 stars because one man on the evening shift was very rude and didn’t even greet us. We politely asked for the plug-in power card because we’d left it with the previous shift. Old dude on the night shift, I don’t know who you are, but please be polite to customers.

The bed was a bit too firm for me, and the sheets had more holes than Swiss cheese. Whoever made up the room put napkins underneath to cover them, but when I took the sheets off, napkins were everywhere. The body wash in the shower was watered down, and there were no face cloths, so luckily I’d brought my own. The bathroom door had swollen in the humidity and stuck so badly that two people had to kick it before I could get out. It needs to be planed. To me, this shows nobody checks the rooms properly before renting them. The AC unit was dirty and unserviced. A little soap and water would help it look cleaner. Parking is horrible, as other reviews have mentioned. It’s shared with the restaurant, and there are motorcycles displayed inside the lobby. The room itself was quite nice, though the hotel sits on a busy street. Breakfast was good, but I wish they offered some kind of juice and freshly brewed coffee instead of instant. The internet kept dropping, so I had to log in many times. The front desk lady last night had the personality of a signpost, and maybe this isn’t the right career for her. When I came in, she didn’t acknowledge me or say welcome or good evening. You have to speak first.

We like eating out, and the location worked well for my wife and me, with lots of places to dine within a reasonable walk. Breakfast was good, and hot water was always available. Still, I’d only stay again if the room price were discounted or I had no other choice. They didn’t give us the room or large bed I requested, but put us in two single beds even though they knew we were a couple. They didn’t check ID against the reservation either, just asked for a name. It felt like a cheap motel where someone could walk in at 1 a.m. after partying and getting wasted, only wanting a place to crash. Employees need more training. I can’t recommend this hotel to anyone.