Mabolo Garden Flat by SDC

I stayed in condo 2206 twice, once before and once after my Bantayan island trip, and would happily book it again. The owners replied quickly on WhatsApp. There are restaurants, shops, and other places within walking distance. The building has 24/7 security, a parking garage, and a small lobby with a restaurant, laundry service, and convenience store. The third floor has a relaxed common area, gym, and facility room; upstairs, there's an infinity pool on the seventeenth floor with great views and a rooftop area on the twenty fourth floor with fantastic ones. My unit was small but fine for one person or a couple. It had a separate toilet room, a hot shower that could've been a little warmer, a fully equipped kitchen, keyless entry, sofa, comfortable full size bed, good Wi-Fi, AC, TV, and a tiny balcony just big enough to stand on. Recommended.

We spent our third week on the seventh floor, in a corner unit, and heard dogs barking from 3 am to 6 am. The place is convenient for an Airbnb stay, with a pool and gym. Rooms have Wi-Fi, AC, microwave, kettle, and stove; some units also have a rice cooker. Laundry costs 250 php for 10 kilos, or 500 php if you want your own towels and bedsheets washed.

The neighborhood got noisy on Friday night, but the stay was affordable and comfortable. We had a cute little balcony, and I didn't mind having the toilet and shower in separate spaces. Our shower was the old school Asian kind, with no stall, so water splashed around the whole room. The nearby streets were dark and not very developed, though we felt fine walking a few minutes to find food. The convenience store downstairs was handy. The little gym is basic, but we used the treadmill and hand weights, and the open air garden areas were nice for sitting.

The city lights at night were lovely, and the pool and surrounding areas were clean. Still, my partner and I were disappointed by the dirty, damaged cooking tools. We asked for a replacement pan but still couldn't cook. The kitchen faucet kept dripping and was really annoying. We called several times about getting it fixed, but it was never repaired during our 15 day vacation. The guards at the entrance were rude.