St. Mark Hotel

The hotel is well placed, near House of Lechon, and its own restaurant has affordable food and pleasant waiters and waitresses. Sleeping was the real problem for us. The rooms don't block noise, and in some, a smart key issue set off an alarm all night. The air conditioning swung between too hot for three nights and too cold for three nights. We had two rooms, but none of us slept well. After long workdays, we still couldn't fall asleep until 2 a.m., woke around 4 or 5, then dozed a little more before getting up for work at 6. You have to request things like a hair dryer or flat iron. Rooms are cleaned every three days, and you need to hang the "Clean the room" card on the door to ask for it.

We paid over 3,000 PHP per room for three rooms for two nights, booking two single beds in each for six people. At check-in, reception said that price covered only one occupant per room and we'd have to pay extra for the second person. That made no sense to us, especially since we understood the quoted rate was for two people. Is this a modus operandi? They weren't receptive to our concerns and seemed focused on enforcing their policy. There was no toothpaste, toothbrush, or slippers in the rooms, and the internet was far too slow for a business trip. Staff said toiletries were available on request, but nobody had told us that at check-in. I can't help wondering if that was intentional.

The location was convenient and the staff were pleasant, but they couldn't fix problems. The price wasn't especially high either. Still, in more than two weeks there, I had hot water for maybe three days. If hot showers matter to you, don't stay here. Something in the room set off an allergy, and I got bitten by some kind of insect in the bed. The cleaning products smelled so strongly of chemicals that I felt ill after the room was serviced. Breakfast was very mediocre and seemed more suited to Filipinos than foreign guests. The omelette was okay, bacon cost extra, and some days there were low quality local sausages. The brewed coffee tasted burnt, like the kind only old Americans enjoy, and espresso wasn't available. The breakfast area was freezing. I wouldn't return unless I had no other choice.

I've had good stays at St. Mark Hotel over the years, so I booked four nonrefundable nights. This time I arrived to an overwhelming, nauseating smell of "freshener". I'm more sensitive to smells than most, I know, but airing the room with the window open for a couple of hours didn't help. The scent clung to the curtains and bed. The lobby smelled bad too. I told the desk staff and asked what chemical they used, explaining that some can be toxic. I was told housekeeping had to authorize sharing that information, and I never got an answer. I also asked them to do something about the smell while I was out. Later they offered another room, which seemed somewhat better when I looked at it, so I moved. By the time I came back to sleep, the smell had returned. I suspect the bed had absorbed it, though I hadn't noticed it while standing in the room earlier. The bathroom was fine. I even considered sleeping on its floor, but there wasn't enough room. The staff seemed sympathetic and wanted to help, but the smell felt embedded in the curtains, bed, walls, and ceiling. I would be surprised if the owner took on the substantial work needed to fix it. At 4:30 a.m. I still hadn't slept, and was staying away from the hotel as long as I could. I expected to move out a few hours later, lose my money, and have my sleep and energy badly disrupted. Update: I slept on the floor at my coworking space from 5 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., then moved to another hotel. A full refund seemed appropriate after that experience, but management worked with Agoda to refund three of my four nights, which I appreciate. The chemical smell still hasn't been resolved and would be intolerable for guests who are sensitive to it. They never answered my question about what substance they were using. It makes me wonder whether so much scent is being used to cover other unpleasant, unhealthy odors, which could affect people beyond those sensitive to smells. I've stayed here many times and, apart from this problem, it had been an outstanding place. If they sort it out, I'd be glad to stay again.