Hotel Nicanor

There’s no complimentary breakfast, but nearby restaurants open early. The hotel is close to plenty of establishments, and we had a great stay and experience. Our spacious room had a queen bed, two regular pillows and two throw pillows, a blanket but no duvet, working air conditioning and TV, a closet with hangers, drawers and a work table with mirror, plus a small dining table and chairs. There was a keycard door and keycard powered electricity, a kettle, glasses and mugs, and a bathroom with a sink mirror, hot water shower, and bidet toilet. Typical amenities overall. They provided body towels, 3-in-1 coffee sachets, shampoo, soap, conditioner, a disposable toothbrush with toothpaste sachet, and bottled water.

I booked through Expedia after arriving in Dumaguete without a reservation, when most places were sold out. I paid $100 a night for two nights, and I regret leaving the Premiere at $120 a night, where they had everything. This place felt more like a $25-40 stay to me. The room smelled odd, and later it smelled sour after breakfast. There was one air conditioner for a large room, so cooling it took ages and barely worked during the day. There were no slippers or water in the room. I could smell sewage in the middle of the night, and there’s no pool. I did sleep well on the mattress, and once the room cooled it was nice. It was quiet, had WiFi, and there was water in the hallways. It’s close to the boulevard, but charging $100 a night felt like Boracay prices for ghetto vibes.

This used to be our go-to hotel in Dumaguete, but this stay on Dec. 29, 2025 went badly. The WiFi on the second floor was too slow even to send a message. I raised it with the front desk, but nothing changed. We used a hair dryer that was already damaged, and didn’t report it because we thought it was an old issue. At checkout, they said we had damaged it and claimed housekeeping found “residues,” though we saw no damaged pieces in the room. In my opinion, this was a scheme by their staff. Please check the hotel’s property at check-in to protect yourself. We had to pay 500 for damage to something we hadn’t broken, and even if it’s a small amount, being charged for it was a shame.

The room was cozy and comfortable for a good night’s rest, with decent amenities for the cost. It’s affordable and close to malls, fast food restaurants, and pharmacies. Hitel Nicanor is good value for a budget stay, though the room lighting could be brighter.