Sydney Hotel

The hotel has a classy look, and the balcony had a nice view. The room and bathroom were very basic and not especially pleasant to stay in. I mentioned the WiFi issue several times to reception, but still couldn’t get an internet connection. The Filipino-style breakfast was good.

Right in the center of Gensan, this is a very affordable hotel with a clean, large room by hotel standards. The hot shower had good pressure, and customer service was excellent. There’s a restaurant on the ground floor, and Jollibee, bake shops, parks, and a laundry shop are all a short walk away.

The building is old and past its best, though it’s been renovated, and my new room was bright enough. The location is right in the city center, across from the park, near schools, and a ride away from malls and the market. The beds were comfortable, but the pillows weren’t, and I found the blanket frustrating. The bathroom was okay, with working hot and cold shower and a working toilet flush with bidet. The towels weren’t soft cotton, and the air conditioner was loud. Food was okay, and there are places to eat outside too.

Taps & Mix rents space here, so the food is affordable, though the chairs and layout feel like an elevated fast food restaurant. The lobby has had some nice improvements, but it still has a lot of unnecessary stuff that feels out of place, maybe while they’re recovering from the pandemic. The glass panels are what really put me off: they’re so dirty and cloudy, covered in smudges, moisture, or towel marks. From outside, it hardly looks like a hotel. Please use glass cleaner and a squeegee and keep the glass maintained, it would make the place look ten times better. It’s right in the city center and used to be one of the best here, but time has caught up with it. 3/5.