Jocanai Residences 1-Bedroom w/Balcony-A

If you just need somewhere to sleep around San Nicolas (Robinsons Area), this might work, as long as you don’t expect much. The staff were nice to me, and Vadez Center, where the BPOs are, is within walking distance. With luggage, you can take a tricycle. My room’s AC wasn’t very good, there was no hot shower, and the water pressure was too low. Expect to be disappointed if you’re looking for more than a basic place to sleep.

This was a very good stay, and the rates were good too. I’d highly recommend it for groups. The unit is within walking distance of Robinsons mall, nearby restaurants and carenderia, and the highway. From there you can walk out to catch trikes or maybe jeeps heading to Laoag City or San Nicolas proper. We booked a two-room unit with a kitchen for 4-8 people, though staff said it could actually fit up to 10. To keep costs down, we didn’t include use of the spacious kitchen, which has a ref, microwave oven, electric stove, and water dispenser. Its power supply was switched off for our whole stay. The unit also had a balcony. WiFi was fast with a very good signal, and Globe and Smart mobile reception were okay. Smart already has 5G in the area. The room ACs were strong enough to cool the whole unit, including the kitchen area even with the power off there, so we could stay and work in that area at night. The main small inconvenience was that shower pressure fluctuated, affecting the water heater too.

The caretaker was accommodating, the renters weren’t noisy, and there’s lots of available rooms and a huge parking area. Robinsons Laoag is very close, about a three-minute walk. I was given a very spacious corner room on the second floor. It had a kitchen, shower, cabinets, and two beds, and was okay. I’ve stayed alone in different accommodations, but this one felt a little weird and gave me an uneasy, icky feeling for personal reasons. Maybe it was because the bed faced the mirror, or maybe it was just me, lol. Nothing against the accommodation overall. I’d only booked it for a quick night’s stay, and I was glad it was just one night.

The parking area is available, but they don’t keep it organized. As an engineer, I also found the air quality and ventilation poor. The AC systems seem to be installed in the wrong places, leaving the hallway warm and messy, and water from an AC drips there. Dust in the rooms had me sneezing all night.