AOSMEC Square Hotel

There was some food available, and it was alright. The room had a TV with YouTube, air conditioning and two beds, and the electricity, water and comfort were okay. I hadn't expected much given the price and reviews, but the pests were everywhere, including cockroaches, bed bugs and mosquitoes. I saw something crawling on the sheets while watching TV, then woke up with a cockroach in my pants. I checked under the beds and found two more hiding beneath the bed frame. Don't stay here if you want a comfortable night's sleep.

After a 14-hour flight, I found the place on Expedia and ended up on the wrong side of town. My room was on the third floor, and there was no elevator. The toilet wouldn't flush, and I had to get water to fill the tank so it would work. Traffic noise goes on around the clock. If you do stay here, the first or second floor might be easier, with fewer stairs and a bit more security. It's a budget option for a traveler or student, and the little restaurant serves some pretty good food. Just be ready for the loud, constant traffic.

The restaurant staff were nice, and the pork sisig was good enough that we ordered it at least five times, until they ran out. That's about the only positive. We changed rooms three times, but they were all similar: cockroaches, disgusting washrooms, toilets that wouldn't flush, weak water pressure, rusty faucets falling apart, and mold on the walls and floors that looked as if it hadn't been cleaned for years. The hotel is beside a busy street, so you hear traffic late at night and early in the morning. Dogs bark at night too, and they were really dirty. It's cheap, but the condition of the washrooms makes it not worth it. Worst hotel experience I've had in the Philippines so far.

The morning kitchen staff also made us uncomfortable. An older woman murmured beside us when she heard us ask for our free meal stub, then got angry when I handed it over and asked for corned beef and tocino. I understood that corned beef wasn't included for a single meal, but the way she spoke to us and her angry expression made it seem like she owned the hotel. At checkout around 8 AM, the morning receptionist took 30 minutes to process our 300 refund. We also argued about the free breakfast included in our booking, which he insisted wasn't free and seemed irritated when we asked. Earlier, the night receptionist wasn't friendly or approachable, and when I asked twice for help with our TV, nobody assisted us. Please train your staff. That was our first and last visit.