One Pacific Residences

I had a miserable stay. The place isn't a hotel, so no one comes to clean your room. It was very dirty, with lots of cockroaches, old equipment that hadn't been repaired, and a bathtub black with mold. When I walked in, there was body hair everywhere from the previous guest, including on the pillowcases and sheets, which hadn't been replaced.

We didn't need to see much beyond the room to decide to leave Newtown. It was tiny, poorly designed and cheaply finished, with signs of water or moisture problems. Roosters outside the windows were noisy too. Finding the place was difficult because there were no signs. The oversized lobby might be meant to impress, but it doesn't tell you what the rooms are like. And finding the two elevators means going through the parking garage. The whole Newtown experience made a poor first impression.

The worst part for me was the security and management. A security guard threatened to tell my girlfriend I had another girl unless I paid him. When I raised it with management, the young woman I spoke to seemed clueless and said we should make peace. I tried to explain that I'd paid a lot for privacy, but they treated the situation as normal. After I called my lawyer, they apologized and seemed willing to pay me. I've never had a worse experience, and wouldn't stay even one night. The location is at the far end of Lapu-Lapu, where hardly anyone goes. To walk by the ocean, you need a special ticket from reception at another hotel, so you need permission each time. The beaches close at 6 pm, meaning you can't get to the water after that. There are few wild beaches, and they're hard to find. The pool also closes at 7 pm, so there's no night swimming even though you pay to use it. I felt I had no privacy here.

The building looks nice, and the architecture and finishes are good. During our visit, though, the lobby had no AC and was full of mosquitoes. I hope management sorts it out. Thanks!