Sebastien Hotel

The air conditioner was so loud that sleeping in the room was impossible, and the furniture was old. The shower and toilet share one space. We only used the hotel as a stopover, so we weren’t expecting much, but we were still fined for things that weren’t our fault, including stains on the sheets. Since the hotel offers in-room massages, I can’t rule out that a stained sheet from another room might be given to a guest and then blamed on them.

The rooms were clean, the staff very accommodating, and the location was nice. My concerns were the outside-only parking, which didn’t feel safe to me, and the TV mounted so high that connecting my laptop by HDMI was difficult. The WiFi got slow and spotty early in the morning, and our shower head needs repair because half the water comes out around the handle.

We’re from the USA, which probably helps explain our perspective. We spent three nights here, and it was a decent budget-friendly place. The friendly service stood out, and the rooms seemed clean and had enough space for two. Being right on a main road made it easy to find restaurants and catch a taxi, jeepney, or tricey. We were glad we only stayed a few days, though. The noise was constant, from traffic, roosters, barking dogs, and a neighbor playing loud music, though we’re used to that at home near a major road. The bathroom was much smaller than it looked in the pictures. The bedding felt sticky, so I wondered if it was washed between guests. We didn’t find much to do nearby beyond Mactan Shrine, but there were plenty of restaurants within walking distance or a short drive. Don’t miss the rooftop deck. We only went just before checkout and wished we’d visited earlier.

It’s a cheap option if that’s what your budget calls for. The staff were friendly, but breakfast wasn’t much to expect from, so we crossed the road for proper coffee and a bun. The pool hours weren’t suitable.