Aden Hotel

The TV still wasn’t fixed, and the water heater wasn’t heating either. We checked in at 9pm, even though check-in started at 2pm, so they should have sorted those things out before we arrived. It may be a budget hotel, but these problems need to be dealt with before guests check in.

The location feels unsafe, in what seemed like a dangerous neighborhood. The hotel is in a residential area down a narrow road, and there’s no elevator. The receptionist wasn’t welcoming, and the staff didn’t seem very knowledgeable. I wouldn’t call this a hotel with any stars. This place really sucks.

I booked a nonrefundable stay, but when I got to the location three hours before check-in, they asked me to pay 699 ($7) for early access. They also wanted a 1k deposit, supposedly refundable at checkout. I left and never came back, and just let the booking go. They should make these charges clear before people book, whether online or in person. The location was unexpected too, tucked on a corner street somewhere in Makati.

We couldn’t check in because there was nowhere usable to park our standard car. The listing said free parking was included, and the host pointed to “two parking spots” in the policy, but we couldn’t find a proper space. Instead, we were directed to the nearest Puregold, where parking was public, paid, and entirely at our expense. That didn’t match the free parking claim at all. Without a legal or secure place to leave the car, we had to go find somewhere else to stay. I can’t comment on the room because we never checked in. The host refused our refund request, and Agoda wouldn’t refund us either because the booking was non-refundable. It was frustrating. Other travelers shouldn’t rely on the free parking listing, since it’s misleading and could cost more than expected.