Hotel Don Felipe

We checked in around 8 pm and left after about an hour. The room smelled bad, and there were used tissues in the toilet with dirty tiles around it. My partner needed the bathroom because he was unwell, but walked straight back out. When I called reception, the staff member who came up seemed unsure whether to flush the tissues or pick them up by hand. I also tried putting my iced coffee in the refrigerator, only to find it didn't work. We opened the sliding door for fresh air and left the air conditioning off because we thought it would make the smell worse. After lying down for a few minutes, I felt a bite on my forearm and couldn't sleep. My partner managed a nap, but said the bed was itchy and uncomfortable. The blanket looked old and rough, with small white and black specks on it. I couldn't tell if they were dirt or signs of neglect, and couldn't tell whether the itching came from bugs or the blanket. The towel looked used, wasn't fresh-smelling or white anymore, and had initials inked on it, as if someone had left it behind. I called reception to ask whether we should have two towels or one. A few minutes later staff brought a new towel, a small Bioderm soap, and another item I didn't recognize. We never used them. My partner wanted to get out for fresh air and try to feel better, so we walked around the nearby park for 10-15 minutes. He said the bedsheet and blanket were still making him itch and needed replacing. He'd also seen small cockroaches in the bedroom and CR. I told him I'd spotted two on our plastic bag, which had our food in it. We went back to the room to check out or ask for a clean one. It still smelled bad. We both saw two small cockroaches by the cabinet and another beside the bed. That was enough for me. I went straight to reception and said they could charge us for an hour. The receptionist didn't ask why we were leaving, offer another room, apologize, or show concern. When I asked in Filipino, “Ganito ba talaga room nyo at CR? Madumi?” (“Are your rooms and CR really like this? Dirty?”), she replied, “Depende sa naglilinis, Ma’am” (“It depends on who's cleaning, ma'am”). That felt like an unbelievable, irresponsible excuse. After a phone call, she told me they don't charge by the hour and that I'd still have to pay half the amount. I was worn out and frustrated, and didn't want to argue at the counter with other guests waiting to check in. I paid, and we left.

The stay was okay, but room 305 had a strong cigarette smell.

This is an old, run-down place, and the price feels too high for what you get. The cheaper rooms don't have refrigerators, so there's no way to keep a drink cold. It needs a full renovation.

The staff were very friendly, which was the one good part of my stay. The building looks dilapidated and poorly cared for, and the rooms are dirty and dingy. Even the staff uniforms looked old and soiled. The owner seems not to have put money into maintaining the place. The internet in the rooms was so weak it might as well not exist, and most rooms didn't have a TV with the cable connected. This place shouldn't be rated 3.9 or three stars. I'd put it at two, or maybe 1.5.