The Blu Hotel

My fiancé and I stayed for a week. Since Blu presents itself as a luxury hotel, I expected the couches, beds, and bathrooms to be spotless. Cleanliness and comfort should be priorities when guests pay premium rates. We’ve stayed at several 5-star hotels, and our expectations came from those experiences. The reception staff could also make a warmer first impression. They’re the first people guests meet, and friendly smiles would help visitors feel valued. The hotel has potential, but it needs to keep the service and facilities at a consistent quality and keep improving. A little more attention to detail would make a big difference and help attract more guests.

The restaurant food was good, but service was hit or miss. A pizza took two hours to arrive, so I had to cancel my plans that night. The breakfast we ordered at the desk the night before was wrong. I also ordered a muffin with breakfast and asked to settle up, and was told I was all set. Later they called the room saying I’d left without paying. I paid for it, but my fiancé was annoyed because I’d asked to pay. Staff communication needs work. The restaurant is solid and convenient, but only open until 11 pm. I stayed in Aqua 3 with my fiancé for a week. It was a nice room with a dipping pool, though we never used it and mostly showed it to friends and family. The toilet and couch were dirty or stained when we arrived late at night after a delayed flight. We asked for cleaning, but they only made the bed and didn’t change the sheets. The toilet was still stained afterwards. The front desk often seemed cold and annoyed. My fiancé, who’s from Malinoa, Albay, was surprised by that. They’re trying to present the hotel as high end but don’t seem to understand what that means. She compares it with Makati Diamond in Manila, where the staff were incredible. That was probably one of the best places I’ve stayed in Asia. Here, the shuttle was either unavailable or took too long when we asked for it. That made the location inconvenient. It was a hot week, and walking 20 minutes to the center of Tabaco wasn’t pleasant. The one great thing about the location was the view of Mount Mayon. For what I paid, it wasn’t worth the money. Dirty rooms and poor service weren’t acceptable at the top price for a hotel in that location. The ratings seem fabricated to me. I’d probably book an Airbnb instead.

We were there overnight courtesy of my cousin, in a ground floor room. Having our own parking space was what we liked most, so next time we visit Bicol we’ll bring our car. The bathroom was nice, with a large backlit mirror, good water pressure, and a bidet. The Wi-Fi was strong enough for me to work on my laptop. The restaurant food was a bit expensive, but we enjoyed the stay. Thank you!

I only ate at the restaurant, didn’t stay here. The bicol express was delicious, so good I went back for more!