717 Cesar Place Hotel

The staff were very attentive and friendly, and the place felt peaceful. I paid around Php1000 for one night in a nicely set-up single room, which felt affordable. The bed was very comfortable, the cable TV had lots of channels, and the water pressure and heater were both good. Toothbrush, toothpaste, and shampoo were included. Getting to the room was easy. The restaurant was okay, with reasonable prices and okay food. My main issue was insects in the room: I found some dead ones and some still alive. The dead ones looked as if an insecticide may have taken time to work, so perhaps the cleaners missed them.

The staff were very nice and the room was pretty good, but our shower didn’t work. The restaurant was nice too, and the food was okay, but service took far too long. We called ahead before leaving the room and asked them to prepare our food so we could eat on time, yet still waited around 30 to 45 minutes. They should improve that. Even so, staying at the hotel was a good experience.

The beds were comfortable and the linen was clean, and the reception staff were polite, knowledgeable, and helpful. Still, this was a really unpleasant stay, and I wouldn’t recommend the hotel. We chose it as a backup after our first pick was full, relying on the reviews. We had booked a family room for five with “free” breakfast and WiFi, but got vouchers for only four. The fifth person was apparently meant to watch the others eat. Staff wouldn’t help despite my attempts to explain the booking. Several menu items were unavailable, and what we did get was cold. Coffee was instant powder with milk and sugar already mixed in, take it or leave it. The WiFi throughout the hotel was useless, nowhere near even dial-up speeds. The room felt outdated, with a TV smaller than most computer monitors and a blown speaker, so it was no use. The bathroom door didn’t lock, and peeling paint on its glass made privacy even worse. On the second floor the water pressure was comical, you had to dance under the showerhead just to get wet. I had to ask for toilet paper more than once, and there was no room make-up service.

The restaurant serves mostly Filipino dishes, with outdoor seating and high chairs. The food was delicious and came quickly, and the WiFi worked well. Staff were generally nice and responsive, though one person at reception was much too loud. When we called to ask about the breakfast menu, that same staff member immediately suggested ordering from outside. That didn’t bother us, but it could affect the business. We booked the family suite because it was close to the family party we were attending and right by the main road. It was very spacious and had a balcony. Since the hotel seemed old, I wasn’t expecting modern interiors. Some signs of age stood out: the bed was worn, the coating on the wooden furniture stuck to your skin when you leaned on it, and I couldn’t adjust the AC to my preferred temperature. The bathroom was clean, though its upkeep wasn’t perfect, and it had hot and cold water. For the price, it was okay, and I’d still recommend it as a budget hotel.