128 Lodge

During quarantine I found the place clean, and the terrace had a nice view. My room had no windows, though. There were sinks and water dispensers I could use, plus a mini store nearby. So far, so good.

After Google Maps took us onto dangerous mountain roads while we were trying to reach Pagudpud, we had to turn back to Tuguegarao and find somewhere for the night. We found 128lodge online. It was inexpensive and pet friendly, so we paid 1000 for two people and another 200 for our small shih tzus. The place was dirty, with a strong, unmistakable smell of grime, and there was a cockroach in the room. The sink and toilet were dirty too. We were too exhausted to drive any farther, so we put up with it for a few hours. We learned our lesson: paying more can mean a more comfortable place to stay.

The air conditioning barely cooled the room, and the beds and rooms felt too small. The pillows were very thick and hard, and I woke up expecting a stiff neck. They looked like they might be filled with old mattress cushioning. It's a dorm style lodge, with the shared bathroom and sink outside the bedrooms. The toilet had no seat, and cockroach droppings came out of the faucet in both the bathroom and sink. I didn't enjoy staying here.

I booked this mainly because it was close to DFA and cost less than half of other nearby hotels with more facilities. It's really only somewhere to rest and freshen up. The room is tiny, with hardly any space to walk, though it has a private bathroom. There's no water heater. The place is easy to spot by its bright green building and sign, but the road doesn't go all the way to it, so expect a few hundred metres off road. The room was generally clean, though I saw a handful of fruit flies in the bathroom. The aircon worked fine but might be loud for some, while the wifi was fantastic for a place like this. Light sleepers should know the walls are mostly partitions. I woke at 7am to loud banging noises, apparently a couple having a morning shot. Thanks to the staff member who got up close to 1am to receive me after my arrival was delayed.