Harolds Hotel: a businessman hotel in Cebu City

Last December, I went to Cebu City to check hotels that can accommodate 90-100pax for a stay-in Regional Conference and Roadshow. I was booked at Harolds since this is the priority in my to-visit list.

It’s a 45-min cab travel from the airport, traffic included.  I was greeted by the guard and greeted by the front desk staff on duty

.For me, Harolds look like a boutique hotel. I love how the lobby looks like. I already feel comfortable just by being at the lobby. After getting my key card and welcome calamansi drink.I was assisted to my room.

One thing I noticed in Cebu is that the room design in all of the hotels I had visited looks the same. The room I got has 2 size beds. a flat screen tv. single chair with complimentary bottled water and coffee. I like that the room looks bright and  spacious. The carpet is thick and feels good on my feet.

What I don’t like about the room? hmm.. I’m a little paranoid so seeing that the window is closed glass with a small locked frame is bothering me and that the ac is not that strong.

Now the cr/bathroom is a different story.Yes, I like the bright light. the big mirror,  the smaller round mirror and  the phone in the wall near the toilet.bowl which I would always bumped into.  I appreciate that the overall appearance is nice but I just hate it when they have to compromise functionality. First thing that i don’t like is that there is no glass door or shower curtain separating the CR and the bath area. Every time, after finishing my bath. I would  mop the floor on the other side because of water spills. 2nd, no space to place my toiletries. I had to put and get my stuff from the sink every time i would use it such as shampoo, conditioner, and soap. Or I’m just unlucky with my room.Nevertheless, it’s still quite a H-a-s-s-l-e!

Going down, you could see their restaurant coming from the elevator. This is where the buffet breakfast is being served. The area is quite small that it can only accommodate 90 pax where some of the guest would have to seat outside of the restaurant. Buffet option is so-so. Bread and food doesn’t taste that good. I only had their omellette and powdered orange juice. They also offer buffet lunch with limited choices like Quest and Parklane (Manuel’s) I still prefer Manuel’s food choices vs the other two.

I would definitely recommend Harolds vs the other hotels primarily because of the internet connection. In my room, wifi is around 1-1.5 mbps consistently. Second, I prefer the bright clean look of the rooms. They also have a small gym. The mirror is making it look bigger with more thread mill inside.They have nice looking function hall which can be divided into 2 small area. There is also a resto bar on the rooftop with an alfresco design.Too bad i wasn’t able to explore the rooftop because there was an event during my stay.

I could say that Harolds is one of the nicest I’d seen in the area. Too bad they don’t have an available function fall for my needed date.

RATE: 9/10 ( don’t like the food and the bathroom)

stay: Dec 2-4, 2014. with Ate Neng and Kuya Bobbie

Cebu Parklane International Hotel: Cebu City

Cebu Parklane was not included in the hotel list that I was supposed to check for a company stay-in conference and roadshow due to a lot of negative reviews. I went to check the place.and find it ok and it still had an available function hall for my needed date.

We booked around 50 rooms which the guests loved. My room has 2 single beds, an old tv in a rotating stand.  spacious comfort room with tub, complimentary water and coffee. The water in the CR is a bit erratic.Check in was also a breeze since they allotted a smaller conference hall on the second floor to facilitate faster check in for the group. The hotel has a pool, gym, sauna on the 4th floor which if free for its guest. Banquet staff are also very helpful and accommodating.

 

I arrived later than supposed scheduled so I was a little worried that the function hall was not yet arranged, Everything was set up for the roadshow but I find it too plain Upon checking, there was no color motif request for the tables and chair in the booking request. Staffs were pulled out to help rearrange the hall. I appreciate that everyone was willing to help us. They even went out of their way looking for more decor to put on our assigned hall. Ms Anna was always attentive and would always check if we needed anything else. Food is also good.Buffet breakfast has enough choices to cater different food preference and enough food options for the kids.

Cons: erratic hot and cold water in the shower and sink. A bit noisy on the rooms facing the road. Poor Wifi signal

Overall, we’re glad that we choose Parklane as our hotel in Cebu. I guess, minor incidents could be avoided by telling them beforehand of your expectations and worries. They are more than willing to listen and attend to such issues.

Thank you for being a part of our event’s success! 😀