I recently had the pleasure of staying at The Monarch Hotel, and I must say, it exceeded my expectations in every way!
The room was clean, comfortable, and beautifully appointed. I felt right at home from the moment I walked in.
The free breakfast was a wonderful surprise - the selection was impressive, and the food was delicious.
But what really made my stay stand out was the exceptional service from the staff. They were friendly, accommodating, and went above and beyond to ensure my stay was enjoyable.
Overall, I highly recommend The Monarch Hotel to anyone looking for a comfortable, convenient, and enjoyable stay. I'll definitely be back!
Rating: 5/5 stars
Nice hotel, although having the bar open late to 2am from Friday to Saturday & 4am on Saturday to Sunday meant a constant flow of people either arriving or leaving, some must have been wearing clogs or diving boots, as the noise was unbearable....kept me awake until 5am Sunday morning & our room was at the opposite end of the building from the bar. The bar snacks were good, breakfast on Monday took nearly 45mins to arrive, so coffee was already finished 35mins previously! Not certain if it's true, but there was a photography session ongoing on the ground floor on Monday, the photographer was also the chef, so suggest the chef books his photography sessions once his chef duties are completed...just a suggestion...not sure who does the ratings, but seems to me hotels can claim to be anything they want...this was more 3* than 5* from my experiences
I liked the hotel, my room, and the beach was great however it had a feeling that it was descending into decrepitude.
The gym was very shabby. There was no central bar or shared lounge area to mingle (temporarily closed). To get a drink I had to go into the Chinese restaurant which was then impossible to work on my laptop with a casual drink as I had intended.
At breakfast it was quite possibly the worst coffee I've ever had and the eggs were also dubious. Toast was make your own but there was no toaster - only some grilling oven that would take 10 minutes to make your toast - less than ideal once you had already put your food on your plate....
Stayed 2 nights, visiting families. I would say the rooms are nice and maintained since opening, it is spacious which is surprising for 3 stars hotels. The area is in the downtown as well where different stores, restaurant, hospital is available. I definitely recommend it to others specially those passing the area that would want to have a good place to rest.
We stayed in the Presidential Suite at Star Plaza Hotel. The room service staff was friendly and helpful, which we really appreciated during our stay. The bed was comfortable and the Wi-Fi worked fine for our needs. The breakfast was good except the ham. Other hotel restaurant food options were good.
However, we were disappointed to find that the hot water in the shower wasn’t working, which was unexpected for a suite of this level. The laundry service was also unavailable, and when we first entered the room, there was a strong vinegar smell that took some time to fade.
Overall, while there were some positives, the issues made the experience feel below expectations for a Presidential Suite. We hope improvements can be made.
breakfast is so limited without good option.
Staffs attentive and response are below my expectations
Aircon was installed in floor level. Noisy for it used with single A/C not Split system.
But overall, room is clean and tidy.
ผผู้เข้าพักGood -Met owners of BnB, Ice cream, bar and dining available on site (Italian / local food), good breakfast included. Air-conditioned room, phone and satellite tv (requires load by site). On site generator to support power blackouts. Nice garden like feel, gated and fenced. On site parking (minimal). Christmas lights set up for the season. New three-story expansion currently being built (but no impact to stay). Stocked in room mini bar. Shower water flow good. Nice on site pool (3-4 ft deep). Nice ocean views, Koi pond and sitting areas. Dogs and cats (3 ea) live on site.
Bad -Food order ~3 hr in advance, prices are a bit higher than normal, breakfast night before. Some items on menu not available. Room is very small mostly bed and small area to walk around. Bathroom local size challenge for larger people (toilet to wall space). Plumbing not support flushing of TP, place in holding bin. Shower heater wall switch should be labeled. Switch is in same stack of switches as bath lights. Refrigerator and mini bar stocked. (bug spray recommended for foreigners as mosquitoes can get in the room). Located on main roadway. A short drive to other things in the area. No beach (small gravel area), surf can be strong at back of property. Kayaks appeared usable but life jackets were questionable (suggest replacing) unless experienced seemed more like yard art. Amenity kit provided (bar soap was crumbled and could not be used, shampoo was barely enough for one shower (suggest abandon and provide home made or none at all).
Ugly -Local purified drinking water provided in plastic pitcher (not enough for two people per/day and no way to know where from), can ask for more but not convenient. Spouse incurred sickness from bad (other) water during stay.
ผผู้เข้าพักIt was a nice stay. Location is fabulous, basically everything in walking distance. The room was clean, but you will only have a thin sheet to cover yourself. The weather is hot and you only need to adjust the AC temperature to your liking, so it works. Maybe they can provide more for you to cover, but I am very used to backpacking so I have things with me and didn’t bother to ask. There was only lukewarm water in my room. No hot shower but again, it’s hot and that works. Towels and all, you will have to prepare yourself. You get what you pay for with this price. If you use to backpack and want to save money, this place is great. But if you expect for a normal hotel service, then you should choose another place.
As others say, this place is mainly run by persons with disabilities, which I personally think it’s a great thing and they earn with their livelihood! They speak good English and very very accommodating! They helped me to make phone calls to enquire the bus schedule, and let me check in right away when i reached there at 5am by an overnight bus. My booking started from that night and i was thinking to leave my suitcase there first and came back in the afternoon. But they gave me the room right away, so I could also sleep a few hours before starting my day. Truly appreciated and highly recommend to experienced backpackers.
Ggibo_27Great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city! Balai Balatong is located inside a barangay and has kubo/hut theme with a touch of modern elegance. The rooms are well designed and are really clean.
We were lucky to book the place for our own on that day as it is a weekday for a very inexpensive price. We got the pool and entire place literally for our own for a day which is great! It could be priced double or triple for its current state of the rooms.
As the place is relatively new, just opened last 2024, there is no in house reception available. Works like an airbnb. No in house-resto yet. These two might be the reasons why they are holding on to pricing the rooms higher. Would have given them a perfect rating if these are available. There is a good restaurant though just in front of the place called Pha Ramen which is an aesthetically good restaurant serving good Pinoy dishes (and accepts credit cards).
Staffs are friendly and accommodating. We had an early flight the next day and they were able to arrange for our transfer to the airport.
We will surely come back!
Llilac is awesomeIt was a good stay. Excellent. Only that their television has a bad reception. But an any rate, one wouldn't be staying in the room for too long instead stay on the swimming pool (which is clean and has different depths) and the nearby beach for sunset and sunrise walk. The breakfast buffet was filling and well managed.
RRiri DayaoWe had a great stay at Chalaroste Place! The place and location is great, we especially loved watching the sunset, which was absolutely beautiful. The parking area is spacious, the BBQ grill and outdoor space were perfect for spending time together at night, and the beds were comfy with clean linens and very cold air-conditioning.
A couple of things that could be improved: the swimming pool area needs better lighting at night as it gets really dark, and the bathroom could use a more thorough cleaning (though there was no foul smell). Overall, we had a good experience and would recommend it for anyone looking for a peaceful stay with a great view and relaxing ambiance and few minutes from the Public Beach.
ผผู้เข้าพักHighly recommended! Staff are courteous and kind. Not too crowded resort. First thing we did upon check in is to check our room and if we need to replace it. We booked 2 rooms but need to ask replacement for one of our room due to aircon water leak on the floor. They are kind enough to replace our room. The rooms are cold and clean.
Breakfast is okay. Need some enhancement in the future.
Overall we love our stay and the kids enjoy their pool and beachfront.