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Cheap Cebu Hotels, Inns and Pension Houses

ceblogger — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:08:25 +0000

Are you looking for cheap, affordable, clean and reliable hotels, inns and pension houses at the heart of Cebu City, specifically near Fuente Osmeña? You know, Sinulog 2012 festival is just around the bend and most hotels are fully booked on the Sinulog weeks – 7 days before and after (January 15, 2012). Have you made your reservations?

If not Sinulog, maybe you want to be here one summer weekend to enjoy the beaches, or experience whale watching in Oslob. Your trip could also be for business, or just for the sake of travel, as some young people these days often do by buying airline promo fares to their favorite destinations, or to places they’ve never been before. As they say in Cebuano, “mga laagan, gyud”.

And with a limited budget, you don’t want to spend 10,000 pesos for a hotel room, right? So, here’s a list of hotels, inns and pension houses in Cebu which you will find budget-friendly.

Cheap Cebu Hotels, Inns and Pension Houses Near Fuente Osmeña

Hotel Stella
Address : Don Gil Garcia St., Capitol Site, Cebu City
Website: www.hotelstella.com.ph Email : thehotelstella@yahoo.com
Tel nos (6332) 239-0249, 236-0260, 239-0251, 406-0108, 0917-663-3815, 0917-638-1333.
Facilities : Hot and cold shower, airconditioner, Flat Screen TV w/cable, Free Wifi, PABX, Generator, Coffee shop
Rates: Standard – P999, Deluxe – P1,299, Superior – P1,545, Family Room – P1,699 , Extra Person – P350/hd

Verbena Pension House
Address : 584-A Don Gil Garcia St., Capitol Site, Cebu City
Website: www.verbenapensionhouse.com Email : support@verbenapensionhouse.com
Tel nos (6332) 253-3430, 253-0203, 412-4322, 256-0280 (fax), 0927-998-6288, 0922-8702034
Facilities : Hot and cold shower (for superior and deluxe rooms), airconditioner, Cable TV, Free Wifi, PABX, Cafeteria
Rates: Standard – P750 (single) to P2,470 (six), Deluxe – P850 (single) to 2,860 (six), Deluxe – P1,150 (single) to 1,700 (three) , Barkadahan Standard – P390 each (7-12 persons), Barkadahan Superior – P420 (7-12 persons), Extra person – P325 each

Travelbee Pension
Address : 294 Don Gil Garcia St., Capitol Site, Cebu City
Website:
Tel nos (6332) 253-1005, 253-1556, 0922-800-1802.
Facilities : Hot and cold shower, airconditioner, Flat Screen TV, Free Wifi, PABX, Generator, Coffee shop
Rates: Standard – P999, Deluxe – P1,299, Superior – P1,545, Family Room – P1,699 , Extra Person – P350/hd

Westpoint Inn
Address : 297 Don Gil Garcia St., Capitol Site, Cebu City
Website: none Email : wpi_reserve@yahoo.com.ph
Tel nos (6332) 254-3433, 254-4524 (fax) 0923-995-2111.
Facilities : Hot and cold shower, airconditioner, 24-hr security, generator, free Wifi, Cafe
Rates: Standard – P780, Deluxe – P980 (single/double) P1,080 (triple) note: plus P100 for Sinulog

Verbena Capitol Suites
Address : 79 Don Gil Garcia St., Capitol Site, Cebu City
Website: www.verbenahotels.com Email : verbena_cs@yahoo.com.ph
Tel nos (6332) 255-8308, 254-8537, 238-8352, 412-6170, 0916-203-4386, 0922-870-2033.
Facilities : Hot and cold shower, airconditioner, Flat Screen TV, Free Wifi, PABX, Generator, Coffee shop
Rates: Standard Single- P830, Standard Matrimonial – P930, Standard Twin – P1,050. Deluxe Triple – P1,625, Deluxe Quadruple – P1,950, Super Deluxe Matrimonial P1,300 Super Deluxe Twin – P1,350, Super Deluxe Quadruple – P2,275, Premier Matrimonial – P1,850, Premier Twin – P1,950, Extra Person – P375 each (free breakfast for all)

The list above is not yet complete as I will be updating this from time to time. Rates published here will vary and may change without prior notice. As of now, I don’t have my personal reviews of these hotels. But if you’ve stayed at any of these hotels or any Cebu hotels not mentioned here, you may tell us of your experience in a sentence or two.

Philippine Holidays This 2012

ceblogger — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:26:34 +0000

The Philippine government was quick to announce the 2012 Philippine Holidays early in December 2011 thru it Presidential Proclamation 295 and as posted in their official website.

Unlike in 2011, where plenty of holidays fell on a weekend and the government wasn’t changing the schedules to the consternation of many, 2012 is a better year for those who want to relax and enjoy the holidays. Shopping plans, vacation plans, retreats, whatever plans you have, you can schedule things in advance. At least, the business sector is also informed in advance should they schedule shutdowns or other activities.

Regular Holidays

New Year’s Day – January 1 (Sunday)
Maundy Thursday- April 5
Good Friday – April 6
Araw ng Kagitingan – April 9 (Monday)
Labor Day -May 1 (Tuesday)
Independence Day – June 12 (Tuesday)
National Heroes Day – August 27 (Last Monday of August)
Bonifacio Day – November 30 (Friday)
Christmas Day – December 25 (Tuesday)
Rizal Day – December 30

Special (Non-Working) Holidays

Chinese New Year – January 23 (Monday)
Ninoy Aquino Day – August 21 (Tuesday)
All Saints Day – November 1 (Thursday)
Additional special (non-working) day – November 2 (Friday)
Last Day of the Year- December 31 (Monday

Special Holiday (for all schools)

EDSA Revolution Anniversary – February 25 (Saturday)

Eid’l Fitr and Eid’l Adha
(The dates are tentative pending final announcement from the Muslim community)
Eid-al-Fitr – August 20 (Monday)
Eid-al-Adha – October 26 (Friday)

Expected long weekends are as follows:

January 21-23, 2012 (Chinese New Year)
April 5-9, 2012 (Holy Week and Araw ng Kagitingan)
April 28-29 (April 30) May 1, 2012 (Labor Day)
August 18-21, 2012 (Eid-al-Fitr and Ninoy Aquino Day)
August 25-27, 2012 (National Heroes Day)
October 26-28, 2012 (Eid-al-Adha)
November 1-4 (All Saints’ Day)
November 30-Dec 2 (Bonifacio Day)
December 29-Jan 1 (New Year)

There could be other special holidays for certain cities – like Charter Days, and for Cebu – Osmeña Day. Here are additional Cebu Non-Working Holidays

February 24 – RA 7287 (Cebu City Charter Day)
August 6 – RA 8952 (Cebu Province Foundation Anniversary)
September 9 – RA 6953 (Osmeña Day)

Have you started booking tickets? I’m sure there are plenty of airline promos now. Where will I be this January 21-23 and in the Holy Week?

Fly Pinas Pass: PAL’s Unlimited Domestic Travel

ceblogger — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 11:05:23 +0000

Philippine Airlines’ Fly Pinas Pass is good news to frequent flyers and those with extra bucks to spend and wanting to travel around the Philippines. This cheap airfare promo, is I think the best deal of the year. Here is the announcement from PAL’s website:

Avail of unlimited travel to 20 domestic points (Bacolod, Cebu, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Kalibo, Laoag, Legazpi, Manila, Puerto Princesa, Roxas, Tacloban, Tagbilaran, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Davao, Dipolog, General Santos, Ozamiz, and Zamboanga) in the Philippines from August 08 to November 15, 2011 with Fly Pinas Pass. Fly Pinas Pass offers best value for multiple business and leisure travel.

• 20 Domestic points to choose from
• Unlimited domestic travel for only:
PHP 7,070.00 on Fiesta (Economy) Class
PHP 37,070.00 on Mabuhay (Business) Class
• Fly to and return from different domestic destinations, e.g. fly Manila-Cebu and return Tagbilaran-Manila
• Travel in comfort and style with Philippine Airlines

Visit the Philippine’s last frontier – PALAWAN and experience the Underground River with your friends. Plan a trip with your family and visit the home of the oldest city in the country – CEBU and consider a side trip to discover the world’s famous Chocolate Hills in BOHOL. All these and more in seven weeks!
Selling Period: 08 – 14 August 2011

Fly Pinas Pass (FPP) must be converted into flight tickets within two (2) weeks from its purchase for the same passenger only. Flight bookings must be paid for and ticketed all at the same time.

Travelling Period: 08 August – 15 November 2011. Travel must be completed by 15 November 2011.

The rates mentioned above are exclusive of Aviation Security Fee (ASF), Ticketing Service Charge (TSC), VAT, Airport terminal Fees and surcharges. As long as you have planned your travel, you are already good. How I wish I have the time now to hop around the Philippines and enjoy this best travel deal.

You have 14 weekends to enjoy these perks folks.

List of Holidays for the Philippines in 2011

ceblogger — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:42:27 +0000

Malacañang issued Proclamation No. 84 today, declaring the regular holidays, special non-working days, and one special school holiday for 2011. To those folks who already bought plane tickets and made hotel reservations expecting the usual holiday economics of the previous administration, you might as well file your vacation leaves in advance.

Most of the holidays in 2011 fall on a Saturday or Sunday. Those employees without Saturday work, it’s going to be your usual weekend. Here’s the list of Philippine Holidays for the year 2011:

A. Regular Holidays

New Year’s Day – January 1 (Saturday)
Araw ng Kagitingan – April 9 (Saturday)
Maundy Thursday – April 21
Good Friday – April 22
Labor Day – May 1 (Sunday)
Independence Day – June 12 (Sunday)
National Heroes Day – August 29 (Last Monday of August)
Bonifacio Day – November 30 (Wednesday)
Christmas Day – December 25 (Sunday)
Rizal Day – December 30 (Friday)

B. Special (Non-Working) Days

Ninoy Aquino Day – August 21 (Sunday)
All Saints Day – November 1 (Tuesday)
Last Day of the Year – December 31 (Saturday)

C. Special Holiday (for all schools)
EDSA Revolution Anniversary – February 25 (Friday)

D. Islamic Holidays
Eid’t Fitr (possibly August 31 Wednesday, but let’s wait for proclamation)
Eid’l Adha (possibly November 6 Sunday, but let’s wait for proclamation)

Maybe it’s now time to make good use of a vacation planner. Where’s my next travel destination? The regular weekend may not be enough.

Vacation Destination – Cebu

ceblogger — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 07:26:20 +0000

(Note: This is a repost of a previously written entry which got lost during server transfer.)

Cebu is one vacation destination that you should not miss. Perhaps, there is no need for me to over-emphasize what the rest of the world knows already. So when you are in Cebu, do not just sleep in your hotel room. Go outdoors and enjoy what this island in the Pacific has to offer.

Cebu is White Sand Beaches

You can go to any world class resort in the nearby Mactan Island (the island where the international airport is located). We have Plantation Bay, Microtel Inn, Shangri-la, and now Imperial Palace. Of couse, there are other mid-range resorts within island. Just go to Cordova, Marigondon or in Maribago. You can also go island hopping.

If Mactan is not enough, you can pack your bag and head north to either Malapascua or Bantayan Islands. There you can find powdery white sand beaches, and they are not as expensive and commercialized as the beaches in Mactan.

Or you may also go south to Moalboal, go diving, and if you are lucky, swim with the whales that frequently pass by the Tañon Strait. There is also an exclusive resort at the Badian Island.

Cebu is Lechon

When you are in Cebu, don’t forget to try its tasty Lechon (roasted pig). It’s already rich in flavor that you don’t need to add sauce to it. Famous Cebu lechons include, Mila’s Lechon, CNT Lechon, Alejos’s Lechon and Ben’s Lechon. Taste it while it is still hot and crispy.

Cebu is Friendly People

Friendly people, beautiful Cebuanas, handsome Cebuanos, what more can you ask? But you just have to be careful when in the downtown area. Even the snatchers and pickpockets there look friendly.

Cebu Is In World History

Ironically, the world’s first famous tourist got killed in Mactan, Cebu. You must have already heard about Ferdinand Magellan, the great Portuguese explorer, whose team was the first to circumnavigate the world. He was killed by Lapu-lapu, the chieftain of Mactan, in 1521. It was not a cold-bloodied murder, but a result of a battle.

You can find the Lapu-lapu’s shrine in Mactan (near Shangri-la) and Magellan’s Cross in Cebu City (near City Hall). Cebu is rich in history and you can visit various museums and historical sites.

Cebu is Food Trips

What do you want? Japanese, American, Chinese, Korean, or Filipino cuisines? Or you can just enjoy a sumptuous buffet meal just about anywhere. Lots of restaurants in Cebu offer very affordable eat-all-you-can meals.

Cebu is Nightlife

You can be sleepless in Cebu by just staying around the Fuente Osmeña area. Or you can go to the IT Park where lots of young people are employed in call centers and BPOs. There are establishments there that are open 24 hours a day.

Cebu Travel Is Affordable

You can get round trip airfare as low as P2,000. But on the average, air travel to Cebu is still cheap. If you are coming from Mindanao or in the nearby islands in the Visayas, travelling by boat, though slow, is also very affordable.

Cebu hotels are also affordable. I saw some ads offering as low as P600/day for a nice and comfortable rooms in the Fuente area. Click here for the list of cheap and affordable hotels, inns and pension houses in Cebu City.

Cebu is Fun

Need I say more? Come and visit Cebu and experience all that they were saying about this Queen City of the South. See also my Day trip in Cebu guide.

Razon’s Halo-Halo Opens Outlet in Cebu

ceblogger — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 02:54:40 +0000

Razon’s Halo-halo, the famous halo-halo from Pampanga, will open its first outlet in Cebu City this March 26, 2010. They are located at Juan Luna Ave. Extension, just outside SM City Cebu (remember CNT Lechon?).

An officemate once told me about best-tasting halo-halo that he ever had. The name of the store escaped me then, until my wife mentioned to me Razon’s. “They’re opening an outlet in Cebu” she gladly told me over the phone. “Our next next-door neighbor owns the outlet” she added.

I suddenly remembered what my colleague had mentioned days before. “Are they from Pampanga?” My wife confirmed that they are from Pampanga.

And so last Sunday, I went to the nearest Razon’s outlet in Parañaque and tried for the first time their famous halo-halo. It wasn’t too sweet, which I like. The shaved ice is like cream, and it’s indeed the best that I had. No fancy flavors and rainbow-like colors. As a matter of fact, it has only three main ingredients: sun-ripened saging na saba, macapuno and leche flan with dayap rind traditionally cooked to sweet perfection.

With the scorching summer heat, who wouldn’t want a sweet and very cold halo-halo?

Now, since it’s their opening day, you might want to go there and get some freebies when you order halo-halo and other meals. They also have this special palabok, sizzling sisig, sizzling bulalo, and sizzling bangus. Below is a coupon which you have to print and bring on opening day. (VALID on opening day only) I don’t really know the exact freebies but, I know you won’t regret it when you get to taste their halo-halo.

Click for here for the >>> FREE COUPON

p.s. Please leave a comment if you intend to go there and use the coupon.

Cebu Pacific (CEB) vs Philippine Airlines (PAL): Travel Cheap or Travel Comfortably?

ceblogger — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:51:05 +0000

Cebu Pacific vs Philippine Airlines (PAL), how do you like to compare the two? Since I started working in the corporate world, I traveled a lot to different places in the Philippines. And I can remember that in my 14 years of working, I flew with Cebu Pacific most of the time. Yet in those rare moments I flew with PAL, I really cherished the experience. I will tell you why in the next few paragraphs. Here is my personal comparison of the two leading airlines operating in the Philippines:

FARE

Forgive me if I start with the fare. It’s the Accountant in me that triggers this fare comparison. Is Cebu Pacific the cheaper airline? Most of the time, YES! And that is if you are not carrying more than 15 kgs of luggage, and that you booked ahead of time and perhaps, you booked it on a promo period. CEB has more promo fare offers than PAL.

Under normal days, the fare difference is only minimal. Then you also have to consider the free snacks, and the flight schedule. If you ride with PAL’s bigger planes, chances are, the fare is more expensive.

Travel tip: If you plan to travel on a date outside the promo days, consider buying the tickets two weeks ahead. The closer the flight date, the more expensive it becomes. Also, take the first or last flight out, as the fares of these are normally cheaper than the day flights.

LUGGAGE:

If you are carrying luggage, make sure that you are within the required limit. If you purchase a promo fare, it is more likely that you are not allowed a checked-in luggage. Your free handcarry load will only be 7kgs. For checked-in luggage, limit for CEB is 15kgs while it’s 20kgs for PAL. If booking at CEB, don’t click on the GoLite fare if you carry a large bag exceeding 7kgs. The P100 difference is negligible.

For the excess luggage, it is P100/kg for CEB and P40/kg for PAL.

Travel tip: If you have excess on your big luggage, and you have no hand-carry bag, transfer some of your luggage content into a carry bag, whether it is a cheap knapsack or a large plastic bag. It will save you some money.

FLIGHT SCHEDULE AND DELAYS

Delayed again? I’ve experienced delays in both. But in my latest trip, CEB arrived 20 minutes ahead of schedule. The PAL flight of my colleagues, scheduled on that same morning, was delayed by 30 minutes.

On the other hand, a friend swore that she’ll never fly with CEB again because of these delays. But she could not ignore the low fares. So I guess, one can actually risk the hour or two delay.

Travel tip: If you have an early next day meeting, it is safe to travel the day before. But if you don’t want to spend for a hotel accommodation, leave very early in the morning. For example if you are coming from Cebu and you have a very important meeting in Makati at 9am, don’t fly on the 6am flight. Take the flights leaving between 4am to 530am. The trip is only an hour and 15 minutes. By 8am, you’ll be in Makati. Or if the flight is delayed by 30 minutes, you will still be on time. Based on my experience, the early morning flights are seldom delayed.

E-TICKETS (Online bookings)

Unless you have the patience to wait for 30 minutes before your call gets into their system, go call their hotlines. If you have the patience to wait for 2 hours, go their ticketing office. But if you have a credit card with enough balance, and you have patience that can only last for 10 minutes, it is better and more convenient to book online. For CEB, you can easily book online, and pay thru Credit Card, Bancnet ATM, and even, pay thru any BDO branch. For PAL, only VISA and Mastercard are accepted as payment for online bookings. Also, for CEB, online booking can be done 24 hours before your planned flight. For PAL, it is 2 days before travel date.

Travel tip: It is cheaper if you purchase through credit card. If you have none, you can ask a willing friend who have those acceptable plastics. But be sure to have a photocopy of his card and valid ID when you travel. Airline personnel may ask for it anytime.

AIRPORT CONVENIENCE

Except in Manila, the two airlines share the same facilities in all airports. In Manila, the PAL airport is in T2, while CEB operates at T3. The latter is the newer of the two, but it does not mean that it is better than the other. You still go to the same hassle of x-ray machines, and walking a distance to your boarding area.

Travel tip: Wear casual shoes.

CUSTOMER SERVICE – On-Flight and Service Crews

I never experienced a grumpy attendant at PAL. Ground crews were pleasant as well. Flight attendants of CEB are courteous so far, but not so with the ground crews. I witnessed first hand how a ground crew was so rude at two foreigners who mistakenly fall in line even if their numbers were not yet called. That same girl also raised an eyebrow at one guy who wanted to board the plane ahead of the others. She may be an exception though.

Travel tip: Don’t provoke or annoy the crews. Smile when they smile at you.

ON-FLIGHT CONVENIENCE

My first plane ride was on a large PAL Airbus. We were on Mabuhay Class and it was the same comfort and flight experience that I was looking for in every flight. I never had like it in any of CEB flights. Obviously, CEB planes are smaller. The PAL planes have bigger leg rooms.

Travel tip: Travel first-class at least once. That is if you can afford it.

Cebu Pacific Air’s Peso (Piso) Seat Sale

ceblogger — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:08:00 +0000

Cebu Pacific Air‘s peso (piso) seat sale is back. This is the cheapest plane fare promo around and promos as good as this made a lot of traveling converts. If you haven’t ridden an airplane yet, this is your chance. Imagine what your P1 can do.

Cebu Pacific P1 seat sale

Sale period is from October 31 to November 2, 2009 (or until the allotted 100000 seats are sold out). The race is on and I am sure the before the bell strikes at midnight, plenty will rush to the Cebu Pacific’s website. As of 11:30 pm on this 30th of October, their website is down. (Duh!)

Travel period is from June 15 to September 30, 2010. So better grab a ticket now and save the planning later. CEB’s trademark P1 seat sale also covers all of its 14 international destinations namely: Busan, Ho Chi Minh, Kota Kinabalu, Taipei, Bangkok, Incheon, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Guangzhou, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and Osaka.

Take note:
- Go-Lite: 7kg hand-carry baggage
- Optional: Add P100 upon booking for 15kg check-in baggage
- Fares are inclusive of tax and surchages
- Exclusive of airport terminal fees and applicable government taxes

Ok, ten minutes after midnight and I can’t still access their site. Waaaah. I want to go to Hong Kong.

Latest Cebu Pacific Seat Sale and Fare Discounts

ceblogger — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:54:53 +0000

Good news for frequent travelers! Here again is the latest Cebu Pacific seat sale and fare discounts. I’ve availed of their recent domestic promo flights for my parents’ September trip to Manila and back to Cebu. And now I’m tempted to book tickets for me and/or wifey for October, November and December. Here is their press release:

CEB kicks off ‘ber months with Halloween seat sale
30% off on all flights!

Travel during the ‘ber months this year, and get a load off your fare with our system-wide seat sale offer starting now until August 31, 2009!

The Halloween seat sale gives every Juan 30% off on all domestic and international destinations. This is valid for travel from October 1 to December 16, 2009.

Lots of reasons to fly! We fly direct from Manila to 28 domestic and 13 international destinations and from Cebu to 20 domestic and 4 international destinations.

Our other hubs are Davao (direct flights to Cebu, Manila, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga and Iloilo) and Clark (direct flights to Cebu, Bangkok, Singapore, Macau and Hong Kong).

We are the only airline servicing Manila-Cauayan, Cebu-Clark, Cebu-Dumaguete, Cebu-Roxas, Cebu-Puerto Princesa, Cebu-Surigao, Cebu-Cotabato, Cebu-Legazpi, Cebu-Siargao, Davao-Iloilo and Davao-Cagayan de Oro.

So hurry, pick your destination of choice and kick off the ‘ber season at www.cebupacificair.com now!

30% isn’t a small discount one can ignore. Imagine that domestic fare could go as high as P5,000-P7,000 during peak days. If you want to travel around the Philippines before you retire (temporarily or permanently), now is the time to do it. Travel to Cebu and many key cities in Visayas and Mindanao has become easier. Airfares are becoming cheaper and cheaper. You might also wonder if there are latest PAL promo flights, too. Go check it out and compare.

P.S. October 31, 2009 Update!
Cebu Pacific Air’s One Peso Seat Sale promo is back!

Road Trip To Baguio City

ceblogger — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:18:27 +0000

A planned road trip to Baguio City will finally happen this weekend. I haven’t been to that place they called the “Summer Capital of the Philippines”. I have been to many places in the Visayas and Mindanao, but I have yet to explore Luzon. My parents had been there in Baguio two decades ago. I watched in awe the pictures they took and the strawberries they brought. I think that was the first time my lips tasted the sweetness of strawberries.

This plan of ours could have taken place last May but we didn’t push through. I hope my wife and I can now proceed this time around. Ok, so what is this post all about? The purpose of this post is to solicit answers from my blogger friends who had been to Baguio. Now, here are my questions:

1. How long will it take me from Balintawak to Baguio traversing NLEX?
2. When is the best time to leave Manila and head north?
3. Where do I make a turn (or exit) in the long highway?
4. What hotel do you recommend?
5. What is the best time to go sightseeing?
6. What are the must-see and must-visit places in Baguio?
7. Where is the best place to buy local delicacies?
8. What restaurants do you recommend?
9. What are the places to avoid?
10. What is the best time to go down and travel back to Manila?
11. Any sidetrips you can recommend?
12. Any known shortcuts?

Well, I don’t have that much time to research. I appreciate very much your answers. If ever we do get lost, I just hope there are cell sites around. That means I should not rely on my Sun cell, but will make sure I’ll bring my other phone as well.

Come Monday evening, I’ll update this post with my discoveries.