For our visit to Puerto Princesa this time around, we finally decided to stay in a different place. It was not that our last place was terrible. In fact, we all wanted to go back for our second visit.
But after discussions with my family, everyone agreed to stay somewhere else so we could try different amenities this time around.
Table of Contents
Location
House of Big Brother Sign
Located on the main road of Puerto Princesa, specifically at 108 Manalo Street, the House of Big Brother Hotel is one street away from the airport. Being so close, it is about eight minutes away without traffic. If there is traffic, it will add approximately seven minutes, making it a fifteen-minute drive from the Puerto Princesa airport.
Normally, the House of Big Brother will arrange for their guests to be picked up at the airport. However, if this hotel was booked through a tour guide, transportation might be handled by the tour company and not the hotel.
Room
Room
The room we stayed in was pretty simple, being white from top to bottom. Other than looking clean, the white paint makes it feel feel like it is bigger than it is.
As far as lighting is concerned, there is one light on the ceiling, a night light on the wall between the beds, and another light pointing down on the sink. It was nice to see that all the bulbs used were Light Emitting Diodes, or LEDs so they consumed the least amount of power.
However, due to the limited number of lights, the room was not very bright. The most I can say is that the lighting was more relaxed.
Cabinets
The cabinets were adequate as they had a couple of hangers suspended from the bar inside. The shelf splitting the cabinet was a bit high, so long clothes that it is not possible to hang long dresses. There is no problem with shirts and long pants that are folded on hangers though.
Lounge Area Outside of the Room
A small personal safe was firmly attached to the corner in the cabinet. However, I was not able to use it would not open. It seems that the previous guests did not leave the safe door open before they checked out.
And since I didn’t plan on leaving any expensive items in the room, I did not bother asking the front desk to open it so it stayed unused for our trip.
Dining Table
One of the nice things about the room is that it has a small glass table where guests can eat meals in the privacy of the room. Four chairs can be tucked in the round table to keep them from getting in the way of people.
Kitchen Area
Other amenities include a small kitchen area that has a sink and a faucet attached to a metal hose. The sink is quite unique because the drain is under a large tile. This help prevent bigger items from falling down the drain hole.
Kitchen Sink, Stove, and Refrigerator
If there are more than two guests, the sink can double as a place to brush one’s teeth. Just make sure to bend down while brushing or you may find a few splashes of toothpaste on your shirt.
The good thing about the sink is that it isn’t just for show because guests are allowed to prepare just about any meal in the room. The only exception is Tuyo, a very strong smelling fish that tends to stick to clothing, to prevent other guests from complaining.
A full list of kitchen equipment is available in the cabinets under the sink. These include a Convex Stove, a Microwave Oven, and a Rice Cooker. There is also a personal refrigerator to the right of the cabinets
And if one were to go through the cabinets, one will find plates, glasses, spoons, forks, knives, and even a dish rack to dry any wet items.
Television and Emergency Light
When guests are not cooking, they can lie on one of two queen-sized beds and watch cable television on a flat Liquid Crystal Display, or LCD, screen mounted on the wall by the entrance.
Wall-mounted Television near Emergency Light
And should the power go out, there is an emergency light mounted next to the flat screen television. It was a pleasant surprise to see the emergency light work when the power went out for about an hour during our first night in the hotel.
Although will say that I practically jumped out of bed in surprise because the emergency lights were bright than spotlights. And their being pointed at my bed made me feel like I was a star on Broadway before beginning to feel like a prisoner at Alcatraz.
Air Conditioner
The room has a split-type air conditioner mounted in between the emergency light and flat screen television. The air conditioner is seemed a bit small for the room. People who want their rooms to be igloos with the temperature bordering on freezing may feel it isn’t enough.
This was the issue we had for our first and we informed the front desk about it. It turns out that all that was needed was to clean out the filter. After the filter was washed and re-inserted in the air conditioner, the room was just right; not too cold and not too warm.
Space
Room
The room is actually bigger than usual. But with the dining room table included, may be a bit cramped for guests who are used to volumes of space.
If you’re one of those people, the trick to maximizing the space of this room it to make sure all luggage is stored in the cabinets to avoid cluttering up the room. Now if the tall cabinets are filled up, you can try putting some stuff in the cabinets underneath the sink.
Bathroom
The bathroom is more of a long rectangle instead of a square. It sits behind a plastic door with a faux stained glass window. The door also has vents near the bottom so air can be sucked in when the bathroom’s exhaust fan is turned on.
Bathroom
On of the nicest things about the bathroom is, just like the kitchen faucet, everything has a hose. Instead of a dipper, the toilet has a pistol grip faucet that people can use. The white sink also has a faucet attached to a hose so people washing their hair do not have to step in the shower. And to round it all off, the shower head is also attached to a hose.
The water pressure is strong and we never ran out of water, despite being more than two people in the room. The water heater was also very good as guests can crank it up for a nice hot shower.
The floor outside the shower does get wet though. So it may be a good idea to bring a pair of shower slippers. That way, you won’t have to step on the floor as it sometimes tends to get a bit muddy as people use the sink with regular slippers.
After stepping out of the shower in your shower slippers, you can dry it on the door mat on the floor outside the bathroom door.
Food
Our stay included a free breakfast. But unlike other hotels where guests can choose what to eat from a menu, the food served at the House of Big Brother is dependent on the cook.
Entrance
In our case, the different days had us eating Longganiza, Corned Beef, and Ham. Each main dish came with one fried egg and garlic fried rice. Drinks were either Orange Juice or coffee.
The food can be delivered to the room or it could be eaten in the common areas beside the swimming pool. Since we had a dining table in our room, we opted to could eat in air conditioned comfort of our room.
For those who prefer water in the morning, the personal refrigerator has a water bottle inside. All one has to to is step out of the room to fill it up with the water cooler that had a five-gallon bottle outside.
The water cooler is free for all guests so you may find that the cold water is sometimes used up. The best thing to do is just to fill up the pitcher in the refrigerator and allow it to cool overnight.
Amenities
Swimming Pool
There is a swimming pool available for the guests to use. But given the size, it is more like a wading pool or an oversized Jacuzzi.
Due to this, just a few people will be enough to make it crowded, so if the place is fully booked using the pool for some quiet time may not be possible with kids around.
Shared Open Area
However, when there isn’t anyone else around, it is nice to take a dip in the evenings because of the lighting. When switched on, the pool’s lights cycle through different colors, like blue, green, and red, adding to the mood of being away from home.
I also mentioned that there is a common area by the pool where people can relax and eat. About half of the tables are under their own umbrellas, while the other half is under a galvanized roof.
Staff
The staff if very accommodating and will go the extra mile to make guests comfortable.
They respond quickly to requests for extra toilet paper, towels, and even utensils. They were also very quick to respond to the issue with the air conditioner by cleaning the filter and restarting it.
Price
Corridor
The prices are quite reasonable. For three adults, we were charged a total of PhP 2,300 per night. Divided in to three, this is about PhP 767 per person for one night. Compared to the PhP 999 that is advertised on the sign outside the hotel, this was quite a bargain since it also included a free breakfast.
I understand that kids below a certain age are free, while the older and larger ones get discounted rates.
At least half of the payment needs to be settled by depositing cash in an account in a designated bank. The balance can be settled right before leaving.
Although in our case, we settled our bill a day before leaving to minimize delays. As we prepared to leave, the only thing that had to be settled was our getting an official receipt.
Final Thoughts
Our stay at the House of Big Brother was very pleasant. The rooms were clean and the staff was very nice.
The amenities, especially the kitchen was surprisingly complete. And the all the faucets being attached to hoses added to the convenience.
Lobby
While the swimming pool was a bit small, most guests will hardly miss using it. Since the island hopping tour to Honda Bay has people going to at least three different islands and beaches, using a hotel pool, no matter where it is, is a bit anticlimactic.
Finally, with a prices at about PhP 767 for one person per night, it is difficult to find something with a free breakfast and a small pool at that price. In fact, several of my other relatives plan on booking this hotel for their trip because the price can be tough to beat.
Well, that’s it for me. Hope you can join me as I share the other activities we had for our second visit to Puerto Princesa. Even though we did much of the same things during our first time here, there were a lot of changes this time around.
Till the next time, keep your camera batteries fully charged and your memory free because you may need them for the next place you visit!
Must Do’s
- Bring shower slippers.
- Try taking a dip in the pool at night.
- Clarify who will handle the rides to and from the airport with your tour guide.
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