Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Villa Caceres Hotel Family Room: Quiet and Windowless Storm Shelter

Villa Caceres Hotel Family Room 
Quiet and Windowless Storm Shelter 

 We again became evacuees at the Villa Caceres Hotel 
when Typhoon Ruby breezed in the Bicol Region 
just several weeks before  the Christmas 2014 season.

^^Cropped from Villa Caceres Webpage Photo

I also blogged about this hotel’s Presidential Suite 
 when we stayed here during the really strong
Typhoon Glenda that also howled at the city midyear,


…and this time, forecasts from weather bureaus were scary,
as they are predicting a super typhoon comparable to Typhoon
Yolanda (Haiyan) that flattened Tacloban more than a year ago.


So when we checked in, we asked the front desk
to put us on their biggest room without any window
and she suggested their Family Room, so we took it.



The hotel’s main entrances both at the lobby,


…and at the check in area were already sealed with
steel and plywood in preparation for the coming storm.


The glass windows were fastened with masking tapes
to prevent them from shattering on strong winds.


Still the hotels’ grand lobby looked opulent despite all those 
unsightly  anti- typhoon contraptions and even with the lights off.


It was already rainy outside when we got
to our room on the scenic elevator,



…and the narrow and winding corridor
took us to our room on the second floor.


Stay
Family Room

It was a beautiful and spacious room but we were disappointed as we were 
expecting a much bigger one, with a queen size and a double bed as seen in 
the hotel's official webpage- as it was meant to accommodate a whole family.


We felt the same way when we checked in on their
Presidential Suite. It was beautifully breathtaking, but
it was nothing but a grandiose one bedroom suite given
a illustrious name,  much more than what it deserves.


The problem with Villa Caceres Hotel is they keep over- classifying their 
premier rooms, making us expect much more from what we were made to believe.
 Had they classified  this so called family room as  a regular suite room, my 
impression  would have been  different. Considering that this is a family room, 
it only had two regular sized  beds and they added an extra bed in between.


We had it removed as we couldn’t move
around and the room looked a lot better.


It had a nice sitting area with
elegant European inspired chairs. 

 

They also have a classy framed mirror at the vanity
area that may also serve as a working or a study table.
 

It also had a beautiful closet,


…with a refrigerator in the minibar inside.


It had a beautiful and elegant bathroom
with a Victorian style shower room,



…and provided with basic toiletries.



Guests would also appreciate the intricate and
lovely 3D design on the bathroom tiles, 


…that goes well in well the elegant
and elaborate cornices on the ceiling,


…and the beautiful furniture in side the room reflect
 the hotel owner’s discerning and sophisticated taste.



The room and a huge flat screen LCD TV,


…there was only one land
line phone by the bedside,


…and sadly, no internet connection.


Stray

We stayed in this hotel as typhoon evacuees so we
didn’t intend to play tourists but to stay in a window-
less and view- less room until the storm is over.


But otherwise, Villa Caceres Hotel is located in
the famous Magsaysay Strip, close to so many
dining and tourist destinations in Naga City.


There is also a tour desk at the lobby, making
it very convenient for tourists to book packaged tours
in CamSur and even in the neighboring provinces.


Please read my previous blog on

Play
(I copy- pasted this from my previous blog.)
link: The Villa Caceres Hotel: Mediterranean Opulence in Naga City

The Villa Caceres Hotelhas a lovely resort  like leisure amenities
 with swimming pool with a outdoor Jacuzzi, and a gorgeous Sauna.





It is also where a Manila based 
salon and day spa is located.



They also had a well equipped gym whic
I was not able to use due to our very
limited time that we stayed in the hotel. 


Feast

The Breakfast Buffet is supposed to be at the Rose Garden,
 an outdoor trellis- roofed, brick paved garden courtyard,




…but because of the typhoon, it was
served at the indoor Rolando’s Café.



Villa Caceres Hotel has a decent
spread on their breakfast buffet,




…but one thing that I enjoyed was the delicious
Champorado that could be eaten with a dried fish
called Pagutpot available at the main buffet area.


…and the native suman.


-0-0-0-0-0-

This is the third time that we stayed at the new
wing of  the Villa Caceres Hotel. The first time
was two years ago during my son’s Holloween 
program held in one of its function rooms.


We checked in one of their standard suites and I was 
impressed on how beautiful it was and the tariff at about
 3,500 pesos was very affordable .and budget friendly.


Most of the standard and rooms in this hotel 
have excellent value for money factor.


But when it comes to their premium suite rooms, I believe they are 
overpriced compared to local hotels of the same standard and rating.
During the Typhoon Glenda, we stayed in their Presidential Suite.
It was a breathtakingly elegant room but at 12,000 pesos, I believe it is
overpriced for the reasons stated in my previous blog on the link below:

The Villa CaceresHotel   Mediterranean Opulence in Naga City 





I have the same impression for this Family Room.
It isn't a family room but a beautiful, sophisticatedly
designed elegantly furnished windowless suite room, 


It was obvious that the original queen or king sized bed was
removed and replaced with a smaller double bed as the 
headboard of one of the beds was ovesized,


Had it not been for the incoming typhoon, I would have
not stayed in this room as it would make me claustrophobic.
It is a big wonder why one would put an expensive premium 
room on the hotel’s innards devoid of any window or any view?



Just like the Presidential Suite there
was no Wi Fi signal in the room,


...and the opulent  bathroom room 
had only ordinary basic toiletries.


The room costs about 7,000 pesos a night,
 just 500 pesos less compared a beautiful one
bedroom suite at Avenue Plaza Hotel nearby.


For me this supposedly family room, together with
their Presidential Suite, despite being very beautiful
and elegantly furnished are two of the most overpriced
hotel rooms that we have ever stayed anywhere else in the
world, if one would consider the value for money factor.


Otherwise, Villa Caceres Hotel would still be my first
choice as a safe and elegant typhoon shelter for my family.


Read the link below for related post

The Villa Caceres Hotel: Mediterranean Opulence in Naga City


.

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