CamSur

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Sogo Hotel Naga: Rated GP

Sogo Hotel Naga 
Rated GP

Typhoon Monang was predicted to hit the Bicol Region
few weeks before Christmas, so we everyone got busy
fortifying our  house to prepare for the year end howler.


We had our roof were covered with protective nets,
and old tires were placed to provide extra weight,

 

…window typhoon shutters were shut down,

 



…plants were tied and fixed to the fence,

 

…Christmas decorations were packed and removed,


 

…breakables were set aside,

 

…books were wrapped and waterproofed,



…and off we went to become hotel evacuees,
we needed to rest and relax as we expected a
lot of house cleaning to do after the typhoon.


Most of the hotels in Naga City were fully booked as
most Naguenos had a hotel exodus for typhoon Mona.
In desperation, I dialed the Sogo Hotel Naga, probably
the most maligned hotel chain in the Philippines and was
able to reserved two executive rooms for my family.


…and we were in for a pleasant surprise.


Stay

The Pirate Room

My son’s face brimmed with a wide, ear to ear smile
when he saw our pirate themed room. His reaction was
expected as it was every little boy’s  dream bedroom.


It had a huge king sized bed that is reflected on a ceiling
mounted mirror making you feel like you floating on air.

 

The careful attention to details was impressive.

 

 The bedside tables were made of barrels,

 

…and so were the chairs.

 

There we rope ladders suspended on the ceilings,

 

…and a faux- gas lamps served as mood lights.


There was an ample vanity area,



…that had an electronic safe at the base.

 

…and a working table which could double as a dining table, both 
of which are made of authentic  looking, faux hardwood lumber.


There was a huge flat screen LCD TV,

 

…and a DVD player.


Family traveling with kids should keep watch on the TV
as it had a complimentary, password free adult channels.

 

The best thing is this room is the spacious bathroom ,

 

...that had a Jacuzzi for a bathtub.

 

It also had a decent shower area,

 

…and the only hint that would give one
an idea that this is not a five star hotel is
having a rather limited generic toiletries.

 

There was only one land line phone by the bedside
and amazingly, it offers free international calls.

 

It promised a free in room wi fi, but maybe because of
the typhoon, internet service was down when we stayed.

James Bond 007 Room

My daughter instantly made this room her own upon
seeing it. It was bathed with a cool radiant blue glow,
it was a hip, modern, and  clutter- free suite room.


The 007 Themed Room also had a king sized bed,
and just like the Pirate Room, the careful attention
to details was just as impressive. There was a floor to
ceiling arched mirror mounting the sole window that
added depth and space to the beautifully glowing room.


The wall between the bedroom and the bathroom had
007’s close- up gun barrel logo. The barrel hole is made
of frosted glass that lights up when the bathroom lights on.



There was James Bond 007’s
silhouette by the vanity table,

 

…where the electronic safe
was located at the base.


There was also an image of 007’s iconic lady on fire
at the working table that works as dining area as well.

 

There was a huge flat screened LCD TV,
and no DVD player like on the other room.

 

Just like on the other room it offers a complimentary,
password free adult channels that families staying with
very young kids, like us should keep watch on the TV

 

There was also a spacious bathroom
equipped with an awesome Jacuzzi.



It also had a decent shower area,


…and just like the other room, the only hint
that would give one an idea that this is not a
five star hotel is having limited toiletries.

 

There was only one land line phone by the bedside
that offers free international calls and free in room
wi- fi, was also no working because of  the typhoon. 

 

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Both rooms had an ante- chamber where guests could
keep their luguage to avoid clutter in the main room and
it makes up for the absence of closets inside the room.

 

Guests are also provided with sanitized rubber slippers



The best thing in this hotel is the availability of 
a secured garage at the at the floor level of the
suite rooms, making it an ideal storm shelter.


Stray

Sogo Hotel Naga is centrally located at the
city’s Central Business District 2 (CBD 2),


…just beside the Bicol Central Terminal,
the city’s main and biggest transportation hub.


It is located at the back of SM City Naga,


Puregold/ ALDP Mall,


…and the nearby Robinsons Place
that is currently being constructed.

 

Sogo Hotel is a perfect location for guests
wanting to go on shopping spree in the city.

Play

Sogo Hotel is a drive- in hotel and
they have nothing  not much to offer
when it come to leisure activities,


…except maybe for the beautiful rooms and free
x- rated movies for couples who wanted to be kinky.

 

Feast

The food at Sogo Hotel came as a surprise for us.

 

They have a wide selection of affordable 
but delicious dishes for their room service,


…which are also available in the restaurant for
guests just wanted to dine without checking- in.


From a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate
the food in Sogo Hotel Naga at 8.


It is not a perfect 10 but I would still consider it as one of
the best restaurant in the city, and worth dining back again.



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The Sogo Hotel chain may have the most maligned reputation 
in the Philippines, but with our personal experience on its 
Naga branch,  the rooms we stayed were absolutely awesome,



 ...and we felt like we were staying in a theme park 
resort hotel like Legoland and Disneyland.



Who says Sogo Hotel are just for adults?
Sogo Hotel Naga is rated GP and could be
enjoyed by families with young kids as well.



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