Oriental Hotel Legazpi :Opulent Lobby, Poorly Maintained Rooms.

Oriental Hotel Legazpi 
Opulent Lobby, Poorly Maintained Rooms.

This is our third time to stay.
in Oriental Hotel Legazpi.

 

The fist was five years ago in their 
Mayon View One Bedroom Suite. 
The hotel was new brand new then.
I reviewed  it in this blog (link HERE).





We stayed on a similar room after about two years.    
I decided not do a review as I did not see any change.
However, after five years it deserves another review.



We returned to the Oriental Hotel for the third time
when my wife attended the Philippine Nurses Association
national convention held in Legazpi City few months ago.



We booked a four day stay in the hotel without
intending to sleep there as my wife  would just
be driving from Naga in the morning and return
in the afternoon for the duration of the convention.



She just needed a room to rest during
the meeting breaks while in Legazpi.



The people at the front desk
were courteous and helpful,



…we were offered cold drinks,



…as it took time for us to check in.

We decided to have lunch at the lobby
restaurant while waiting for our room,
and we already finished our meal when
we were told that our room was ready.

 

Interestingly, they asked for a Php 500
refundable deposit for the hotel room key.

 

The only hotel to do so in my years of extensive
traveling both in the Philippines and abroad. 

Stay 

Standard Mayon View Room

While the is no doubt that Oriental Hotel Legazpi 
may have one of the most opulent lobby among
any other hotels in Legazpi oi even in Bicol as well,



…that creates an impressive welcome to hotel guests,



…unfortunately- all the good things
seem to stop  in the grand lobby.



We decided to use the stairs going to our room located in the second 
floor,and this is where one would find out that beyond the beautiful 
facade  and opulent lobby- is a hotel in a sad state of disrepair.



Old worn out, dirty and even torn 
carpets needing replacement, 

 

are seen both on the stairs,

 

…and to hallway leading to the guest rooms.  



The room was no exemption.

 

The closet door was broken and was
removed rather than being repaired,

 

…the toilet paper holder
was rusty and broken,



…and the retractable clothesline at the shower room
was stuck and permanently lodged on the wall socket.



The room had two double beds enough
to accommodate two persons per bed.



It had a working/study table,



.... a mini bar,  

 

 

… a huge flat screen TV...



 The room had balcony that had
a view of the swimming pool,



…and although labeled as Mayon View Room,
the famous volcano was not visible in this room.  



The closet with  a broken door that was removed instead of  
being fixed, had several clothes hangers and an electronic safe,



…and two pairs of paper slippers.

 

The bathroom was beautiful,





...and provided with basic toiletries.



The toilet paper holder
was rusty and broken.



We had a bathtub in our room on our
last stay that had rusty colored water,

…this time the water was clear when
I opened the faucet in the lavatory.

 

The room had a free Wi Fi  internet. 
and had one line phone by the bedside.



During our previous stay, the phone was
an intercom for room to room calls only.
This time it could be used to call outside
the hotel but still with no direct dial feature
and need to get connected by an operator.

   
Stray 

The hotel is located in Taysan Hill
so getting around would be difficult
for checked- in guests without vehicles.  

Staying put in the hotel would be the best option
as  it offers a spectacular view of Mayon Volcano. 

Play   

Oriental Hotel Legazpi has beautiful infinity pool,
that would have offered an awesome view of 
Mayon Volcano had it been a clear day.



Unfortunately it was rainy during our stay and the
volcano was covered with clouds most of the time.



The children were young during our first visit
five years ago and I was worried as the kiddie pool
is open at the edge of the second floor without any
barrier and might pose a danger to young children.



This edge pool would still be potentially dangerous-
but this time the kids are older and I was less worried.  

 

It also had a well equipped gym.  

Feast

Flavors of Asia    

Flavor of Asia by the Oriental   is restaurant located 
 at the lobby that serves a wide variety of Asian cuisine.

 

…the food was good,
 …and the service was excellent.

Saigon Market   

Saigon Market , serves as a
venue for the breakfast buffet,

 

…but we didn’t get to dine there as
we did not sleep in the hotel as we
went back to Naga City home at night.



We did that for three days and our hotel room
served only as a place to rest on convention breaks.

 

Volcanic Grill

The Volcanic Grill is a poolside bar,

 

…where one cold have a drink or two,



…and enjoy the awesome view
of  Mayon Volcano on a clear day.

-0-0-0-0-0- 

Oriental Hotel Legazpi had a very
massive and impressive hotel façade,



…. an opulent and grand lobby,



But behind this imposing appearance, is a badly
 maintained  hotel, with rooms that had seen better
 days and needing repair or even renovation.

The hotel looks majestic in the outside- but once you stay
here,  what you see, is not necessarily what you get.



The hotel could be likened to seductress who 
had put on her lipstick but did not brush her teeth,

Read the link below for related post

Oriental Hotel Legazpi, 2012