Where To Stay in Bicol: Hotel St. Ellis

Because we could not decide what hotel to book for our Bicol trip, Joie and I agreed to book two hotels. The boys always just follow the lead. We stayed in Ellis Ecotel on our first night. We thought that we just needed a decent place to stay for the night since we would be spending the entire day for our Misibis Bay day tour. We then booked Hotel St. Ellis which I believe is also affiliated with Ellis Ecotel. We wanted to splurge a little bit on a hotel for our last day in Bicol. We anticipated a very tiring Donsol trip so we needed the most comfortable bed ever. Joie and I also wanted to stay in a hotel with a swimming pool. HAHAHA!!!

Early morning of our second day, we informed the receptionists at Ellis Ecotel that we would be checking out early. But we requested if we could just leave our bags. They willingly obliged. We then thought of another option. Since the two hotels are affiliated, we asked the receptionist to call Hotel St. Ellis to ask them to pick us up at Ellis Ecotel that morning. In five minutes, a van arrived to pick us up.

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The high ceiling, mostly white interiors, wide staircase, hanging chandeliers, gigantic lamps and elegant ornaments of the receiving area truly speak of elegance.

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We were immediately attended by a female receptionist. Since both our rooms were already vacant, we were allowed for an early check-in. We got adjacent rooms at the fifth floor of the hotel. After placing all our bags, we hurried up since we needed to catch the trip to Donsol. When we got back in the afternoon, a large bed welcomed me. It was the same bed that I saw that same morning. But after a very tiring day, the bed just looked more inviting to me.

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The bed seemed to hypnotize me to come closer. I didn’t use flash in taking a photo of this side of the room because I wanted you to “feel” the romantic vibe of the room because of the beautiful lighting.

I loved the large bed, soft pillows and fresh-smelling blankets. I also liked that the headboard has foam. It’s very relaxing to just watch TV or read a book before going to sleep. One more thing nice about our bed is the fact that most of the light switches are just within our reach. The hardest part for me every night is getting out of bed to turn off the light. Hahaha!!!

As soon as I finished admiring the bed, I went to see the most important part of the room: our bathroom. I loved how the hotel managed to combine aesthetic without compromising functionalities. Before I go into all the details of how beautiful our bathroom was, let’s take one bad item out of the way. It doesn’t have a bidet. Boooom!!!

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Moving on, our bathroom was clean, as in sparkling clean. I loved how they managed to separate the shower area from the rest of the room through a glass door. The rest of the room is a few inches elevated to prevent the water from the shower area to get to the rest of the room. Notice that black surface in the middle. Yes, it looks good. But I think that’s placed there to prevent guests from slipping while taking a shower. And, it’s also a good surface to scrub your feet. Instant foot spa!!! HARHARHAR!!!

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Same with those at Ellis Ecotel and Hotel La Corona, I enjoyed the rainfall shower system at Hotel St. Ellis. Paired with the glass cube and perfectly-working heating system, I had a great time taking a bath!

The bathroom’s mirror is actually well-lighted, making it easier for girls to prep up.

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Basic toiletries were provided including two bath towels with the hotel’s logo. Talk about attention to details!

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Our room has cable TV with reception way better than the one we had at Ellis Ecotel. There is a study area with a big mirror on one side of the room. Internet cable is being provided for laptop users. Unlike the very fast internet connection in Ellis Ecotel, wi-fi signal at Hotel St. Ellis is only limited to the reception area and restaurant.

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The room is equipped with a personal refrigerator. We were also provided with two complimentary bottled water. When I checked the drawer above the ref, I saw some utensils inside. That’s actually quite impressive.

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The room has a huge closet where bath robes and complimentary slippers were placed. Inside it are the safety deposit box, hair dryer and a flash light. The provided utensils already impressed me. I was impressed more with the flash light. Yes, trivial things impress me. :p

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Now, here’s the good part!!!

We booked Hotel St. Ellis because we wanted to stay in a hotel with a swimming pool. The pool is just perfect, except for one thing.

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There are painted numbers and symbols on ends of the pool which say: 5’6”. 5 feet, six inches! I scrubbed my eyes and even asked the lady guard whether the pool is really that deep.

Joie: 5’6” talaga ‘yung pool, Ate?
Ate: Yes, ma’am.
Joie: Sana nilalagay nyo sa site nyo. Saka hindi naman normal na laki ng mga Pilipino ang 5’6”!!!

And why specifically 5 feet, six inches?! Is there a Feng Shui concept behind it? I just find the precision really weird. 5’6” kasi talaga, exact! Put me in a five-foot pool, and I’ll probably struggle. Put all four of us in that pool, and the hotel will probably need a search and rescue team on standby. HAHAHAHA!

Ok, so the pool was a disappointment. And they don’t have bidets installed. But, I still LOVE Hotel St. Ellis! Our room is just too beautiful that it was so hard for me to leave it behind. A lot of small details were really surprising so those are additional points for the hotel. Staff members are also very friendly and accommodating. The receptionists are very efficient. And the security guards gladly answered all our questions and even helped us to call for cabs and tricycles. All in all, I felt that I got my money’s worth for the PHP3,480/night they charged us.

1 comment :

  1. Shocks! Nainggit ako ng slight! hahahaha..

    http://celerhinaaubrey.com

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