Henia Hotel in Dumaguette

Not all of my hotel stays are four or five star resorts. When I travel to the more remote areas wherethe chains are not available, I have to pay cash for my stay, as there are no hotels that accept points as a currency. That was the case, when I stayed in Dumaguette in the Philippines.

This was actually one of the best hotels in the city, but the rates were only about US$40 per night. I use some gift cards to pay for the rate which I had bought at a 20% discount from hotels.com so actually my stay only cost me about $32 out of pocket.

For the rate I paid, this was actually a very nice hotel. Certainly not up to the standards of the Hyatt or the Marriott, that I stay in the bigger cities, but nonetheless, quite sufficient for the area and price.

Above is a picture of the lobby when you enter into the hotel. I enjoyed that there was always a receptionist at the desk, and they were never too busy. They were also very helpful and anything I required, such as renting a motorbike. I just simply told them what I wanted and they got on the phone until they found what I was looking for. It actually took them several calls in about 30 minutes to perform the task. But they were relentless and very willing to please.

What's nice about this area is that no tipping is expected. They just see this as part of their job and they do not expect and sometimes will not even accept the tip. If you give it to them. So much unlike what we're used to in the USA.

The bed was very comfortable. They also laid out nice towels that you would expect to see in the higher end hotels.

Although this was not an oversized room, such as I get in many of the chain hotels in the bigger cities, it was certainly sufficient for my needs. I really didn't spend that much time in the room anyway, as I was out on my bike for most of the day visiting different areas.

The outside streets were quite safe. I had no problem walking the streets at night. I even walked down some of the more remote, darker streets, and didn't have any anxiety that anything would happen.

Each night I would walk from my hotel down to the boulevard where you could walk along the waterfront. It was always quite lively there with many other people around and often I would just sit on a bench and people watch.

I really enjoyed the breakfast in the morning. Mostly because it was cooked to order. Although there was a small buffet area with breads and coffee, I didn't partake of the breads. I just ate what they cooked for me and it was just the right size. As I've mentioned before I another Post, I don't care so much for the buffets because I tend to over eat. So for me, this breakfast was perfect.

I had a choice of different meats, but I usually just stuck with the corn beef because that was a food I was most accustomed to. I had garlic rice every morning, although I really never eat rice when I'm back in the USA.

I thought it a bit peculiar that when I ordered eggs, I only got a single egg. I don't think I've ever been to a place where I've ordered eggs and only got one, but again it was sufficient, and I had no problems with it.

Overall, I was very pleased with the hotel. When I'm only out of pocket about $32 per night, which includes all taxes and fees, that was an incredible bargain for this hotel. Especially for being in the middle of the city.