Sarrosa International Hotel and Residential Suites | Cebu City

When I first visited my sister in Cebu, we passed by this very elegant looking hotel. It was very appealing to us so I told her, that the next time I would be visiting her, we would stay in that hotel. So, I searched for Sarrosa International Hotel online... looked for a deal, and for just 2,500 PHP, voila! I was set! 

I already set a high standard for the place, after all, the name bears "International" on it which to me, denotes that they are set to meet the demands and expectations of international clientele. Plus, the sign outside their hotel at night is so inviting that you would want to experience staying in this place. 

So the moral of the story, Don't judge a book by its cover! :))

(Sorry I was not able to take photographs of the signage and how it looks like at night. I was advised by friends not to do that for me and my camera's safety. haha)

Does the introduction part of this post appeal to you like it has a disappointed tone to it? YES? Then good! That's what I'm going for here. 

Though they have not satisfied the expectations I had in mind, I will still highlight both "hit" and "miss" for this hotel. 

Polite and Friendly Staff.
Check in was a breeze.

Not sure if they are going for the modern interior, a traditional one, or maybe a mix of all the design elements from all over the world. I'm not a interior design or architecture major, so please forgive me for being "design illiterate" --if that even exists. hahaha.

 Time to check what the room looks like...

Grand Deluxe Room for PHP 2,500 breakfast for 2 included.
Could fit 3-4 adults or 2 adults with 2 children.

The room we had was spacious, had wooden furnishings and carpeted floors. They have cable TV and WIFI access (but only limited to 2 gadgets). The beds were very comfortable, the room did not give off some weird smell and the air-conditioner was great. It feels like we are inside a chiller which is something (I know this will sound weird) I like.

They have a large bathroom with a bathtub (YAY! I like hotels with a bathtub) and a separate shower area.

Bathtub! Horaaay!

and now for the "miss", shall we?

• TV in our room was outdated (doesn't bother me much but if a budget hotel can afford LCD TV, why can't this "international" hotel?)
• The carpeted floor is both a hit and a miss. Hit because you won't hear the trolley wheels rolling but if the carpets are not cleaned well, they give off this "moldy mixed with sweat" smell which is the smell of the 3rd floor lobby.
• The room lights were ORANGE! It is not the elegant yellow-orange light, nor the skin flattering yellow light. It was VERY orange!  See the bathtub snapshots? That +10% more orange! Since I'm not good in taking photos, I had a hard time making the photos appealing. Even my best was still not appealing to me. :(
• We had a weird experience with the lift. Every time we hit the ground floor button from the 3rd floor, it would go 2 floors up (but the door won't open) before it goes down. How creepy is that?

Contrary to what was advertised, this room does not look "modern" to me. 

Moving on...

The buffet area was small but nice. I like how it gives off a lazy yet intimate vibe. Breakfast options were limited but I was satisfied with the food they served. I ended up eating more of their cream dory. It was delish! A must try!

Salad and Cereals

Plastic wrap should be removed upon serving.

I was going more of the floral arrangements here and less of the bread. :)

To sum it up, like in most hotels, there will always be a few hits and misses. Expectations not met, outdated equipment, smelly carpet floors, unflattering lights, scary elevator experience, the list could go on and on. They may have few misses but they did made me feel welcome during my stay and that is something worth mentioning. 

As we were leaving, the taxi driver told us the hotel is currently undergoing construction and renovation.

So would I recommend Sarrosa International Hotel?  For now, I would say search for other hotel options if you can. But I like to go back after the renovation and construction is done and maybe it will change my mind. 

Sarrosa International Hotel

F Cabahug St. Kasambagan, Mabolo, 6000 Cebu City

Tel.No: (63 32) 232-5811 to 18

Email: reservations@sarrosahotel.com

Express Inn | Cebu

As I was planning the 3-day Cebu Trip, I already anticipated that I would spend 80% of my cash on the first 2 days (and I'm right. haha) so I searched for budget friendly places around Cebu and found many options but the one that offered the most value for money was Express Inn. 

I don't have a high expectation set in this place due to the following reasons: First, I paid PHP 1,500 for a family room (good for 3 adults), breakfast included, Second, it says "inn" and not really a "hotel" and lastly, I know prices are sky rocket high in Cebu so to get a room for 1,500 is a good deal for me.

Hassle Free Check-in process, Polite Staff. 

I think they are going for a "Halloween" vibe with the masks.

Trinket and souvenir corner 

The family room was air conditioned, have a sitting area and a flat screen cable TV. It can accommodate 3-4 adults or 2 adults with 2 children. They do have free wi-fi available but I wasn't able to connect, both with my laptop and pad. I did not bother to complain because I don't need to use the internet that badly anyways. Another head's up, their rooms use the traditional door knob type and not the key card type. No bottled water (or any other beverage for that matter) was given as complimentary.

Family Room at PHP 1,500

Food Guide, Telephone, Safe, Crumpled Survey Form (the paper above the phone directory)

The bathroom was reasonably clean, have shower facility and free toiletries.  

Tocilog (Tocino + Fried Egg) for Breakfast.
Had to pay additional PHP 40 to upgrade my free breakfast to this one. 

Free breakfast.

Value for money?Although there were a couple of "miss" here and there, I would still say YES. The service was good, room rates were reasonable (plus it comes with free breakfast), the room was clean and location wise, it is just a walking distance to SM City Cebu.  

So, if you found yourself in Cebu City on a shoestring budget and in search of a budget friendly (yet have good service) place to stay in Cebu, Express Inn is a good choice. :)

Express Inn Cebu

Pope John Paul St., M.J. Cuenco Avenue, Mabolo, Cebu City

+63 (32) 266-7551

+63 (32) 266-7552

Lechon at Zubuchon

For our first dinner for this trip, we decided to try Zubuchon. We've heard a lot of mixed reviews about it which made us want to try it for ourselves to know if it was worth the "hype".

Based on the search that I did, Zubuchon have 3-4 branches in Cebu, we visited the one on Escario Street.

I have to admit, I got really excited and immediately raised my expectations the moment I saw the place. I was in love with how the place was set up. 

I find the logo super inviting not to mention cute. :)

I love the color combination and the lights. :)

Their staff were polite and friendly also kind enough to help us decide which of their specials we should order. So here's what we had for dinner.

The talked about Zubuchon Lechon.

As much as it pains me to say this but for the sake of fairness, I will say it: I have tried tastier lechon (Sorry zubuchon fans). Don't get me wrong, it was tasty and skin was crispy. It just didn't met the expectation I had in mind. :(

To make up for their lechon, I would give two thumbs up to their kamias shake. This was another staff suggestion which I just agreed politely at first because if truth be told I was clouded with hesitation and silently hoping that I would like it. Personally, I was just unsure of how kamias shake would turn out.

After I tasted it, I take back all the hesitation. haha! It deserved its "best seller" title. The taste was just perfect (at least to me). So, for those who will visit Zubucho and was not satisfied by the lechon, try their kamias shake! :)  

Anthony Bourdain should try the lechon from Iligan. Maybe it will change his mind. :)

Zubuchon

Unit 2 Bldg A Escario Central

Escario Street Kamputhaw, Cebu City

Phone: +63(32)5835699

Birthday Dinner at Tatay's Grill

Note: This blog post was suppose to go live on the 27th of September. But due to a lot of hustle and bustle that's been going on lately, I've only got the chance to do it today. As the saying goes, better late than never right? :)

It was my boyfriend's birthday and I planned to take him somewhere nice for dinner. I knew instantly that Tatay's Grill would be the best place to go. It was perfect since, he has never tried it and it was one of my favorite resto. Win-win situation! :)

When I am craving for the best seafood dish, then Tatay's Grill is my "go-to" place.

Apart from the food, I also like the "homey" set up of the place. 

Since it is a special occasion we stuffed our bellies with these mouthwatering dishes.(I'm drooling by just looking at them.) 

Tuna Belly with onions and tomatoes on the side

My all time favorite Spicy Shrimps.

and last but not the least, the perfectly fried calamares.

Look at that wide grin of satisfaction on the birthday boy's face. I had to take a snapshot of him doing this smile because it was one of the very rare times that he ate all his food without any complaints. Haha. He knows his way around cooking and food that is why it is slightly hard to satisfy his taste buds. :P

I know this is kinda late but still I will say this,
Happy Happy Birthday Ming!
You deserve all the good things that will come your way.
Enjoy this year and stay awesome. ♥

So, for anyone who is planning to treat their someone special to a restaurant that serves great food without the expense of ripping out your pocket, then Tatay's Grill is a MUST try!  

Tatay's Grill 'n Bar

National Hi-way Tambo, Brgy. Hinaplanon

Iligan City

(063) 221-1740