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.
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| Polite and Friendly Staff. Check in was a breeze. |
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| 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. |
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| 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.
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| 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- TV in our room was outdated (doesn't bother me much but if a budget hotel can afford LCD TV, why can't this "international" hotel?)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!
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| Salad and Cereals |
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| Plastic wrap should be removed upon serving. |
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| 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.
F Cabahug St. Kasambagan, Mabolo, 6000 Cebu City
Tel.No: (63 32) 232-5811 to 18
Email: reservations@sarrosahotel.com
