I have to blog about this, as in kailangan ko lang talagang iblog because weird and interesting ang experience ko sa paghahanap ng city hotel online.
As early as August, nabook ko na ang Disney's Hollywood Hotel where we spent our first night sa Hong Kong. Ang kulang na lang eh city hotel for our 2nd and 3rd nights.
I had a simple criteria in looking for a hotel less than 5k/rm/night, has two single beds and near MTR station. Sangdamakmak na reviews ang binasa ko online from tripadvisor, agoda and booking.com. Kung kami lang ni Paul ang aalis, walang problema, kahit saan pwede kami magstay kaso kasama kids so we had to find a place that's safe and comfortable for them.
First hotel I've picked is JJ Hotel. Early October, I booked a room through booking.com and indicated that we are a couple with two kids and prefers a twin bed room.. JJ Hotel was quick to respond that they have no twin bed room available.
Second on my list was YWCA Anne Black guesthouse. Some tag it as a two star hotel, others as a hostel. The reviews were really nice, the only downside is, it's a 15minute walk to the nearest MTR station- Mongkok. May katabing library na free ang wifi, may malapit na bus stations and maayos and safe daw ang surrounding. From the pictures on the net, mukhang spacious naman yung room at may option to add an extra bed. So after I cancelled my reservation with JJ, I booked Anne Black. Since it's a no cancellation fee booking, I continued to search for a hotel even after I've booked Anne Black, hindi kasi ako comfortable dun sa 15 minute walk considering that we're travelling with kids.
So nagtatanong-tanong ako sa friends and continued to search on the net pero wala akong makitang better alternative. One day, I came across Wesley Hotel na okay ang reviews and may available room sa Agoda. To be sure, nagsearch ako ng reviews sa ibang site and oki rin. But then, may nakita akong isang blog na super negative ang review especially in terms of customer service. And laging ganun, tuwing may makikita akong mukhang okay, laging biglang may lalabas na negative. And everytime ichecheck ko uli ang Anne Black, dumadagdag ang pisitive reviews. Sa isip ko nun, sige na nga, Anne Black na lang.
Pero since hindi talaga ako mapakali, nagtuloy pa rin ako sa paghahanap. One weekend, I saw Evergreen Hotel na okay ang reviews and okay din ang location. Chineck ko ang room availability and meron naman. Nung magbobook na ko, akalain mong nasagi ng pamangkin ko yung plug ng computer! Napakamot na lang ako ng ulo. Sabi nga ni Paul "Honey, give up, let go, yan na talaga." Pero hindi pa rin ako nagpapapigil. Since naglalaptop naman nun si Paul, I asked him to do the booking. Guess what, wala nang availability dun sa dates na sa HK kami! Kaloka! Ewan ko kung namalik-mata lang ako at ibang dates ang nakita ko nung unang tingin ko basta bottomline, out na rin ang Evergreen. Inisip ko na lang na siguro pangit yun kaya ayaw ni Lord na magstay kami dun.
At dahil matigas ang ulo ko, pagtuloy pa rin akong nag-ubos ng oras kahahanap ng hotel. Then just a few weeks before our trip, nakita ko sa Agoda ang Newton Hotel. Okay naman sa akin ang reviews and fit sa budget, hindi siya available sa booking.com. i k/npab|ed the hotel and asked if they have an available room with twin beds, I have to be sure kasi may booking fee ang Agoda. The hotel was quick to respond na there's an available room. And as I searched for reviews I came across HotelTravel.com which even offered a slightly cheaper price with no booking fee. In a breeze, I booked Newton Hotel and after they confirmed, I cancelled Anne Black.
As it turned out, our stay at Newton Hotel was very satisfying. Room is a bit small but okay for us. Place was quiet, room was clean, view is okay. There's a bathtub, electric kettle, TV (no cable), safety deposit box. The location was excellent! It's just a 2-minute walk from Fortress Hill station of MTR. There's a bus station nearby where the airport bus stops. 7-11, Yoshinoya, Burger King and other restaurants are walking distance from the hotel.
So what's so interesting about it? Wala lang, feeling ko lang I have a guardian angel with me throughout my hotel search, na parang someone or something guided me into picking the right hotel. Na sa dami ng oras na naubos ko kahahanap ng hotel, sulit lahat :)
hehe, yun lang. :)
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