Sunday, May 20, 2012
Alaska/Philippine Time
Well, Every time I send money to my kids I have to time it when to call them to give them the details of my WU transaction. Philippines is 16 hours ahead of AK time and while my kids are getting up in the morning of the following day my night is still young of their yesterday. So it's kinda crazy if I don't keep it in mind I'll end up calling them too early or them messaging me on Facebook too late! But it's not that complicated, really, All I do is call them in the late afternoon and that's early morning there when during weekdays they get ready for school anyway so I don't necessarily wake them up, They're already are! I use Western Union all the time when it comes to sending money to the Philippines they get it in minutes( well that's the only option they give you when you send it here in the US) unlike when you send money domestically they have what you call: to be picked up the next day with a minimal amount of fee. There are other options as well if you wanna send money online there are a few to chose from so keep that in mind.
Time in Fairbanks 
Time in Manila 
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Affordable Hotels, Motels, Lodges, Resorts, Apartments and Inns We Stayed At
Solanie Hotel
63.2.5248641 1811
Leon Guinto Street Malate,
Manila, Philippines
Date Stayed: April-May, 2010
Website: http://www.solanie.com/
Rates: over-priced for the amenities
There is not much to say about the Hotel it was just so typical and maybe can be considered as a 1-star. We only booked the Superior room which is the most affordable. It has 2 single beds that we end up joining together in our whole 2 weeks of stay there because bunny needed a space for his Navy Seal exercise(hotel doesn't have a fitness center) and to provide us more space in sleeping.We never did get to use the room the entire 2 weeks because we went out of town for 4 days. Basically, we were just using the hotel for Shower and Sleep other than that, we spent most of our time outside traveling and sight-seeing. This room features a hot & cold shower w/o a tub. No refrigerator and kitchen either so we always went out to eat. We bring in groceries only the non-perishable ones and also fruits that didn't need any fridge good thing the room was air-conditioned. We tried their restaurant right in the lobby and i think i ordered some kind of fish and it wasn't that bad. I would say the bedding wasn't very pleasing and doesn't look like what they had in the website that time. They have a 21" TV for entertainment and a table with chairs on the corner right next to the windows that can be opened. Also it has a 2-door closet that we used to organize our clothes during our stay. This is a good location though if you want to visit Robinson's Mall and needs a train ride. And as what i saw, they have updated their website and hopefully also their amenities.
El Piscador Village Inn
Bolinao, Pangasinan, Philippines
3D/2N Twin Sharing, from P1,380.00/pax. at that time
Date Stayed: May, 2010
Website: found none
Rate: Was fine with what you get i think we had a queen bed in that tiny room.
They have a pool but we opt to transfer to another resort because we wanted to experience the beach.The room smelled like old wooden furnitures! hehe
Too bad we didn't get to take a picture of the place because we got there late and left so early. It looked to me like a very typical resort with not so nice bathroom. The shower wasn't working well. But the staff was so friendly so, everything just went well. We weren't supposed to stay in this place but the resort we aimed to stay at closes at midnight! ;-) Doh!
Rock Garden
Brgy. Arnedo, Bolinao
Pangasinan 2406
Philippines
Date Stayed: May, 2010
Rate: Average
This is a family-friendly beach front resort yet very rocky. Though we didn't like it being too kid-friendly because we are adults who can handle a bit of waves which you will never get to experience staying in this resort! There are features i like about it though such as the floating cottage in the middle of the ocean view and nice wooden swings you can use while enjoying the spectacular view of the sunset. Too bad we didn't get to utilize the cottage because we traveled to white beach in Patar to have a better swimming experience. There's nothing much special about the resort when it comes to their rooms. I love their balcony/porch area available on the room that we rented. Everyday we get to wake-up from the singing of the birds from the back of our room. The resort has a mini zoo which i love so much about it! And the pizza that they make at the mini restaurant was awesome! I am not much of a pizza person but i loved the flavor of the piece i ordered (can't remember what though) must be Hawaiian or pepperoni but made with their recipe. Another thing, my husband proposed to me in this place while we were sitting in that wooden swing watching the sunset! And also they have other types of rooms and cottages that features a karaoke machine. I am a song junkie! ;-)
The staff are friendly as well and very accommodating.
Gohotels.ph
Robinson's Cybergate Plaza
12345 Mandaluyong, Philippines
Date Stayed: Sept 16-21, 2010
Website: http://www.gohotels.ph/mandaluyong
Rate: Fair
This wasn't a bad experience staying in this accessible 31/2 star value hotel. It is very close to the shopping center Robinson's Forum Mall where we did some of our dining and shopping as well. The train station is just a walking distance and it is right next to EDSA highway in case you opt to ride bus and cab. I dropped my luggage for 50 pesos for them to watch at the reception area while i fetch my fiance (then) at the airport. When we got back we managed to check in right away since i already booked for our room when i swung by prior to my airport destination. We noticed a group of people standing in the lobby that are waiting for them to be accommodated. I later learned that they did a brilliant idea of booking rooms that are on sale for just a few pesos! But to avail of that promotion you need to book it online in a considerable amount of time prior to your stay. We stayed in a room that has twin beds, a 32" flat screen TV mounted on the wall which i thought was cool but a little bit high if you wanna watch a program lying down. The beds were nice with it's fun pillows. It felt more of an apartment to me than a hotel but i did love the hot and cold rain and handheld shower . They were newly opened that time so the bathrooms are in good shape and fairly clean. Another feature of the hotel are its very spacious lobby on every floor and a WiFi area provided with tables and chairs! You can use the WIFI in the rooms too but it worked better in the lobby area. Another thing i love about the hotel was the Tokyo Café that has Japanese specialty located at the ground floor of the building. We dined there twice after loving the first visit. We also extended our supposed to be 2-day stay to 6 days due to some dental appointments we needed to catch which didn't really worked out at the end. I can't say much about the staff they seem fine to me i guess. I would totally recommend this place for anybody because it is affordable and clean. Oh we love the view of our room it was overlooking the backside entrance of the Mall and the windows can be opened as well.
Hotel Sogo
898 Aurora Blvd.,
Cubao, Quezon City
Date Satyed: October, 2010
Website: http://www.hotelsogo.com/branch/aurora_cubao.html
Rate: Poor
Hotel Sogo
Edsa corner F. B. Harrison St.,
Pasay City
Date Stayed: January, 2011
Website: http://www.hotelsogo.com/branch/pasay_harrison.html
Rate: Fair
Both motel branches has the same architectural design though the first one is older than the latter. And that being said would make sense for it to be more outdated and kinda untidy and the receptionist that time in Aurora branch was not polite when we insisted we want to keep the keys with us while we do some shopping. It is the first motel/hotel that I've stayed at where it won't allow you to carry your room keys outside even though you haven't checked out yet! Unbelievable! The hallway stunk due to the bleach they use to mop the floor which you can really smell all over the place. The bathroom even with black tiles shows that housekeepers didn't take their time to make it look enjoyable to shower or use the bathroom in general.
On the other hand i like it a little bit on F.B. Harrison branch where we stayed the night before our flight to the USA. We took a taxi from there and i thought that was a bit convenient than staying further away or at the heart of Manila like we did the first time my husband came to see me. Too bad i don't have any pictures of the place but when you go to their official website you'll have an idea what it looks like.
Eurotel
General Araneta corner General Roxas St.,
Cubao, Quezon City
Date Stayed: November and December, 2010
Website:Tried to open but it sent me a Trojan virus twice! So to those interested i think it's better to phone them or search it on your favorite booking engine like http://www.agoda.com/ and/or http://www.tripadvisor.com/
Tel: (63-2) 9112968 * 9958452
Fax: (63-2) 9130027
E-mail: eurotel_ac@yahoo.com
Sinandigan Apartment
Sinandigan, Puerto Galera,
Oriental Mindoro
Contact Info: shaynn26@yahoo.com (i got this from her FB acct so if she doesn't reply then it means it's not active anymore. She is the daughter of the apartment owner.
Date Stayed: September, 2010-January, 2011
Website: None. They have agents who book the apartments for them.
Like this one: http://puertogalera.net46.net/1_7_Puerto-Galera-House-for-Rent.html
The Apartment that we rented is the second photo in that link above. And I posted some photos taken inside the apartment while we were there for 4 1/2 months. There was a verbal agreement that comes with a down payment which you won't be able to get it back if you don't stay on the agreed length of time which the minimum stay should be 6 months i guess. You need to verify that before you rent anywhere. This is a very nice and affordable place to stay and the owners are very friendly and accommodating! Since my husband is an American and was trying to learn my language, things around the apartment are labelled in tagalog as seen in this photo of a closet next to us.
Coco Beach Island Resort
Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro Philippines
Phone: (+63) 917 883 9334
Fax: (+63) 43 287 3529
Manila Booking Office
Unit A Ramona Apartments, 1555 M. Adriatico St., Malate Manila, Philippines.
Phone: (+63) 2 521-5260 or (+63) 2 526-4594
Fax: (+63) 2 526-6903
Office Hours: 8:00 am - 8:00 pm everyday (Manila Time).
Date Stayed: Never Stayed but toured twice and dined in their amazing restaurant. Also did some sunbathing and riding that cable jeepney was fun though we discovered later on that only staying guests are allowed to use the cable transportation up and down the hill. They have two inviting pools one adjacent to the restaurant and the other was up the hill which was right next to a mini bar and also close to their mini fitness center. The huts are well built and looks really neat by observing it from the outside (since we didn't stay there being that the apartment we are staying at was a motorcycle ride away from this secluded getaway. We did enjoyed or should i say "I" enjoyed browsing all through their shopping arcade full of crafts and accessories that were surprisingly hand-made out of sea shells and coconut husks!
Website: http://www.cocobeach.com/
Hotel Soriente
545 A.Flores Street, Ermita,
Metro Manila, 1000
Date Stayed: January, 2011
Website: hotelsoriente.com
Rate: Fair
Two Blocks away from U.S. Embassy and a few steps away from St. Luke's Medical Center Extension Clinic.This is very convenient for visa applicants who needs to process their medical exams and visa interview. It is also price-wise and has a Puregold store right next to it which could be very helpful if you're saving money. Our room has a King-sized bed and was surprisingly spacious. It also features a clean bathroom and a closet. It looked old but i would recommend it for everybody especially the visa applicants coming from provinces who needs an affordable over-night stay. Please check their website for photos and more info.
Days Inn & Suites Denver
7030 Tower road
Denver, Colorado 80249
Date Stayed: Jan.-Feb.,2011
Website: http://traveldaysinn.com/details.cfm?LocationID=861
Rate: Excellent
This is where we stayed at after flying from LAX to Denver. It's close enough from the airport though you'll need a car/pick-up if you don't want to order a food from a fast food because the hotel wasn't serving food i guess. But they do have a complimentary breakfast in the lobby. We dined in a restaurant four blocks away and had fun strolling though it was really chilly outside.
Days Inn Sioux Falls-Empire
3401 Gateway Blvd., Sioux Falls,
South Dakota 57106
Date Stayed: March, 2011
Website: http://traveldaysinn.com/details.cfm?LocationID=774
Rate: Excellent
This branch is right in the heart of Sioux Falls and are close to the physician that needs to complete my vaccine for the Adjustment of Status requirement. It was a good experience especially that it was close to the Sioux river and park. It was just a bit disappointing because the river was frozen so we never saw the Falls in its normal state when the ice melts. I like the location and there was a restaurant that was across the hotel and the front desk personnel was friendly. We also get to visit the famous butterfly house in Sioux Falls and some old museums that are very informative.
Bloomington Days Inn
7851 Normandale Blvd
I-494 and Hwy 100
Bloomington, MN 55435 US.
Phone :- 651-592-9999
Date Stayed: July, 2011
Website: http://www.bloomingtondaysinn.com/
Rate: Perfect!
I think of all the Days Inn that we have stayed at this was the best! It didn't look that fantastic on it's exterior side but when we entered the room it felt like staying in Hampton Inn. It was also close to the building where my interview for adjustment of status took place. Although Mall of America was nothing new to me because I came from a big City in the Philippines we went there anyway. The mall has reminded me of SM Malls in my home country. And also close to our favorite grocery shopping center the Walmart! I like having Walmart around because i love to cook if we don't dine out but since our room doesn't have a kitchenette, we have another option that is to make sandwiches or buy our favorite roasted whole chicken and Voila! we have a cheap meal! ;-)The hotel was nice and clean in general though they need more space for parking.
RJ'S RV Park-Kansas
4100 E. Hwy 50
Garden City, KS 67846
Phone: (620)276- 8741
Date Stayed: August, 2011
Website: http://www.kansasrvparks.org/rvpark.php?page=camp/r_j_rv_park
Rate: fair for what you get.
Aside from saving money and feeding our adventurous spirits, we opted to stay in this RV park using a tent that my husband got from Cabela's a few years back. It was totally fine especially with the park having a family pool and of course not to mention that the World's largest Municipal pool was just a few blocks away but we never did get to have enough time to check it out. We cooked our food in the portable mini gas stove
that we use until now and i would say it's very portable and reliable which is another product from Cabela's. The park has a tiny visitor's area store and a well, how should i say this : Not so clean bathrooms! and outdated..
It was windy and we even almost encountered a bad weather due to a tornado watch in the nearby county. All in all, if you have a camper i guess the stay would be more enjoyable!
America's Best Value Inn-Kansas
1818 Commanche Drive
Garden City, KS 67846-6930
United States
(620) 275-5095
Website: http://www.americasbestvalueinn.com/bestv.cfm?idp=804
Date Stayed: April, 2011
Rate: Fair
Too bad i don't have photos taken in and out of the hotel but i am attaching a couple of photos i took at a nearby Zoo.
Princess Riverside Lodge-Fairbanks
4477 Pikes Landing Road
Fairbanks, AK
Phone: 907-455-4477
Date Stayed: Jan., 2012
Rate: Excellent!
This Fairbanks chain of Princess Lodges was totally nice yet it has an old feeling to it. I love the place because it was spacious and the bed was awesome though their bedding aren't that great..I love the bathroom which was clean enough..their TV wasn't pleasing at all it was tiny for the room and old model. I love the decorative paintings and mirrors. Too bad they don't feature any bathing facility like pool or sauna/steam.
Hampton Inn & Suites-Fairbanks
433 Harold Bentley Avenue, Fairbanks, Alaska, 99701, USA
TEL: 1-907-451-1502
Website: http://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/alaska/hampton-inn-and-suites-fairbanks-FAIAKHX/index.html
Date Stayed: February 14, 2012
Rate: Excellent!
Hampton Inn & Suites in Fairbanks has it all. I would love to go back and stay there again in the future. We celebrated our 1st year anniversary in this hotel and it was very comfortable. I love the pool so much and the Oh so hot! jacuzzi..
Alpine Lodge-Fairbanks
4920 Dale Road,
Fairbanks, AK, 99709.
Freephone: 1-800-455-8851
Telephone: 1-907-328-6300
FAX: 1-907-328-0914
Website: http://www.akalpinelodge.com/new/
Date Stayed: April, 2012
Rate: Very Good!
We stayed in this hotel because we needed to be in the dental office early noon the following day and since we live out of town it really helps to have an accommodation even just for a night! The entire hotel was clean and looks new. They have a tiny fitness center and a dry sauna which i never get to use since it closed early.
Pike's Waterfront Lodge-Fairbanks
1850 Hoselton Drive
Fairbanks, AK 99709
(877) 774-2400 - toll-free
(907) 456-4500 - phone
(907) 456-4515 - fax
email: info@pikeslodge.comWebsite: http://www.pikeslodge.com/
Date Stayed: May, 2012
Rate: Very Good!
It was another visit to the dentist that's why we stayed in this lodge. So far, it was a pleasurable stay since it has everything we need except the pool as usual..We booked this room using Orbitz and when it was time to check in there was a little bit of hassle because the receptionist assisting us wasn't aware that Orbitz is just a third party and we are suppose to pay them upon check in. Other than that it all went fine. I love the over-all decoration that can be seen in the entire lodge.
Holiday Inn Express & Suits- Fairbanks
400 Merhar Avenue- Fairbanks, Alaska 99701-3166 US
Book online or call:1 877 410 6667
Hotel Contact Information>
Hotel Front Desk: 1 907-328-1100
Hotel Fax: 1 907-328-1122
Email: crichey@thehotelgroup.com
Website: http://www.hiexpress.com/hotels/us/en/fairbanks/fbkak/hoteldetail
Date Stayed: Sept. 10-11, 2012
Rate: Excellent!
We actually booked this hotel for a dentist appointment once AGAIN ;-) but we didn't get the schedule we wanted when we call their office which was surprisingly new to us..Usually we always get an appointment set no matter what date we picked. So, we went ahead and just stayed in this hotel and i was surprised to get a nice room with a jacuzzi. We enjoyed almost every feature of the hotel including the pool and the super hot spa! Check out my photos!
aqua SKYLINE at island colony
455 Seaside Avenue, Waikiki Beach Hawaii 96815
Hotel Phone and Fax Numbers:
Reservations: 808-954-7411
Toll-Free Reservations: 1-866-970-4163
Hotel Contact: 808-923-2345
Hotel Fax: 808-921-7105
Website: http://www.skylineislandcolony.com/
Date stayed: Dec. 01-02, 2012
Rate: Excellent!
We started our 20-day adventure in Hawaii by staying at this condotel located in Waikiki. Apparently it is the tallest building in the island of Oahu. I have read some ungrateful reviews about this hotel right after we booked our room.I was kinda skeptic if we will like it or not but for the price we paid i was thinking it will be worth it no matter what. So far, i loved the one-night stay at this hotel. The view was spectacular facing the canal with all the towering buildings and city lights. Anyhow, my photos will tell you more about it. Enjoy!
Courtyard by Marriott Waikiki Beach
400 Royal Hawaiian Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96815 US
Phone: 1 808 954-4000 | Fax: +1 (808) 954-4047
Website: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/hnlow-courtyard-waikiki-beach/?pid=corptbta&scid=b661a3c4-9c47-48c8-9e13-75b66089dd79
Date Stayed: Dec 18-19, 2012
Rate: Excellent!
After our 20 days roaming around the big island, we have decided to go back home. We stayed in this hotel the night before our flight to Alaska. It was an enjoyable experience and we were able to go shopping 2 blocks away from the hotel. You will see a lot of the street vendors (hustlers) along with their tiny stall full of artistic products including jewelries and souvenirs. The hotel was really nice and comfortable i saw two pools one in the main building and the other on the older one. I read it somewhere that the hotel was previously owned by another company and turned it into one of Marriott's chain of hotels. One thing i love about this hotel was being right where the bus stop was. It made it easier for us to travel and visit some tourist spots like the Pearl Harbor. The room wasn't really that spacious but was good enough for a couple staying for just a night. It had a big study table (with a weaved design under the glass top), a refrigerator, safe and closet, a very comfortable bed and a balcony. On the other hand, the bathroom was too tight. But all in all it was a great place to stay while on vacation or just transiting from island to island. Their business center was located at the main lobby of the hotel adjacent to the pool. We also used their laundry facility using some quarters per load. The receptionists were very nice and accommodating. They even let us use a different room for tidying up after our trip to the Pearl Harbor right before our check-out( it's one of their hospitality program). They also let us leave our baggage in the counter area without any additional fee. Please enjoy the images below taken at Courtyard by Marriott Waikiki Beach.
SpringHill Suites Fairbanks by Marriott
575 1st Ave · Fairbanks, AK 99701 USA tel # 1-855-297-1423 Website: http://www.marriott.com/reservation/rateListMenu.mi Date Stayed: Feb. 03-04, 2013 Rate: Great!
I would say that there were no particular reason why we stayed in this hotel other than the fact that we were supposed to use our complimentary stay given by the company where my husband used to work. I can honestly say that SpringHill Suites in Fairbanks is one of the best hotels I've ever stayed at and it was spacious. There was a kitchenette intended for heating ready to eat meals for it only provided a microwave and some disposable utensils. This hotel is located in the business area of Fairbanks, AK and I've noticed the lack of parking area. We enjoyed the pool along with the jacuzzi..Their breakfast was awesome which we enjoyed this time since we were back to daytime schedule. The bathroom was surprisingly enormous and the bed was exquisite. The following photographs are taken at the hotel.=D
Ramada San Diego Airport 1403 Rosecrans St San Diego, CA 92106 Phone: (619) 225-9461 Fax: (619) 225-1163 website: http://ramadasandiegoairport.com/amenities.html Date Stayed: November 15-18, 2013
We stayed at the Point Loma area when we visited San Diego and opted to get a reservation for 2 days and 3 nights at the Ramada San Diego Airport hotel. This property was kinda old i remember it smelling so bad when we were walking through the hallway. The room had high ceiling which made it look bigger than it really is. We spent most of our time checking out the tourist spots namely: Balboa Park, Little Italy and some other spots i can't recall. On our downtime we utilized the pool area and had so much fun with just me and my husband in the premises. We were aware that there was a camera for monitoring guests using the facility but we ignored it and had a blast.They had a continental breakfast and a few fresh fruits and one thing unforgettable about it was making my own waffle every morning! They run a little convenience store right on the lobby and they had a computer you can use for a few minutes for your personal and business needs. _pictures will follow_ Chena Hotsprings Resort Fairbanks, AK 99711 Phone: (907) 451-8104 Fax: (907) 451-8151 website: http://www.chenahotsprings.com/ Date Stayed: July 03-04, 2014 Our stay here was obvious with the date I provided which fell on the 4th of July. I have always wanted to visit the hotspring to experience it and experienced I did when I almost fainted because I had too much of it. To make a long story short, I didn't enjoy the hotspring as much as I wanted to but I had fun with the Aurora Museum tour. I purposely missed the horse-back riding since it was gonna be too late for us to stay until they were open for business. I heard that Japanese frequents the said resort because they believe that it's lucky to have your conception under the Northern lights (Aurora Borealis)and that your child will be famous or something like that. I am not entirely sure if that's true but I respect for what they believe in. There's a variety of activities divided into our two seasons. I can honestly say that I am not so inclined to the cold temperature in the winter time but I could stay awake until the Aurora Borealis is dancing up in the sky. So if you're an adventurous kind of person you will enjoy both the activities in summer and winter they have for you in the resort. _pictures will follow_ Hilton Garden Inn Anchorage Hotel 4555 Union Square Drive Anchorage, AK 99503 Phone: 1-907-729-7000 website: http://www.hgihotelanchorage.com/ to be continued...
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