This September, we pretty much spent our 2 weekends in Angeles, Pampanga. Yehess! That's 2 weekends. Hooray for minor rotations. Anyway, Kel joined two consecutive duathlon races there and since we're always running on tight budgets, we made sure to look for cozy yet reasonably-priced hotels.
If you have been to Clark, I'm sure you'll realize why it was to me the Hotel Capital of the Philippines. Haha. There's probably no single corner in Clark that does not boast a hotel or an inn. But most of them are a bit pricey for us.
A year ago, I came across Tunes Hotel on the net when I was looking for budget hotels in Manila. And it has a cool system of "Pay As You Use" back then that is like personalizing your own room (I don't really know if this was obsolete now, but this feature was not available in Clark or they just didn't provide us that option). When I say 'personalize', the hotel gives you the privilege to set what amenities such as TV, hot/cold shower, A/C you would like in your room and for how long-- 6 or 12 hours? Doesn't really matter. Then, you're charged with the corresponding amount of your consumption.
So when we returned to Clark during our 2nd week, I told my husband I wanted to try Tunes Hotel in Angeles. Since we were staying with our kid, Kel reserved a double room in advance for us. You surely cannot miss the hotel. It has a signature red and white-colored facade. Apart from this, it also has a convenient location in the city-- near restaurants, convenient stores, spa and the mall.
Photo grabbed from Tune Hotels website
When we arrived, we were ushered to the main elevator by their polite reception staff. You cannot get inside the elevator without having your electronic keycard first. At the 2nd floor, we were greeted by their accommodating staff at the information desk and provided us with our keycard. Check-in was hassle-free and they also gave us the password for their wifi before we left. What's also nice is that even if we arrived a little earlier than their check-in time, there have been no problem waiting.
Due to the great amount of guests who booked on the same day prior to the duathlon race, the hotel was almost fully booked at that time. We were given a room instead at the 9th floor, not bit of a problem for me but for Kel who has to carry his bike all the way to our room. Hihi.
Upon entering the room, we realized how this is not the family-friendly type of hotel. It was a bit small for a family of 3 and if the other one's a kid. I say to myself this is probably for the business people and the backpackers. Anyway, I didn't really expect much so I just easily shove the idea off. The interior was modern in brown and white and it certainly looks cozy.
Our room has a soft and comfy matrimonial bed with 2 pillows. By the way, I am very particular with hotel pillows because I don't like lying almost flat on bed. If there was one turn-off for me, it must be the pillows. Haha. I just don't like it too soft that it deflates much when lied upon. Their bedding smells good anyway.
The room has a built-in cable TV and one thing I liked about it is that it's Cignal cable. Haha! It lets you see the shows in line flashed on the screen whenever you switch channels. The room also has an airconditioning system and a ceiling fan probably for those who doesn't want to use the aircon when it's cold. It also has electronic safety deposit box and a pull-down desk for your laptop just beside the bed. There's also a built-in towel and clothes rack to save space-- an alternative to your usual room closet. What I hope was also there, though, was a mini fridge for our food and a telephone inside the room. If you need to phone in an operator, you still need to go the elevator where it is located for communal use.
One thing that is really nice about Tunes Hotel was that even if it was minimally priced, we were given an electronic keycard access, the one that you need to have to gain access into the hotel lobby and your room-- just like those that they use in 5-star hotels so they could limit the number of non-hotel staying visitors. Also, as in many other hotels, you need this to activate your room's electronic power--just a good way of saving electricity for hotels.
The bathroom was clean and all white and the shower was unusually spacious and is separated from the toilet by a glass door, which was nice. Their showers are high-pressure, heated power showers. Me and my little kid can take a bath at the same time. One thing lacking in their bathroom are the toiletries. You really need to bring your own because they will only provide you with a shampoo and soap. Good thing for me-- a hair dryer is available.
We checked out at past 1pm. The hotel check-out time is at 11 am. We decided we just extend for 2 more hours to rest after the race for a minimum amount of Php 300.
Overall, I'd stay I had a good stay in Tune Hotel. Here's my final verdict:
Value for money: 4/5
Location: 5/5
Sleep quality: 4/5
Staff performance: 3/5
Hotel cleanliness: 5/5
Food/dining: 3/5
Tune Hotel - Angeles City (Clark Airport)
Don Juico Avenue, Malabanias,
Angeles City, Pampanga
Philippines
Don Juico Avenue, Malabanias,
Angeles City, Pampanga
Philippines
Tel:+63 45 4590888
Nice!