An urge to have a staycation before the onset of rainy season prompted me to book a room at BSA Suites Makati. It was not only near my work place, but more so it was nicely located near Makati’s CBD and shopping districts.
The building’s location is near Ayala Ave. From my office, it took me just around fifteen minutes to reach the hotel. After telling the guard I was there for a stay, he directed me to the lobby where the small reception desk was located. There were two lovely and smiling receptionists who assisted me in the check-in process. They were courteous and knew what they were doing. Best to have some extra cash since they are requiring a 2000 peso deposit upon arrival. Since I only had a couple of thousands on hand, I gave them my credit card instead for incidentals. One of the ladies informed me that using a credit card might entail the cancellation of the deposit several weeks after check-out (two to three weeks were her exact words). It was a good thing that when I checked my credit card transactions after my stay I did not find a charge of 2000 pesos.
I was quite particular about Wi-Fi connection since I would be doing some writing that weekend. I was provided a single password after signing the arrival papers. However, the password was only good for a single device and the connection will be automatically lost if used in another. I found that ridiculous since we know that almost all individuals nowadays use several mobile gadgets simultaneously. The receptionist also told me that for a second Wi-Fi password, there will be additional charges. Though I was unable to ask how much. Well, one password will not work for me since I had a friend coming in later that night. I kindly explained to them my dilemma and she provided me a second one free of charge.
Actually, prior to booking, I checked if the property was offering complimentary breakfast and internet connection since these two are a must in my staycation. I think they should be particular in their online listings since it was really kind of frustrating having only one free Wi-Fi access. If there were two or more guests, it has to be paid. Anyway, the ladies were really sweet and I could not find any reason to be mad at them. They were just following house rules after all. So after getting my key card, I thanked them and proceeded to my assigned room.
My room, a Twin-bedded Studio Executive Room, came with complimentary breakfast and a kitchenette. The room was quite spacious. Some hotels I stayed in in the past were beautifully decorated but lacks in space. The suites, I observed, were located in a more dated building, perhaps it was an old condominium turned into a hotel. BSA Suites Makati also has other facilities like swimming pool and a small gym for guests looking more than a staycation. I was unable to try these as I spent a lot of time writing in my room. I had some trouble turning on the electricity since I was given a faulty key card. It was not a problem at all since I just called it in and a respectful hotel staff came up to my room and tried it himself. After confirming that it really wasn’t functioning, he came back with a working one and wished me a good stay. He was really nice actually!
But what I was really looking forward to was the complimentary breakfast. I guess at some level, complimentary breakfast served at hotels is a telling what kind of overall service each property have. When I checked in, I was reminded that breakfast is served in the room between 6 to 10 AM. The hotel has no in-house restaurant or a partner diner where guests can take their meals. But then I thought it sounded nice to experience ‘breakfast-in-bed’ for once. I instructed them to deliver our breakfast at 9:30 AM since I was sure we will be waking up late.
The following morning, 9:30 AM came and went but our breakfast was not delivered. I called the front desk and that was the time our breakfast was brought in our room. I expected that they at least give us a list to choose from. But she said that there was none but she was sure that it was a rice meal.
My friend and I had separate activities on our second day that we didn’t mind having a late breakfast again the following morning. However, our breakfast was not served at all. I waited for the front desk to call to confirm if we are still to take our meal but sadly we did not receive any call until we checked-out. I think the hotel should be mindful about their processes as this should’ve been part of their overall service. The room was paid and given that they didn’t even have a list where we can choose what to have for our first meal in the morning, it would have been really nice if they at least took note of it without us informing them anymore. I don’t know if it was simply forgotten by the staff or it’s the hotel guests who should be the one reminding them. Either way, this is one point they should really improve on.
When I pondered about it, those with food restrictions or people who were strictly vegan would have no choice at all. The breakfast we had was a rice meal (pork imbutido and a side dish). I thought it was sad-looking maybe because I knew I was expecting something more. Sure, the hotel personnels’ attitude were commendable, but with all what happened, I think I will not be staying here again anytime soon. :/
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BSA Suites Makati
bsasuites-makati.com
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