POST UPDATE: Tune Hotel Ortigas is now RED PLANET Ortigas. The last time we stayed in this hotel was October 2018 and we received the same service and treatment as before, thus, this review still hold. Nothing major was different except that they already have a restaurant on the hotel's lobby. The photos on this post may be old (except for the one below where I'm sporting my new hairstyle) but the place look the same.
This post was published September 2014. Read on...
It’s been more than a year since my brother and I gave up our apartment in Pasig that’s why now, we rely on friends for a place to stay whenever we’re visiting Manila or – we stay at a hotel which suits our budget. It was in July 2014 when I first stayed at Red Planet Ortigas when my brother came home from the US. Like I mentioned on a previous post, I was browsing Agoda.com last July when my laptop died on me. It was barely 2 weeks after typhoon Glenda and electricity lines have been severely affected in our area. I went to Red Planet Ortigas and found out that there’s a huge price difference when booking directly at the hotel and booking through online sites like Agoda.com. Anyway, the first time I booked through Agoda, I paid approximately P3,500.00 (inclusive of taxes and fees) for 2 days and 2 nights stay at the hotel. I booked on that same day. The second time, I booked a week ahead and paid approximately P3,100 for the same room we had last time (Double Room) and for the same duration (2 days and 2 nights stay), still inclusive of taxes and other hotel fees. Interesting to note, however, that we could have paid a bit less if not for the higher exchange rate that Agoda.com implemented that time. Including all the other fees, we were charged around 69.70 US dollars -- and with Agoda’s exchange rate of P44.45 pesos to a dollar, it converted to P3,100. At that time, the exchange rate at my bank was barely above 43 against the dollar. I've found out just recently, while writing this post, that the same room can be availed at a lesser amount through Hotels.com. Will sure to check Hotels.com next time I book a hotel. We all need to be budget conscious. ☺
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| October 2018: From Tagaytay, we checked in at Red Planet Ortigas before heading to Bicol. |
It’s been more than a year since my brother and I gave up our apartment in Pasig that’s why now, we rely on friends for a place to stay whenever we’re visiting Manila or – we stay at a hotel which suits our budget. It was in July 2014 when I first stayed at Red Planet Ortigas when my brother came home from the US. Like I mentioned on a previous post, I was browsing Agoda.com last July when my laptop died on me. It was barely 2 weeks after typhoon Glenda and electricity lines have been severely affected in our area. I went to Red Planet Ortigas and found out that there’s a huge price difference when booking directly at the hotel and booking through online sites like Agoda.com. Anyway, the first time I booked through Agoda, I paid approximately P3,500.00 (inclusive of taxes and fees) for 2 days and 2 nights stay at the hotel. I booked on that same day. The second time, I booked a week ahead and paid approximately P3,100 for the same room we had last time (Double Room) and for the same duration (2 days and 2 nights stay), still inclusive of taxes and other hotel fees. Interesting to note, however, that we could have paid a bit less if not for the higher exchange rate that Agoda.com implemented that time. Including all the other fees, we were charged around 69.70 US dollars -- and with Agoda’s exchange rate of P44.45 pesos to a dollar, it converted to P3,100. At that time, the exchange rate at my bank was barely above 43 against the dollar. I've found out just recently, while writing this post, that the same room can be availed at a lesser amount through Hotels.com. Will sure to check Hotels.com next time I book a hotel. We all need to be budget conscious. ☺
Anyway, I’m not sure what areas I’m supposed to evaluate when reviewing hotels, but as far as a common guy like me knows, here goes:
LOBBY/HOTEL RECEPTION: Check-in time at Red Planet is at 2pm. The hotel’s foyer is spacious enough, you can hang out here if you arrived a bit early. There’s also a clean restroom that you can use in case you’re waiting for your room to be ready and you needed to use the loo beforehand. We were there an hour early so we used the free WiFi connection that they have to entertain ourselves. When my laptop’s battery got drained, I used one of the 3 desktops they have at the hotel lobby. On my second visit though, while my brother and I are hanging out, my ankle started itching. My pants are folded and I'm wearing heel socks that's why my ankles are a bit exposed. I thought I just needed to take a shower coz I’m starting to itch but something small flew near my face -- a mosquito. Guys, you have to get rid of those mosquitoes. LOL!
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| At the hotel lobby with my brother Jeb, waiting to be checked in... |
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| Red Planet Ortigas' front desk. (It was Tune Hotels Ortigas before). |
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| This photo was taken on our first stay at the hotel. I accidentally erased some photos of my most recent visit while transferring them from my camera’s memory card. Darn. |
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| WiFi and computers with Internet connection for hotel guests at the Red Planet Ortigas lobby... |
HOTEL KEY CARD: You need your key card to get to the floor where you’re staying. Since my brother and I have separate itineraries, we asked for an extra key card which hotel guests can get after depositing additional P150.00. You can get the deposit back when you return the key card on your check-out.
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| Hotel key card to operate the elevator, open your door… |
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| ... and yeah, power up your room. |
ROOM: Very clean, smells nice, bed’s nice, room’s a bit cramped but it was organized and every inch of its 14 square meters is well utilized. I could use a few more cloth hangers though coz I’m a pack rat. No telephone inside the room so if you have any concern, you go out and call the front desk using the telephone near the elevators.
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| Inside a “Double Room” type accommodation at Red Planet Ortigas. The two instances that I’ve stayed at the hotel, I forgot to take photos of the room before things got messed up. First, my cam's battery was drained and by the time it was charged, I’ve already messed up the bed. The second time, I was hurrying out to meet some friends so I forgot to take a photo. By the time I got back 5 hours later, my brother already thrashed the room. ☻ |
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| There's TV and a good WiFi connection... |
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| It’s amazing how the room was all messed up within 5 minutes that we’re in it. Check out the bed. ☺ |
ENTERTAINMENT: I’m not sure whether there’s a centralized music (I didn’t check). There’s a flat screen TV and a decent Internet connection. Almost missed an appointment because I got hooked watching YouTube videos. LOL!
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| TV and Internet kept us entertained when we're just hanging out in the room... |
POWER OUTLETS: There’s two: one above the right bedside table and another beside the retractable desk. If you have a lot of gadget, bring one of those handy extension outlets. The hair dryer outside the bathroom door also has a plug-in space for your electric shaver. No power outlet inside the bathroom.
BATHROOM/SHOWER: I like that they have rainfall type shower heads. Hot and cold too, if you want it just right, lever should be in the middle. It floods a bit when you shower for too long. I removed the drain top and it solved the problem. Hair dryer’s outside the bathroom, right beside the full length mirror.
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| Really tired but couldn't resist taking a #selfie on the bathroom mirrow. LOL! |
HOTEL STAFF: As for any establishment, there are friendly staff, and those that lack the pro-active attitude. The first time I was at the hotel, the lady across the counter wasn't very helpful. Didn't provide any alternative nor displayed any interest to provide help. Aside from that minor problem, people at Red Planet Ortigas are generally gracious and friendly. Even the guy mopping the floor greeted me “good morning” when I was on my way out.
SECURITY: Security cameras at the hotel lobby, hallways and elevators. Security guards manning the main entrance, however, there’s no security guard on the other entrance exiting to Shaw. Fire exit plan behind your hotel room door, fire alarms, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. Yep, safe.
LOCATION: Conveniently located near Shangri-La Mall, Greenfield District and a few blocks away from Mega Mall. It’s also near Medical Plaza Building where my dentist is (Capulong Dental Clinic) so really convenient for me, too. There are a few all-day open dining places like Rufu’s Famous Tapa, Chowking and a few convenient stores along the way.
Red Planet is a chain of hotels. They have several hotels in the Philippines as well as in Indonesia, Thailand, and Japan. In general, I can say that I have enjoyed my stay at the hotel. The rooms are clean, the staff are helpful and friendly, great location, and reasonably affordable. Perhaps, whenever there’s a Red Planet Hotel near the place I’ll be visiting in the future, I’ll consider to stay with them again. In my humble opinion, they have set my standard for truly budget-friendly hotels.
You can visit Red Planet Hotel’s official website: Red Planet Ortigas
Until my next wandering everybody!
tags: affordable hotels in Ortigas, Manila, Edsa,
You can visit Red Planet Hotel’s official website: Red Planet Ortigas
Until my next wandering everybody!
h0wdy...teman lamaku, apa kabarnya semoga sehat selalu.
ReplyDeletereview hotel ortigas lengkap dan detail pak...:D
clean indeed! not so much space but sure is clean..no problem about it
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