MICROTEL: Vacation place with altitude

Inn & Suites Baguio, one gets a sense of being transported to the US. Walk-ins who arrive at midnight on board Victory Liner are pleased that there’s a new nearby hotel where they can rest comfortably, instead of scouting the city in darkness for a place to stay.

Microtel Baguio is owned by JIH Prime Management and Development Corporation and operated by Paramount Property Management Company. According to Robbie Gonzalez, area general manager for North Luzon, the developers decided to franchise from the US-hotel chain Microtel because they wanted to bring in a brand that’s known to be economical. "If you check in a five-star hotel, you pay a high rate for a lot of things that a traveler doesn’t really need. So Microtel came up with a no-frills product that offers basic amenities, and we structured the rates to be affordable." The hotel has been ranked "highest in guest satisfaction among economy hotel chains in the J.D. Power and Associates 2005 North American Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study" for the fourth straight year.

Microtel Baguio is the fourth in the Philippines, which opened two years ago in time for the Ad Congress. "Microtel has a mixed group of clients. There are those who come for conventions, leisure travel, honeymoon, mountain climbing, even ghost-hunting; young ones go all the way to Baguio for the ukay-ukay; and the inn also gets a good share of the international market," Gonzalez mentions. It has a large network and a proven track record – people who have been to other Microtels in Cavite, Tarlac and Batangas are aware that it’s a good place. And since it’s a known American chain, visitors from the US prefer to stay here when vacationing in Baguio.

The new inn is located on Upper Session Road beside the modernized Victory Liner Passenger Center. There is a successful synergy between the bus terminal and the inn. Travelers who don’t make advance reservation find that they can conveniently cross the bridgeway from the new bus depot to the travel.

Being a bed and breakfast place, the Microtel chain standards provide for a complimentary Continental breakfast. But here in Microtel Baguio, they offer Pinoy buffet-style. Also, it has vendo items available for those who want to order drinks or snacks at any time of the day or night. There’s even a microwave oven at the lobby where you can heat your food. For the guests’ convenience, hotel management allows delivery of fastfood items.

Many visitors actually come back to Microtel for the beds, shares Gonzalez. The imported chiropractic-approved mattresses offer restful, restorative sleep after a day of frenzied sightseeing. Another reason why vacationers prefer Microtel to other hotels in the city, especially during the summer months, is because even if it’s cool in Baguio, there’s an aircon installed in every room. For families who want to stay in larger rooms, the place has eight pairs of connecting rooms plus the suites. No dark and dank crannies at Microtel – the place is brightly lit and super clean.