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Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Staycation at Somerset Olympia

We are patriots of IHG hotels, Crowne Plaza Ortigas, Holidae Inn and Intercontinental Hotel are some of our most booked hotels, but to make a difference, this time we booked a one bedroom suite at Somerset Olympia under Ascotts hotels.
The split level 1 bedroom suite room a85 impressed me because -
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the stairs add a homey-feel to the place (so if you want an extra spacious unit, ask for the split type) - two flat cable tv with complete sound system, one on the living room and one on the bedroom
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- two split type air condition units located at the living room and bedroom
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- the cushioned dining chair is very comfortable, not to mention, add a luxurious feel to the dining room
- the kitchen has complete dining utensils for 4 pax - microwave for me is the kitchen superstar, hot take out gone cold is a breeze - induction cooker impressed our cook so much, we had a hot pot for nye - even the liquid dish washing soap and the sponge is a very smart addition to the kitchen, it’s a life saver!
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- the “squeeze-bottles” for the bathroom’s hand wash soap and shower soap is a smart way to be eco-friendly and be cost-efficient at the same time, two thumbs up!

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the tub is luring me to soak in its hot waters and finally give in to a long soothing bath.. ahh..
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 spacious! ^^
- the security guards are very polite and friendly - free wifi access Our unit has a privilege of breakfast for two for two consecutive days - CAVA manager and the staff are friendly especially the cook making waffles and omelets - the buffet is vegetarian friendly - food is warm and has a wide range of selection The hotel is under renovation, hence the lobby is curtained white and some of the exterior has a couple of protruding scaffoldings but relatively safe for the guests.
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Amused by the elevator
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His pose reminds me of Pocoyo - curiosity at its best.
The amenities include free usage of the gym (treadmills, bike-on-place and some weights),
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Two big grey balloons! - JC
outside swimming pool (open for guests and visitors).
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small but space efficient
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that beam though...
Like the saying “there’s always room for improvement” below are some of my observation that the management might look up and do something about - the call center agent of Ascott is very rude and unfriendly while the one for somerset olympia is very friendly - Old Swiss Inn staff are very rude. They stare at your plate! (FYI, there are two restaurants inside Somerset Olympia one located on the ground floor (CAVA)
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and a stairs higher (Old Swiss Inn)
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-please have a monthly one night stay giveaway on your facebook page, or at least be more active on fb and twitter, I’d rather inquire in there because -i hate calling your landline, the Ascot call center agent is very rude and unfriendly - the website badly needs an upgrade, i'm not happy about it, hard to scroll, too much clutter this is my first time to stay on Somerset Olympia and based on my previous stays on other hotels nationwide, here are some of my comments - allow early check in (8am, if not previously used, not peak season – yes, we fortunately had the chance to check in as early as 8!) and hope you could make late check out at 4pm like we used to do on IHG hotels - allow room upgrade when not peak season (that'll surely make us come back again) - a suite room should have more than just 2 small bottles of water for a compliment, a hotel in Baguio offer cookies and other pastries aside from water on their STANDARD rooms. That or fresh flowers on a vase or season fruits would be a nice touch on the dining table too - No hotel watermarked pads, postcard, envelopes and pens/pencils on the study desk, it feels incomplete -the housekeeping wont answer the phone sometimes especially on the wee hours of the night, the service should be open for 24 hours, right? -hope you'll have bathrobes instead of towels -pool needs a lifeguard – you’ll never know - and the shower room needs a utility person, the plant on the pools canopy needs a gardener too -freewifi access on suites should be available for the entire number of days that the customer will stay, not just for the first day unless its more than a week’s stay -please have a monthly giveaway on your social pages, or at least be more active on fb and twitter, id rather inquire in there because I hate calling your landline, the Ascot call center agent is very rude and unfriendly, cheap talking and she sounds bored (Did I mention that before? I guess it needs a stress) - the website badly needs an upgrade, im not happy about it, hard to scroll, too much clutter -guards are friendly (that needs an emphasis too) -connecting rooms would be a plus, it’ll make our stay more home-y - a bakeshop inside the hotel with a 50% off on 7pm would make our stay extra extra special besides it will make us believe the pastries are freshly baked every day. No stale bread, happy customers. Win-win!
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What a post! It’s lengthy, wordy and full of angst or let say positive criticism. We would definitely stay here again! Where are you planning to go on your next staycation?
P.S. - more hotel staycation posts soon! <3

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