Last month, I was one of those fortunate people that was given a chance to travel for work. Though work was tiring with the call time starting at 5am and ending at 11pm, I could still say I was compensated enough to be staying at two nice hotels during this work travel. My first hotel was at Zuri Hotel in Iloilo City. I stayed here for four days and can say that this is one of the best hotels Iloilo has to offer.
Zuri Hotel is a 4-star hotel that is probably the best hotel in terms of location. It is located walking distance to SM City Iloilo and because of that, you are close to everything you need – from food to transportation.
I arrived past 2pm. Check-in should by at 2pm, but I was advised that I have to wait for 30 minutes as my room was not ready. This was honestly a bad start for my workcation as I just arrived from the airport, all tired and harassed, and was still asked to wait for check-in even though it was past the hotel’s check-in time. I was not a good customer during that time and I had to use a stern tone of voice to inform them I am not amenable to wait and that my room should be given to me ASAP. After less than 3 minutes, reception told me my room is ready. I am not sure what happened, if they cleaned the room that fast or if the room was really available and they just do not want me to check-in.
The deluxe room I stayed at has a 33sqm size, comes with king size bed, superb air-conditioning, coffee and tea-making facilities, mini-ref, work desk, small table for two, and cable television. The bathroom is spacious with a separate shower stall. The room is huge and what I like about it is that it has a small area to put on all your luggage and things. Toiletries and bottled water are refilled daily by request.
Wifi is included in the booking. However, you need to login to wi-fi credentials EVERY TIME. Imagine, going down to the restaurant to eat breakfast then going back to the room to login to the wifi AGAIN. This is also the case when you go out of the hotel and go inside again. Such hassle.
The accommodation at Zuri Hotel is inclusive of buffet breakfast. Buffet breakfast is served at Bistro by Jaimie’s. It offers a lot of food selection and their bacon is one of the best I have tried (it was close to chicharon flavor already! Sarap, promise!).
Zuri Hotel has a lot of amenities you can enjoy. It has a rooftop swimming pool and jacuzzi, a spa and fitness center, and conference rooms. I was not able try these amenities as much as I loved to since time would not permit me, but I guess having these amenities in a hotel provides a good staycation for families.
Most of the guests during my stay at Zuri Hotel were all staying there for work. Some had conferences and meetings. You can tell by the sign board Zuri Hotel has in the lobby.
Here’s the pricelist of Zuri Hotel as of the moment.
Overall, Zuri Hotel is a good place for workcation. Food is great, room accommodation is nice, staffs are okay and helpful, hotel is clean, and security is good. Other than the issue at check-in, I had a nice stay at Zuri Hotel and would definitely go back if I visit Iloilo City again.
