Travelbook.ph shoulders the 12% VAT on your hotel bookings!

Travelbook.ph, the leading online travel agency (OTA) in the Philippines, launches a very generous offer that everyone will surely love!


Starting July 18, 2017, all hotel bookings made through Travelbook.ph will be free of VAT as it will be subsidized by the OTA to all participating customers.


“We understand that all people in the Philippines are really burdened with high VAT as it is present in almost all commodities that they need. We feel that we can help more. That’s why we’ve come up with this campaign: We will shoulder the VAT cost for every booking made with us,” according to Takumi Nakazawa, General Manager of Travelbook.ph.

As customers proceed with their hotel bookings with TravelBook.ph, the VAT will be automatically paid by the company and will be deducted from the total cost. Furthermore, discounts from promos and insider deals may be added on top of 12% discount. Customers may enjoy this offer by booking with any of the 3,300 affiliated hotels and resorts of TravelBook.ph nationwide.

This offer from Travelbook.ph also aims to help travelers have stress-free and budget-friendly transactions when planning their trips.

“This is our way to let people know that we care. We want to appease their burden and give them the best deals and opportunities to travel,” Mr. Nakazawa continues.

VAT-free means more money for your trip! Book now with Travelbook.ph to get the best pocket-friendly deals on hotels and resorts in the Philippines! Avail of our Pay-at-Hotel No Credit Card Needed payment option for easier and convenient booking!

This campaign will run for a limited time only. Campaign period may end without prior notice.

GetGo hails TravelBook.ph as Digital Marketer of the Year

TravelBook.ph was awarded Digital Marketer of the Year by Cebu Pacific’s Lifestyle Rewards Program.  GetGo during their second anniversary celebration last March 31, 2017 at the Blue Leaf Events Pavilion in Taguig. TravelBook.ph bested three other competent nominees including other travel service providers and banks.

The Digital Marketer of the Year Award was judged based on the partner’s active participation in promoting the partnership’s proposition by creating effective contents using different relevant digital channels, not limited to SNS. As the future of travel gets more exciting with the continuous thrive of technology, these efforts to actively inject useful information and connect with members online definitely helps the journey of every traveller.

Travelbook.ph has been a GetGo lifestyle partner since 2015 in accord with their objective to provide quality leisure services through traveling. In its campaigns, Travelbook.ph has created weekly features for GetGo that was featured in their website, newsletters, and official SNS.

The joy of successful partnership. From L to R: GetGo GM Nik Laming; TravelBook.ph team: Karen Luminario, Cyra Penol, General Manager Takumi Nakazawa, Business Development Manager Pinky Librada, Steffi Manikan, and Aldo Reyes; and Cebu Pacific Chief Executive Adviser Michael Szucs.

The Digital Marketer of the Year award was received by Ms. Pinky Librada, Business Development Manager of Travelbook.ph. It was awarded by Mr. Michael Szucs, Chief Executive Adviser of Cebu Pacific, and Mr. Nik Laming, General Manager of GetGo’s Loyalty Division.

Other GetGo lifestyle partners that were awarded were Robinsons Land Corporation (Outstanding Promoter), Petron (Customer Whisperer), Citibank (#TheSocialTrendsetter), and BPI (Promo of the Year).

Review: Mangrove Resort Hotel Subic

Located at the Baloy Beach of Subic Bay, Magrove Resort Hotel is one of the nice hotels along the area.  Checking the reviews at TripAdvisor, I recommended this hotel to my family for our family weekend getaway as the reviews were fairly acceptable (3.5 out of 5 stars).  And this hotel is also ranked #2 in the hotels in Olongapo category.

The room rates were quite expensive when you book at their website.  But if you booked through email or phone, they will give you a discounted price on their rooms.  You can also check TravelBook.ph to book your stay here as they are also offering best deals and rewards points to members as well as book now and pay upon check in (no credit card needed) scheme.

We are a family of 11 adults and 3 kids.  Their biggest room can only occupy a maximum of 4 persons (adult) so we decided to book 4 rooms and requested all rooms to be located in the same floor so that we could somehow be near to each other.  We booked 2 deluxe twin, 1 superior room and 1 deluxe room.  Fortunately, these available rooms at the time we booked (about 2 weeks before our travel date) were all located in the 4th floor.

The hotel is a 4-storey building with restaurant, beach, pool and parking area.  Water activities are also available to them.  The pool was located in the 3rd floor.  The restaurant is located in the 1st floor and there is also a poolside bar in the 3rd floor.  The hotel's beach shoreline is quite short but guests can still relax and stay at their beach side loungers.  As expected, beach in Subic is not as white and powdery as Boracay but it seems clean although we were not able to swim at the beach.

Pool and Pool Bar Area

The pool in the 3rd floor has kiddie and adult pools.  The depth of the adult pool is at 4 feet maximum so some kids can still enjoy the adult pool.  The pool is not that big but enough to accommodate guests.  It also has loungers and bar area where you can take a sip on your chosen drink or have a snack with friends and family.

The food were ok and quite reasonable (about Php 250 and up per person). By the way, breakfast is not included in the room rate. We encountered a little problem during our dinner time.  After taking all our orders, the waitress came back and informed us that certain meats are no longer available at their kitchen.  It's quite misunderstanding from their kitchen and the waitress because she has to come back to us several times and informing us of the meats that were no longer available.  Well, it turned out that almost all of our orders were not available. Of course if you're hungry, you will get pissed. The service was also quite slow in their restaurants, both at the 1st floor and at the pool side.

My husband and I stayed in one of the deluxe twin room together with my sister and her family.  I noticed that all their rooms are big or at least the rooms that we booked.  It is also complete with towels (bath, pool, hand and floor towels), toiletries, bath robe, safety vault, cable tv, mini ref, small dining area with electric pot and instant coffee (at least in deluxe twin, didn't see in other rooms we booked).  All our rooms have king size bed so its really comfortable for all of us.  I just noticed though that the single bed in the other deluxe twin room is quite smaller than in our room.  And their aircon is cooler than us.  The magnetic key which functions also as key to open electricity does not turn off the electricity when removed.

*Photos of room below courtesy of google :)

Deluxe Twin

Deluxe Room

Superior Room

The bathrooms were clean with hot and cold shower. Flow of water is ample however, the following day, the water becomes scarce to the point there's not a single drop of water coming out of the shower even on the sink.  You have to wait up to an hour before you see a drop of water in the sink and not on the shower.  This is during late morning where people are about to check out. When we complained it to the front desk, the reason they gave us is that there are a lot of guests during that they. I think that's not an excuse.  They are a resort.  They should've have expected guests to be coming in at peak season. They also have a quite number of rooms. If all were occupied, does it mean there will be no more water at any time of the day? Some of the members of my family used the bathroom at the 1st floor to take a shower while some waited. The only good thing is that they allowed us for late check out because of problems with water.

Toilet

Shower area

Shower area

Sink, toilet with bidet

Toiletries

We almost had a great time in this resort (most especially its my 5 month old niece's first time to dip in the pool). The loungers and snack at the pool side can be relaxing. But the downside we experience on the water, food and food service we're kinda turn off. I'm not sure if I will want to go back here.  Maybe not on a peak season.  And I think I can still recommend this to friends but with a warning.

Willy's Beach Club Hotel: Revisited

We're back again in Boracay last July 2016 with my husband and we've decided to stay again in Willy's Beach Club Hotel.  I've posted in my previous blog about affordable beach front hotels in station 1 which become very useful to me since my husband and I always prefers to stay in station 1, beach front, near Willy's Rock.  From the list, we've already stayed in Blue Lilly Villa.  You can read my reviews of this hotel here. We were supposed to try Boracay Plaza Resort but my husband would like to stay again in Willy's Beach Club Hotel.

Willy's Beach Club Hotel is also quite an affordable hotel.  It's not listed in my affordable beach front hotels in station 1 as this post was more of affordable hotels below Php 3,000 per night price.  Depending on the season, you can book Willy's Beach Club Hotel for a little over Php 3,000 per night.  During my first visit in this hotel last 2013 (see my blog post about it here), the accommodation rates then was below Php 3,000 for a deluxe room on an off peak season.  Since our trip was July 2016, considered as an off peak season, we were able to still get an affordable room rate.  We booked the Super Deluxe Room that has a bath tub and location is nearer to the beach.  For 3 nights stay, the price we got was Php 9,531 through My Boracay Guide website.  I also used My Boracay Guide when we booked our first stay at Willy's Beach Club Hotel last 2013.  Our booking comes with free airport pick up for 2, which saves us about Php 800.  You can read my review on their free transport service here.

The Super Deluxe Room is quite smaller than the Deluxe Room we booked before.  The room we had is still located at the 2nd floor.  View from the veranda is facing the restaurant but view of the beach is nearer (right side view) than our previous room. Other differences are super deluxe room have bath tub, mini ref, facial tissue, and own veranda.  Having our own veranda is perfect since my husband smokes.  Our previous room also has veranda but it seemed shared to the other room perpendicular from us.

Super Deluxe Room

Mini Ref

Another view of the room with small vanity dresser

Veranda and view

Welcome fruits were also provided in our room.  However, some fruits tasted old already that's why we didn't consume it all.

Welcome Fruits

Again welcome drinks were provided upon arrival in the hotel.  There's no more seashell necklaces given to us upon arrival unlike before.

The room is quite old but does not smell one.  I say old as we had a little difficulty in opening and closing/locking our door.  Linens and pillows are clean and smells nice. Bathroom is clean with ample water supply, hot and cold shower, towels and toiletries.

Bath tub beside the Toilet

Toiletries with facial tissue and hair dryer

The bath tub

Our stay still comes with free buffet breakfast.  Again, they served combination of Filipino and American dishes.  The choices were sufficient with breads, drinks and dessert.  They are also offering grilled buffet dinner.  I can't recall how much it cost but I think its not that expensive.  We tried it one time since it was rainy the whole day on our 1st day.  The choices were mostly meat and a few cuts of fish, shrimp and squid with pasta, rice and soup.  For us, its quite enough already but for some, it may not be as inviting since the cut or the portions of the food were quite small.  But anyway, it's buffet, you can get another one without a limit.  What's also good about this buffet dinner is that you can have a freshly grilled meat as there is a standby griller who can grill for you at the corner of the buffet.  Their food still tastes good.  Some servings of their ala carte foods were quite a lot.

Beef with mushroom

Similar to our last stay at Willy's Beach Club last 2012, we did not experience any problems during our stay.  Willy's Beach Club Hotel may not be a fancy and luxurious hotel but it is one of the affordable hotels in station 1 worth staying as it can be relaxing and enjoyable since it is beach front and away from the crowd.  If I'll be visiting Boracay again next time, I wouldn't have second thoughts of staying in here.

Corporate Planning and Team Building Venues

I would like to share a few venues I've searched in the south area (Laguna, Tagaytay, Cavite) where your company can hold corporate meetings, events, planning sessions and even team buildings.

Gratchi's Getaway

Website: http://www.gratchi.com/
Location: Kabangaan Road Barangay Kabangaan Silang, Cavite
Contact info: (02) 664-1633; info@gratchi.com
Amenities: accommodations, obstacle courses, team building packages, swimming pool, function rooms, educational tours.
Price range: Php 800 to Php 2,900 per person depending on the activity, accommodation and number of pax

Forest Club Eco Resort
Website: http://www.theforestclub.com/
Location: Barangay Puypuy and Masaya Bay, Laguna
Contact info: (02) 376-4623 or (0917) 863-3050; info@theforestclub.com
Amenities: accommodations, obstacle courses, team building program, venue for spiritual activities, swimming pool, function rooms, massage (hilot) therapy, family getaway
Price range: Php 525 per person day tour with lunch and snacks
                   Php 4,000 - 10,000 per night overnight accommodation (depends on the type of rooms and number of pax)
                   Php 375 per person for team building activity

Pina Colina Resort
Website: http://www.pinacolina.com/
Location: Tolentino Ulat Road Barangay Francisco Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road Tagaytay, Cavite
Contact info: (02) 994-8557 or (046) 683-7717; pinacolina09@gmail.com
Amenities: accommodations, obstacle courses, function rooms, special packages for corporate functions, swimming pool, basketball court
Price range: Php 2,500 to Php 6,950 per night on accommodations depending on the type of room
                   Php 1,700 per person (estimate) for corporate function

The Green Olive Garden
Website: http://greenolive.ph/
Location: Kabangaan Road Iruhin West, Tagaytay City
Contact info: (02) 245-4890, (0917) 861-6325, (0947) 227-9407; greenolivegarden@yahoo.com
Amenities: accommodations, swimming pool, function rooms, wedding events, corporate events, team building package
Price range: Php 30,000 package for whole day activity (as per our inquiry. price available through direct inquiry to them)

I hope you will find the above information useful.  I only tried Pina Colina Resort when we had our corporate planning session there.  Will blog about my experience here soon.