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Wednesday, August 15, 2012

BESTIES Review: Ysabelle Mansion in Puerto Princesa

Palawan, one of the prides of the Philippine Islands. Surely, the BESTIES would never miss experiencing Palawan's treasures and beauty. The BESTIES is a group formed by six lovely ladies (AHEM!) who had been friends for more than a decade; bonded with their passion to keep the friendship alive. That's us, and that's what we will always be :)

We planned this tour for 6 months and had everything ready 3 months before the actual trip. I, as the "pasimuno" (initiator) of the trip read a lot of reviews of places where we can stay in Puerto Princesa; and among them was Ysabelle Mansion. We simply would like a good place that is budget-friendly and this inn ranked 5 among the 74 inns currently reviewed in tripadvisor. As a contributor in hotel reviews; I decided to make my unbiased personal review of my stay in Ysabelle Mansion; taking some notable notes from the rest of the members of the BESTIES.

Details of the trip:
Date of stay: August 11-13, 2012 (3d2n accommodation)
Purpose of stay: Leisure Trip



We arrived at Puerto Princesa Airport way past 12 PM; and we we were fetched by the driver of Ysabelle Mansion with their own van. The good thing about Ysabelle Mansion is that they offer transfers to their guests for free. At first; I thought we were too many a passenger for a van; since, the names listed on a long piece of paper were more than 20 pax, only to find out that it was only the 6 of us scheduled to be fetched and the other listed names are of different schedules. I was hoping for a more personalize approach though :) Yet, we were satisfied with the transfer service.


It took us less than 10 minutes to reach the hotel. It is near the airport and the city proper; yet, the place where this inn is situated offers a peaceful ambiance.

Ysabelle Mansion's front facade is pleasing and we can see how well-maintained the place is by just looking at the surroundings. It is just a small hotel; but it is artistically designed that gives it a homey image. Upon entering the gate; you cannot control yourself from taking a pictures of its front view up to the receiving area. That's what we did; after all :)





We were warmly greeted by the person-in-charge at the front desk; then, she told us some basic information for our stay and gave us the key to our room. One of them helped us carry our luggage. I had a good impression of the staff in this inn. They're warm; friendly and accommodating.

A beautiful landscape greeted us as we enter the lobby to our room. It is adorable and if I am not mistaken; so many photos were taken on this spot :)



We moved in our room and saw a medium-sized room with basic amenities inside. 3 double beds good for 6 people; a long dresser; a TV; a place where we can hang our clothes; an air condition and a small-sized restroom. For a short stay; this room is enough for us. However, if you are used in big rooms; this may not be good for you. One thing caught my attention; the room is very clean and doesn't smell like it was occupied by someone else ahead of us.

Ysabelle Mansion can offer accommodation even to large group of guests. They can accommodate 6-12 pax in a room. The price may not be as cheap as other hotels in Puerto Princesa; but it is reasonable. We were charged PHP2,400 a night for  a family room. That includes the transfers as well as daily breakfast.

Well, the downside was the breakfast. The servings were smaller than what we expected and the taste was okay but not impressive. I suggest; they run a review of the meals they offer and get a better cook. :) Aww, bad-dy me :p



Ysabelle Mansion also took care of our tours as we availed package tours from them and we were pleased by the tour guides they got for us.

Brownouts are expected; and Ysabelle Mansion is ready with a generator when the power is off. Although, they switch the generator on; after 10-15 mins, so be ready with a flashlight at night. 

The Wi-fi is good that even inside the room, you can get a good signal.

Over-all, our stay had been comfortable in this hotel. And it gets 7/10 ratings from me. Should I recommend it to others? Of course! especially for those who are seeking a-not-so-expensive quality accommodation in Puerto Princesa :)

Next post: The tours :)

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