Where to stay in Cebu? Express Inn Cebu is an ideal choice for travelers on a budget. Located on the main highway of the capital of Cebu, this three-star hotel is only walking distance from SM City Cebu and just minutes away from Mactan Cebu International Airport and many of Cebu City’s tourist and business attractions as well as a range of shops and restaurants. Everything is convenient and hotel guests can take complimentary breakfast at Sammy’s Restaurant situated just beside it.
Related: Click here to read about the top 6 tourist attractions we visited in Cebu, Philippines.
Review of Express Inn, Your Friendly Budget Hotel (Cebu, Philippines)
Ambiance: ★★★☆☆
As a budget hotel, Express Inn Cebu’s ambiance was fair. Room designs were simple but neat and functional. Each of the 84 rooms came equipped with comfortable beds for a good night’s sleep, a flat-screen cable TV, mirror, air conditioning, soothing hot and cold shower in the bathroom, and toiletries kit. Wi-Fi was available but could only be accessed in the hotel’s lobby. A mini refrigerator was present only in the family room and it’s useful to store leftover food and those for pasalubong.
In general, things looked well except for the broken/missing vertical blinds in the window that were not fixed or replaced either by a new set of blinds, draperies, curtain, or some form of shades to control the light entering the room and provide guests with a level of privacy they require. Also, since we stayed in a room facing the street, we could hear the noise outside. People who are sensitive to noise and have troubles sleeping might not find this positive.
Moreover, there was no partitioned flooring between the shower area and the toilet, so water easily could spill into the entire bathroom.
Service: ★★★★☆
Express Inn Cebu is open 24 hours, with reception and room service manned daily. Staffs were kind and polite in their work, however it was frustrating how each request we made (e.g. heating of food in their microwave oven, asking for warm water to drink) entailed extra cost we thought should not be charged. I’m not sure if this is really how budget inns usual operate.
Food: ★★★☆☆
At Sammy’s Restaurant, options for complimentary breakfast include corned beef, luncheon meat, pork ham, chicken hotdog, and fish fillet. Each meal comes with egg scramble, toasted bread, and fruits. For those who prefer eating rice meals can have silog meals served with juice or coffee by just adding PhP 40 to upgrade to “continental breakfast.” With adequate portions and decent tastes, options for silog meals were: ham, tapa, longganisa, tocino, bacon, daing, danggit, and corned beef.
The food was nothing beyond we have anticipated. Presented nicely, the meal made us full and satisfied at the start of the day before we hit the road and went on our guided trip. Apart from breakfast items, Sammy’s Restaurant also serves international and local cuisines. Food delivery service to the hotel room is possible.
Price for Value: ★★★★☆
Express Inn Cebu may not be at the forefront of Cebu city’s eating and drinking scene, but its excellent location is among its most appealing qualities, when you’re set out to explore Cebu’s famous tourist attractions. A fine choice for budget-conscious families, this hotel tends to offer a good value for pricing, with well-appointed basic rooms and an on-site restaurant on the ground floor.
Room rates per night are as follows: (Prices are subject to change so it’s advisable to contact the hotel directly to inquire for best deals.)
- Superior double room (one queen-size bed): PhP 1180
- Superior twin room (two single beds): PhP 1680
- Family room (two queen-size beds): PhP 1880
Note: Check-in time is 2:00PM and check-out time is until 12:00NN.
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
Looks simple, clean and like you had everything you could need! It’s always great when you can save on hotels when traveling.
It doesn’t appear to be a bad hotel. I think the decor is a little basic as far as the wall goes where the TV is. It just seems to look nice on the bed side wall and than where the TV is, kind of blah. But it could eb worse, right? Thank you for sharing and great photos!
I am always on the lookout for hotels where I can save money when going on vacation. The room looks neat and comfortable and the food sounds very affordable. I’ve been to Cebu once and I would love to visit it again.
The room looks pretty nice but since I am sensitive to light and noise I wouldn’t have been able to handle one right next to the street and the missing blind would be a total no go for me. Yikes! I’ve got to say that the food looks delicious, even if there are some things I am not sure what they are.
That is crazy there was no floor separation for the shower! This looks like it would be a good hotel to stay at, but no wifi in the rooms would drive me crazy. The food looks good at the restaurant you ate at as well.
The floor…I need my rug it makes it feel more homey I wouldn’t stay based on that but I would come back for the food lol. I wifi too I can’t live without my electronics
It looks like a no-frills, budget hotel. While those aren’t great for extra comfort and luxury, you can’t beat them for saving money while travelling. I find that I am usually good with them when travelling alone, although I wouldn’t typically choose one when on the move with my family.
It looks like a typical budget motel. It’s a shame there weren’t any curtains or new blinds. I don’t know if I could just go along with that, lol. I have seen places where there is no partition between the shower and toilet, and usually the floor slopes down a bit.
Breakfast looks really good. I am glad you took a picture of the bathroom. It’s kind of a weird thing to think about, but it’s important to know a hotel is CLEAN! That’s the first place to check.
this hotel is not too bad at all, considering its fair facilities and the kind of food it offers in its restaurant. i also love that it is just in the heart of the city and very near to most of the city’s attraction and landmarks.
I think it’s really neat and of course very affordable.. For someone like me who is not really that picky.. this is actually ideal enough to stay…
Thnks for sharing..
Now that I have my passport I want to expand myself more as a travel blogger and would love to explore the Phillipines. I never heard of Cebu but now I am super intrigued! I love the little bistro lounge and the breakfast looks super delish!
This is definitely what I am looking for an accommodation. I don’t like fancy stuff. As long as I have all the things I need and I could have a nice sleep then I am happy! Definitely considering this for my next visit to Cebu!
Angelo
http://www.AngeloTheExplorer.com
I think despite some inconveniences, this would be a good one because of its price and its location.
Wow everything that you would need when in CEBU…
I stayed at Radisson the last time I was there.. and might give this place a chance.. 😀 😀 😀 seeing how comfortable it is and most likely I’ll be out of the hotel any how..
😀 😀 😀 see you soon dear.
That was affordable! The room looks neat and clean. For parents like me it is also important to know the safety and security of the hotel. We’re planning to visit Cebu soon 🙂
[…] Cebu was only about 10 minutes of walking distance away from the hotel we stayed in Cebu City, so visiting SM’s “first shopping mall outside of Metro Manila” was truly a must. […]
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