To say that we were not impressed with the Tonquin Motor Inn in Jasper National Park is an understatement. At $180 a night, it was a complete rip-off!

The parking lot was absolute chaos and despite the fact that parking was supposed to be included in the price of our room, we weren’t able to use the parking space in front of our room because the staff were using it for a garbage area. We ended up parking on the far side of the hotel.

Our room was on the third floor overlooking the parking lot, there weren’t any elevators or ramps, so we ended up lugging our stuff up three flights of stairs. We stopped to talk to an elderly couple who also had a lot to say about the hotel. They were upset about being placed on the third floor. They felt that the staff should have taken their age into consideration, and they were very disappointed with the lack of service.

The rooms themselves were oddly laid out. I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in a room with such inconveniently placed electrical outlets. The main outlet behind the computer desk was a mess of wires and plugs. We counted up to eight plugs and decided not to use that outlet. The only other option for outlets was behind the air conditioning unit, which we had to move out of the way.

The swimming pool also wasn’t very inviting. Little Caleb took one look at it and said, “That pool looks yucky.”

The sad thing about most hotels in western Canada is that they totally take advantage of visitors to the area by asking for unbelievable rates. We have enjoyed traveling in Canada, but the next time we’re out this way, we’ll bring our camping gear along.

Tonquin Motor Inn, Jasper National Park is a post from: Lay Your Head Here

© 2009-2010 Lay Your Head Here

This is one place we would definitely not recommend to anyone traveling to the seaside village of Sabang. We called three weeks in advance to book a seaside bungalow. Upon arriving – on time I might add – we were told that our room had been given away.

They placed us in a filthy rundown family bungalow with no running water or electricity. The children’s beds had mosquito nets, the big double bed was stained and crawling with insects. There were no sheets. No towels.

The water from the sink ran directly onto the floor. It was just there for appearances. And we had to turn the light on by connected two wires together. They wanted $1500 Pesos for the bungalow. The view, however, is incredible, but the beach property was dirty and unkept.We dumped our stuff and went looking for other accommodations. Based on what we have paid elsewhere in Asia, this is a complete ripoff.

A word to the wise: Ellen’s Travel and Tours Palawan in Puerto Princesa offers a 2 night/3 day excursion to Sabang that includes roundtrip transportation by air con van, an underground river tour with lunch, and accommodations at either Robert’s Cottages or Taraw. The price of the tour is 6, 200 pesos. We didn’t get a chance to see Taraw Bungalows, but based on what we saw of Robert’s cottages, the tour is a complete rip off based on what we saw of Robert’s cottages.

Robert’s Cottages, Sabang, Philippines is a post from: Lay Your Head Here

© 2009-2010 Lay Your Head Here

Despite being number seven on Priceline’s list of best accommodations in Manila, the Manila Pavilion and Casino was a huge disappointment. If you’re going to spend $72 a night on a hotel, spend an extra $20 and book yourself a room at a well-known hotel chain. The Manila Pavilion is nowhere near being a 4-star standard hotel.

Our room on the 19^th floor was in a dark, wood-paneled corridor that smelled as much of smoke as it did of dust. The room was nasty. Threadbare carpets, uneven furniture that was obviously bottom of the barrel, a bedspread that was as distasteful to look at as it was to sleep on, moldy bathroom fixtures, and an odd smell that was vaguely suggestive of old cheese. We’ve stayed in $8US rooms that were cleaner and better equipped than our room at the Manila Pavilion.

Our disgust with the room was so great that we went down to the front desk to see if we could move. We found out we could upgrade to a room in the new wing of the hotel for an extra $12US. The new wing, however, wasn’t much better than the old wing. We didn’t find the staff helpful at all. We were reluctant to try out the hotel restaurant, and we were frisked going in and out of the hotel.

You wouldn’t be getting any complaints from us if the room had been under $20US, but $72US is a steep price to pay for such shabby accommodations. If you’re staying in Manila, the Manila Pavilion and Casino is one establishment you’ll want to give a miss.

Manila Pavilion and Casino, Manila, Philippines is a post from: Lay Your Head Here

© 2009-2010 Lay Your Head Here