and look at what we saw!!! the facade simply awed us... Hotel Alejandro had us at hello... hehehe
Hotel Alejandro looked so inviting from the outside... :-) the photos on the net does not give justice to the place..hehehe I love how it looked historical... somehow blending with the notion of a historical trip if you're heading to Leyte...
We immediately went inside to check for available rooms and for the rates. The info desk is so inside the hotel that you have to go through the part where they have so much history on display... we were enticed further to stay here. Cheapest available room for 2 is Php1,100. That's their Double De Luxe Room. We're already good with that... but the front desk clerk informed us that they might not be able to accomodate us on the 2nd night since there was a group reservation made for a conference in their hotel... This triggered us to check the other hotels in our list first....
Our first stop: Asia Stars Hotel. Based on some reviews i encountered online, hotel is good. It's one of the cheapest actually and is situated in the middle of Tacloban City. This is actually what's on top of my list. But after seeing Hotel Alejandro first, just by the facade of Asia Stars, we were already turned off. hehehe we're bias like that. :D We head inside to check for the room rates. It's just a hundred peso difference from Hotel Alejandro. We did not try to ask for available rooms anymore as we are already decided to stay in Alejandro. This however, can be an option for us on the 2nd night just in case we can not be accomodated by Hotel Alejandro anymore.
We've also checked Hotel D' Angelo, just so we dont have what if's hehehe... and just to check if it can also be an option for us on the 2nd night. Well, just the same, the facade did not impress us... and worst, it's even more expensive than Hotel Alejandro! Big X right away. hehehe :D
....and then we head back to Hotel Alejandro. We've decided to stay there for the first night and keep our fingers crossed that they will still have room for us on the 2nd night... :D
look at how comfy the room is....for the price, i find this waaaaaay too sulit. :-) I love the headboard... and the mirror! just perfect. :-)
.....and this is the hallway leading to the rooms. It's very nice for claustrophobics... the hallway actually is open, facing the center building which is where they display a lot of vintage stuff.
this is the 2nd floor lobby and some of the hallways leading to the conference rooms. all walls are filled with World War2 photos.
here's a little history about the hotel (copied from Hotel Alejandro's website):
"Hotel Alejandro has metamorphosed since it first stood in 1932. With it's meaningful history backed up by the owner's good name, untarnished over the years, Hotel Alejandro definitely spells hospitality capped with the establishment's historic past.
Past.Located along P. Paterno Street, Tacloban City, Hotel Alejandro is one hotel that boasts of a storied past dating many decades of pre and post war days.
It's owners, Dr. and Mrs. Alejandro Montejo started the construction of their now ancestral edifice in 1931 towards its completion in 1932.
Even before the early days of WWII, the Montejo residence was already a popular venue for luncheons and dinner parties attended by USAFFE military officers. When the war broke out in 1942 during the Japanese invasion, the house served as quarters to displaced families. Shortage of housing increased during the early days of Leyte's liberation in 1944, and the Montejos were among those who opened their doors to the evacuees mostly from Cebu and Negros. The Montejo household eventually became a one family per room affair. Little did they know that in context, the path was opened towards a hotel business in the future. It was quite a feat that despite the shortage of water and lack of electricity, the tenants survived unscathed.
Happy years characterized the Montejo household during the growing up years of their 8 children. Friends, relatives, and associates share a multitude of joyous memories with the doctor and his family.
As a token of their heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to the late Dr. Alejandro Montejo, the heirs have named the hotel in his honor.
Present.Today, Hotel Alejandro stands as a 5-story structure having a total of 4 executives suites, 25 standard and 36 deluxe rooms. The 5th level is the roof deck where parties are mostly held as it can accommodate up to 200pax.
The Commonwealth Hall, that can seat 250pax, is frequently chosen as the venue for wedding receptions, conferences, and the like. For small parties, gathering or seminars for 50 - 100 persons, guests may opt for the Liberation Room located at the 2nd floor of the hotel.
Conveniently located at the ground level is Café Teresa, the popular café that offers a mixture of Filipino, Spanish and American dishes. At certain occasions torch singers perform to provide music and entertainment. Café Teresa also houses a function room that could sit 50 guests. This is mostly being reserved for special functions and occasions.
Guests get to relax in the lap pool located at the hotel's roofdeck or opt for a drink and unwind at the poolside bar and cafe while enjoying a panoramic view of the city.
One of the hotel's attractions both for foreign and local guests are some 450 photos in an exhibit that comes as a vivid portrayal of the war in Leyte in October, 1944. The photographic essay covers Gen. Douglas MacArthur's Leyte landing in fulfillment of his pledge, "I Shall Return"."
here's a little history about the hotel (copied from Hotel Alejandro's website):
"Hotel Alejandro has metamorphosed since it first stood in 1932. With it's meaningful history backed up by the owner's good name, untarnished over the years, Hotel Alejandro definitely spells hospitality capped with the establishment's historic past.
Past.Located along P. Paterno Street, Tacloban City, Hotel Alejandro is one hotel that boasts of a storied past dating many decades of pre and post war days.
It's owners, Dr. and Mrs. Alejandro Montejo started the construction of their now ancestral edifice in 1931 towards its completion in 1932.
Even before the early days of WWII, the Montejo residence was already a popular venue for luncheons and dinner parties attended by USAFFE military officers. When the war broke out in 1942 during the Japanese invasion, the house served as quarters to displaced families. Shortage of housing increased during the early days of Leyte's liberation in 1944, and the Montejos were among those who opened their doors to the evacuees mostly from Cebu and Negros. The Montejo household eventually became a one family per room affair. Little did they know that in context, the path was opened towards a hotel business in the future. It was quite a feat that despite the shortage of water and lack of electricity, the tenants survived unscathed.
Happy years characterized the Montejo household during the growing up years of their 8 children. Friends, relatives, and associates share a multitude of joyous memories with the doctor and his family.
As a token of their heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to the late Dr. Alejandro Montejo, the heirs have named the hotel in his honor.
Present.Today, Hotel Alejandro stands as a 5-story structure having a total of 4 executives suites, 25 standard and 36 deluxe rooms. The 5th level is the roof deck where parties are mostly held as it can accommodate up to 200pax.
The Commonwealth Hall, that can seat 250pax, is frequently chosen as the venue for wedding receptions, conferences, and the like. For small parties, gathering or seminars for 50 - 100 persons, guests may opt for the Liberation Room located at the 2nd floor of the hotel.
Conveniently located at the ground level is Café Teresa, the popular café that offers a mixture of Filipino, Spanish and American dishes. At certain occasions torch singers perform to provide music and entertainment. Café Teresa also houses a function room that could sit 50 guests. This is mostly being reserved for special functions and occasions.
Guests get to relax in the lap pool located at the hotel's roofdeck or opt for a drink and unwind at the poolside bar and cafe while enjoying a panoramic view of the city.
One of the hotel's attractions both for foreign and local guests are some 450 photos in an exhibit that comes as a vivid portrayal of the war in Leyte in October, 1944. The photographic essay covers Gen. Douglas MacArthur's Leyte landing in fulfillment of his pledge, "I Shall Return"."
i love this part of the hotel. this is in the separate building in the middle of the hotel's compound. there's more WW2 photos here, and some vintage items... like an old phone, books, some boat models. i love the really "old" feel of this hotel. :-)
and then the veranda...the vintage and photo display area leads to a veranda... forming part of the hotel's facade... i just cant stop saying i love every bit part of the place... :-)
it took us almost an hour to satisfy our want to photograph the whole place... (imagine we missed to find out that there's actually a pool and a bar on the 5th floor!!! uuurrrrgghh!!! fail! hehe)... when we decided to head out and start our explorer mode in Tacloban, we passed by Hotel Alejandro's pasalubong shop... this is where i found this cute little hat... my mom was asking me to buy her a hat during this trip... so i immediately bought this one.... mainly because im also in love with it... hehe...
we really really recommend that you guys choose Hotel Alejandro if you're heading to Tacloban.... it's really worth your money.... and it's easy to go to other parts of the city even late at night by commute or by walking. i definitely give this place a perfect 10! :-)
P. Paterno Street, Tacloban City
Leyte, Philippines, 6500
Phone Number: (63) (053) 321-7033 / 321-7509 / 321-7510 / 523-7873
Fax: (63) (053) 523-7872
Email: alejandro@nxdsl.com.ph
Website: http://alejandro.tacloban.biz/contactus.html
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Tacloban trip with Ezra
17-19 September 2010
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