Philippines Guide
For Travelers, Expats and Pinoys
Iloilo Hotels and Resorts
Overview
Iloilo City is one of the most compact and safe areas in the Philippines where one can walk downtown no matter what time of day and it has an excellent array of Iloilo hotels and restaurants. Iloilo is also an ideal location because of its proximity to Boracay via Guimaras. Finding a good Iloilo hotel where we can unwind and relax at the end of the day is a must to fully maximize our vacation.
Days Hotel Iloilo
Found right in the center of where it all happens in General Luna corner Bonifacio Drive, Days Hotel Iloilo has not only established a reputation in hospitality, this Iloilo hotel remains dedicated to exceeding its guests expectations. The interiors of the Days Hotel Iloilo are elegant and incredibly well maintained complemented with the Iloilo hospitality. This is a 4-star hotel and most of its guests are small families or businessmen who are in Iloilo for a purpose. The Days Hotel Iloilo is relatively large as compared to the other branches of this conglomerate in the Philippines with 70 rooms, 2 restaurants, a spa and a gym as well as a business center. Each room at the Days Hotel Iloilo is fully air conditioned and all the beds are orthopedic beds with its own private bathroom. The suites at this Iloilo hotel even have a Jacuzzi, a microwave oven, a kitchenette and an in-house oven. Days Hotel Iloilo also has a big parking area where guests who have brought their cars can be assured of their vehicle’s safety around the clock.
Amigo Terrace Hotel
If proximity to the airport aside from the business district is what one is after, the Amigo Terrace Hotel is a good option. The 4 storey building of this Iloilo hotel has a shopping complex on the ground floor making it a one stop place for anybody visiting Iloilo. The restaurant at the Amigo Terrace Hotel serve fine Asian and International dishes, they have an adequately equipped business center and they offer massage services to help one unwind at the end of a busy day. All rooms at the Amigo Terrace Hotel have air conditioning, hot and cold shower, an IDD telephone and it is conveniently located on Iznart Delgado Street. Airport transfers are never a problem at the Amigo Terrace Hotel since it’s only 10 minutes away from the airport and this Iloilo hotel offers this service for free to its guests. The Amigo Terrace Hotel has 99 rooms all in all.
Iloilo Government Sites
Iloilo City and its Culture
The pages of history could attest how colorful the events that trussed the heritage and culture of the city of Iloilo. Long before foreign fleets discovered the land, there were already local settlers living or staying in Iloilo curving their own version of civilization.
The Dinagyang Festival and Iloilo City
To know what the city of Iloilo is all about, tourists and visitors should witness the feast called Dinagyang. The festivity of Dinagyang is a cultural and religious feast in Iloilo City. It is being held annually after the Sinulog Festival in Cebu and Ati-Atihan Festival in Aklan (this is celebrated every fourth (4th) Sunday of the month of January. Dinagyang Festival is celebrated and commemorated in honor of the Santo Niño (Holy Child Jesus) and the arrival of Malay settlers on Panay.
The said feast was just introduced in the late 1960′s by a local Catholic Priest Reverend Father Ambrosio Galindez. It started as a simple parish devotion until the Condradia tried to outline the devotion to the Aklan’s Ati-Atihan Festival. This local annual celebration became famous for the neighboring locals and with some international tourists. For that reason, in the late 1970′s President Marcos initiated several regions to come up with festivities or merriments to bolster development and tourism. Since then Dinagyang Festival had been the trademark of the city of Iloilo. This festival is parted into three (3) main events, the Miss Dinagyang, Kasadyahan Street Dancing and Ati-Atihan Street Dancing.
The richness of its cultural and historical heritage in the Dinagyang Festival’s theme, the said event was chosen and voted several times as the best tourism event by the Association of Tourism Officers in the Philippines. This annual occasion is also recognized by international organization such as the United Nations.
The City of Iloilo in Just a few clicks Away
Tourism, particularly of the Dinagyang Festival, had been the main reason why the influx of tourists, visitors and possible business entrepreneur or investors are steadily growing. The next big task of the local government has something to do with using the power a worldwide network which is the internet or the World Wide Web. The local administration of Iloilo City official website (http://iloilocity.gov.ph/) contains a lot of information about history, culture, tourism and even business related details of the place. As potential visitor or financier, it is definitely a must to check and visit Iloilo City’s website for real-time updates.
Iloilo Beach Guide
Iloilo is an island in the south part of the Philippines blessed with natural beauty including beaches. Many people are drawn to this place because of the hospitable people and the beauty of the place. There are several waterfalls and islands. The beaches
in Iloilo belongs to the best ones in the country. Each beach has many tropical trees and most of the beaches have white and fine sand. The island also has several resorts and hotels where you can stay and enjoy the beach.
1. Antonia Beach – Antonia is a beach you can find in the Isla de Gigantes in the town of Carles. It is an ideal getaway place for people who have been busy working and would want to take a break from their hectic life. You can spend your day in this beach snorkeling,sunbating and swimming with your family or friends.
2.Bolobadiangan Beach – This beach is popular in Iloilo. This is situated in Concepcion. There are many corals in this beach. The sand of the beach is white and very fine like powder because of the lime stones. There are areas of the beach where the sand
looks yellow. Many locals come here to swim in the beach because the water is pristine. A feature of Bolobadiangan beach is a sandbar which becomes a structure that barricades the beach.
3.Agho and Tambaliza Beaches – These beaches are also popular choices of many Ilonggos. They are both in Concepcion. These beaches have remained to be pure because of the less commercialism of the places.
4. Anhawan Leisure Camp – This is a perfect vacation place for those who love playing sports in the water like sailing, speedboating, windsurfing, scuba diving and kayaking. There is also an area in this beach where sunbathing can be done privately without other people passing by.
5. Puerto del Mar – This is one of the best beaches in Iloilo. Many of the rich families go here for a good vacation. This beach resort is situated in Guimaras. They have several amenities with good cottages where guests can stay. Guimaras is a lovely island on its own. You can do many water activities here with your family like parasailing, jet skiing and banana boat riding.
Other beaches in Iloilo are Coco Grove, Shamrock beach,Lorenzville, Tobog, Bogtong Bato and Basang-Basa. The water in these beaches are also gentle and calm especially during summer. Most of these beaches offer cottages or villas with a good view of the beach in front. Many tourists also prefer beaches in Iloilo because it is not as crowded as other beaches near Luzon and some are more affordable.
Hotels in Iloilo City
Hotels in Iloilo City can be found almost on top of each other. They are right beside or just a couple of blocks from each other. When competition’s everywhere, seldom is there a busy season. The off-season seems to happen all-year round. That can be both good and bad for guests who book their stay there.
The good part is that these hotels are CHEAP! There are a lot of package deals available, ranging from a weekend package with complementary breakfast for Php 3,000.00, to an overnight stay for only Php 1,250.00 per person. Offers are anything and everything that they can think of to make their prices cheaper than the competition.
These hotels have really nice rooms. Beds are tidy and there are always fresh sheets. You get cable TV and those little single-serving soaps, shampoo and conditioners, and shower caps in your bathroom. Yup, and you can just toss them in your bags too… single serving toiletries are so adorable, you just want to keep them rather than use them. Admit it, when we travel, we bring our own soaps and shampoos anyway. But it is curious that in some hotels, you also get a tiny bottle of bath foaming gel, and there’s no tub in the bathroom! That’s a little funny but, what the heck, we’d just toss that bottle in our luggage too!
Another good thing about it is that the staff really cares about you. The doorman will always greet you with a “Have a nice day ma’am” or a “Take care sir”. You call room service and they’re at your door in less than 5 minutes. Ask for an extra chair, you got. Ask for cold water in a pitcher, they’d bring it in no time. The staff is so friendly and helpful. And if you don’t speak Ilonggo (the native tongue in the city), it doesn’t matter. They can understand the typical Tagalog from Manila and, this is so endearing, they speak beautiful English. Well, connecting with the staff is no problem at all.
And the breakfast is awesome! You’ll really get that Pinoy experience with the tapsilog, tosilog, hotsilog, and all other meat-egg-fried rice combinations that you can find in Filipino homes. You can even get daing or dried fish with your fried garlic rice and sunny-side up eggs. There’s an array fresh fruits to choose from and the mangoes are so sweet!
Now, we’ll go to the bad parts. If you’re alone, the food situation is difficult. The only meal that you can get for a single guest is the breakfast. Turns out, the restaurants and food services in these hotels only make family style portions during lunch and dinner… that’s food for 3-4 people! And we all know that one of the joys of staying in a hotel is ordering room service. And when you’re getting platters of food when you’re only eating for one, it’s not very appetizing. Another bad detail is that there’s no internet access in most of these hotels. So if you’re traveling for business, that’s really inconvenient.
Hotels in Iloilo City are a dime a dozen. That’s both good and bad for the traveler in us. Though there are issues such as the lack of internet access and the family-sized food portions, the people, price and ambiance are worth having the hotel experience in the old city of Iloilo.
[Tags]Hotels, Iloilo, Panay, Philippines, Visayas, Pinoy, Travel, Hotel, Iloilo Hotels[/Tags]
Iloilo City: Great Vacation with a Growing Economy
Iloilo City, Philippines, was a center of commerce and trade way back in the Spanish and American colonial periods. The locals are known to be a people who are polite and calm in speech. You’ll find that the people of Iloilo City to be tender and warm to guests and visitors.
When you get to Iloilo City, one of the first things you’ll notice is that when you speak to some of the locals they would often just smile at you. That doesn’t mean they don’t understand you or they think you’re funny, it’s just that the locals are generally shy. When you speak to them in English, there are those who would respond in English since Ilongos (Iloilo natives) are well educated and can speak more than one language.
The people in Iloilo City are generally very friendly and would walk an extra mile to help a stranger. Just be aware that Iloilo City also has its own host of scoundrels — so it’s a good advice to be careful too.
Historically speaking, Iloilo City was an agricultural center back in the colonial days. Agricultural produce like sugar, mangoes, and bananas were exported from Iloilo.
Nowadays, Iloilo City is a huge source of manpower in the Philippines. The manpower in Iloilo City is classified under multi-skilled workers. The people here are also multi-lingual. You will find that workers would speak in the native Hiligaynon, but would speak English at work. Other languages or dialects spoken in Iloilo City include Tagalog and Kinaray-a. Iloilo City is also known as a source of the finest embroidery in the Philippines.
Iloilo City is very much alive with a host of various festivities. Some of the most notable festivals in Iloilo City are the Dinagyang Festival, Paraw-Regatta, the Fireworks Display, and the Feast of Our Lady of Candles.
The Dinagyang Festival is a lively cultural event in Iloilo City. It commemorates the Christianization of Iloilo City natives and is celebrated every fourth weekend of January. You’ll be treated to a colorful parade, a dramatization of the patron saint Sto. Nino, and a celebration of drums and shouts of “Hala Bira” by tribe members.
Iloilo City is also a host to an annual fireworks display competition. This is in conjunction with the Arevalo district fiesta and is held every third Sunday of January.
Iloilo City is also the site of the oldest golf course in the Philippines located at Sta. Barbara. Water activities are also commonplace that include offshore fishing, swimming, scuba diving, and water skiing.
Hotel accommodations in Iloilo City have an average price range of $18 to $100 depending on the hotel you’ll be staying in. The plane trip to Iloilo would have an average cost of Php 2,000 to Php 4,000 depends if you travel first class or economy and so forth. Airlines in the Philippines usually give discounts.
Iloilo City provides an experience of a really valuable vacation. It’s a pleasurable dive into a cultural hospitality that is unique to its people. Iloilo City is also a budding economic region with a competitive manpower that may well boost its economy.
Iloilo Hotel Guide
A popular and rapidly advancing province in the southern part of the Philippines, Iloilo is one of the nicest places to visit in the country. Since it plays home to numerous attractive and interesting tourist destinations, the province features hospitality service providers that offer different leisure and dining facilities. Additionally, hotels in Iloilo, Philippines, also feature reasonable accommodations to everyone. To help tourists experience a hassle-free as well as safe stay in the place, there are Iloilo hotel guides that they can use.
Accommodation Rates and Locations in Iloilo Hotel Guides
Two special features of Iloilo hotel guides are accommodation rates and locations. These features are very helpful in the sense that tourists can make wise decisions regarding the places that suit their budget. For instance, for those who prefer to sleep in guestrooms that have affordable rates, many hotels in the province of Iloilo, Philippines, have cheap accommodations such as Iloilo Midtown Hotel, River Queen Hotel, and City Corporate Inn. In addition, there are also pension houses featured in Iloilo hotel guides that have cheap accommodations like Jaro Bellevue Pensionne, La Chateau de Iloilo, and Rosa Maria Pension. Meanwhile, for those who are in search for hotels that have accessible and strategic location, they can visit Iloilo Grand Hotel, Four Season Hotel, and Westown Hotel.
Facilities of Hotel in Iloilo, Philippines
Aside from accommodation rates and locations, Iloilo hotel guides also feature leisure and dining facilities in many hospitality service providers in Iloilo, Philippines. For the comfort of travelers in the province, they can make advance bookings at hotels that have special facilities like restaurants, swimming pools, and fitness gyms. Hence, three of the hotels in the area that offer well-maintained facilities, which are commonly featured in Iloilo hotel guides are The Grand Dame Hotel, La Fiesta Hotel, and EON Centennial Hotel.
Star Ratings of Hotels in Iloilo, Philippines
In terms of star ratings, people can always check out Iloilo hotel guides to know how efficient the services that hotels in Iloilo, Philippines, offer to guests. For those who like to occupy elegant and luxurious guestrooms, they can make reservations at five-star and four-star hotels, namely Hotel del Rio, Days Hotel, and Sarabia Manor Hotel and Convention Center. On the other hand, for travelers who prefer to stay in standard hotels that have three-star and two-star ratings, they can stay in one of these attractive hospitality service providers; Punta Villa Hotel and Resort, The Residence Hotel, and Castle Hotel.
Passi City, Philippines: A Place You Shouldn’t Miss
Passi City is located in the heart of Iloilo Province. Passi City’s boundaries are San Enrique on the north; on the south is Dumarao, Capiz; Calinog on the east; and on the west is Lemery. Passi City is a mountainous area and is composed of 51 barangays. It has the largest land area in Iloilo Province and is 50 kilometers away from Iloilo City.
Passi City has a variety of dialects. The Passinhon (local natives) speak Karay-a as their predominant dialect. Businessmen and investors use Cebuano and Tagalog dialects as well. Roman Catholicism is the religion of approximately 95 percent of the population in Passi City.
Throughout the Iloilo Province, Passi City is the District Agri-Industrial Center thus making it locally important. Passi City is rich in agricultural resources. Agriculture has been the long time backbone of Passi City’s economy. The main agricultural products include pineapples, coconuts, sugarcane, corn, rice, and vegetables.
Aside from agriculture, Passi City also has other industries that contribute well to their economy. These include fruit processing, metalworking production, wallboard production, and cut-flower propagation. Passi City also locally produce pineapple jam, wine, and preserves. These locally produced products have gotten their exposure due to various trade fairs and exhibits. Because of these fairs and exhibits, these products have already an established market.
Passi City has an annual festival called “Pintados de Passi Festival”. This festival is one of the very popular and well-established festivals of the region. It is an important event in the life of a Passinhon. The Pintados de Passi Festival attracts local and foreign tourists, which helps the tourism industry of Passi City.
Passi City’s Pintados de Passi Festival reminisces lives of the early settlers. These people have their bodies adorned with tattoos. Thus the name “Pintados” or literally the “Painted Men”.
The Pintados de Passi Festival of Passi City is celebrated with theatre-like street dancing. Participants do aggressive and heavy body movements to the rhythm of the music. They act out folk plays, character types, combat dances, and other ritual actions. Passi City’s rich history and culture play an important role in the preservation of Pintados de Passi Festival.
According to history, in 1766, a Spanish settlement was first established in this area. This marks the Spaniards’ onset colonial rule. In Ansig, Spanish explorers anchored there. Ansig is a place located at Lamunan River’s delta. Passi City’s name is derived from the word “Pasi”. This is a Hiligaynon word that means “unhusked grains of rice”.
Passi City is a great place to visit if ever you have a chance to come to the southern part of the Philippines. It is a place you shouldn’t miss when you visit the province of Iloilo, Philippines.
Iloilo Sightseeing and Activities
Iloilo’s unique cultural heritage, historical importance and pristine natural resources are the points of interest of tourist destinations for sightseeing and other activities. Museums, religious shrines, historical landmarks are scattered throughout the province of Iloilo. Natural wonders such as waterfalls, beaches, etc. offer tourists more than sightseeing. Tourists can engage in swimming, scuba diving and other activities in these destinations.
Iloilo has several attractions such as landmarks and museums for tourists who are on a sightseeing tour of history and culture. Museo Iloilo has a collection of artifacts and art pieces from as early as pre-Spanish times to Spanish colonial period. Also featured in Museo Iloilo are geological specimens of fossils, rocks and shells. Modern art by Ilongo artists are also showcased here. Plaza Libertad in downtown Iloilo City is another historic place. This site is the place of the flag raising of the First Philippine Republic after Spain surrendered Iloilo in 1898. Also, the streets of downtown Iloilo especially J.M. Basa Street and Calle Real has many structures that were built during the Spanish and American Colonial periods. Meanwhile, La Villa de Arevalo, which is located southwest of Iloilo City, is where Alcadia de Panay is found. This place was a Spanish settlement that was attached by English explorer Sir Thomas Cavendish back in the 16th century. The town of Jaro is another interesting place to visit. This town has many old colonial houses and antique shops.
Churches can be found around the province. Visiting these churches gives sightseeing tourists a chance to see church architecture and the religious life of the people of Iloilo. Molo Church is an example of Gothic Renaissance architecture of a church made of coral rock. Tigbauan Church, southwest of Iloilo City, boasts of its baroque fa’ade. Miag-ao Church, on the other hand, has a fa’ade designed with botanical motif. Other churches that are noteworthy to visit are the Guimbal Church, Cabatuan Church and Janiuay Church.
Destinations for activities other than sightseeing are also abundant in Iloilo. Blessed with natural wonders, Iloilo has beaches, waterfalls, lakes, mountains that offer tourist to engage in swimming, hiking, trekking, diving, snorkeling and exploring. Sicogon Island boasts of white sand beaches ideal for swimming. While Nasidman and Calabasa Islands are ideal places for fishing. Scuba diving is an ideal activity in Cataan Cove. The marine garden of the cove has many interesting aquatic life. Nadsajan Falls, Darangkulan Waterfall, Nagpana Falls and San Juan Falls are waterfalls around the province that boasts of cool waters cascading down majestic rock formations amidst lush vegetation.
Iloilo Travel Agents
The beauty and charm of the province of Iloilo cannot be denied. The province itself is among the ranks of the country’s primary and leading centers of commerce, production and culture. Its characteristics as the depository of artistic and architectural heritage, the potentiality of growth in aquaculture and as a discovery of untouched tourist spots provide an appeal very enticing and definitely should not be missed by any tourist planning to visit the Philippines. Iloilo is situated on the southwestern part of the tip of the island of Panay flanked by the Iloilo River and the Guimara Straight.
Best Places in Iloilo
Iloilo is blessed with wonderful historical heritage and natural wonders. As tourists, these following places are the excellent spots to visit in Iloilo. The island of Sicogon offers palm laden isle with white sand beaches and is located five kilometers away frim Estancia municipal proper. Janiuay Cemetey, which is thirty-two kilometers away from the Iloilo Citym is a Spanish-Filipino built memorial park made of fossil rocks and cut stones and showcases two Gothic entries and three impressive stairways. The Miag-ao Church or the Jaro Cathedral has been a national landmark since 1973 and its architectural design is a suggestive of the Aztecs. This church is also the Archbishop’s seat. Museo Iloilo is a place where collections and compilations of historical and cultural heritage of Iloilo are well kept or preserved for public viewing. These artifacts include war relics and mementos (such as a sunken British ship), Filipino carvings during the Spanish regime, pottery from ancient trade transactions (with Siam, Annam and China), Stone Age burial sites, jewelry, fossils and native pottery. Absolutely, there is no such thing as lag time in Iloilo City.
Enjoying Iloilo
In response to the overwhelming influx of tourists and visitors coming, going, staying for good and doing business, the local government boosts its tourism potentiality by supporting travel and tours agencies. One of the noted travel agency in the city is the Amigo Travel and Tours Corporation. This travel bureau is located at the Ground Floor Carlos Young Building Solis St., Iloilo City and has helped a lot of tourists regarding accommodation and travel routine. The grandeur of Iloilo is simply irresistible. With the power and the usefulness of the internet, booking a tour in the exciting city of Iloilo is just a few clicks away. Everyday is a great day to enjoy the brilliance of the city of Iloilo.
Iloilo Hotels and Resorts
Overview
The gateway to Visayas has several new hotels and fine established ones that have first class facilities coupled with world class customer service. Among the two highly recommended Iloilo hotels are Sarabia Manor Hotel and Century 21 Hotel.
Century 21 Hotel
A hotel that has established a reputation in many parts of the Philippines has recently opened its doors in Iloilo. Century 21 Hotel is right in the middle of the business district and this 6 storey building has more than just warm hospitality to offer. Century 21 Hotel is proud of its reputation of establishing a home away from home and aside from the topnotch service that this Iloilo hotel provides, the rooms are also immaculately clean with fresh sheets all the time There are many different types of rooms depending on how many people are booking or the guest’s preference. Century 21 Hotel is definitely within one’s budget, with the single room with a single bed good for 1 person available for only Php 800 per night. For groups of 3 or 4, this Iloilo hotel offers the deluxe or the family room and the prices are Php 1,350 and Php 1,600 respectively. The deluxe room has 3 single beds while the family room at this Iloilo hotel has 1 matrimonial bed and 2 singles. Century 21 Hotel also has complete amenities such as function rooms for business purposes or for events and celebrations, a restaurant that serves excellent mouth watering dishes and power cuts are never a problem with this Iloilo hotel since it has a generator on standby. For those who brought their cars to Iloilo, Century 21 Hotel has basement parking and 24 hour security.
Sarabia Manor Hotel
Another good Iloilo hotel that has a prime location right in the heart of the city is Sarabia Manor Hotel which is found on General Luna Street. This Iloilo hotel is the recipient of Best Hotel Award for 2 years and their facilities include 6 restaurants all specializing in different cuisines, a gym, business center, outdoor swimming pool, a sauna and a souvenir shop. Sarabia Manor Hotel is one of the Iloilo hotels that have facilities for the disabled and it also offers services such as massage, car rental, room service and tour packages. The function rooms at this Iloilo hotel can accommodate up to 1,500 people so it’s a good spot for big events or conferences. Sarabia Manor Hotel also has a bar so on can grab a quick drink before turning in and the cocktails here are unique and taste good. Room rates at the Sarabia Manor Hotel start at Php 2,352.