UPDATE: Airport View Pension is already closed. Natura Cabins has acquired the area that was once occupied by Airport View Pension.
Airport View Pension is one of the cheapest accommodations in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. It is conveniently located near the airport - a mere 2 minutes away - perfect for those who need just a place to crash before flying the next day.
This is the same reason why I chose to book Airport View Pension. When the first pension where we stayed in, Sunflower Royal Pensionne, had no available rooms on the last day of our Puerto Princesa trip, I opted to look for something cheap but still decent (meaning: air conditioned with own bathroom) and near the airport because we had an early flight back to Manila the following day.
Similar to Sunflower Royal Pensionne, I booked this pension through Agoda. The location is perfect and the reviews are good enough. The less than Php1,000 per night rate for a standard twin sharing room satisfied my "cheap" condition. It would've been cheaper if I got the family room, which is good for 4, but I thought, just by looking at the photos, that it looked too cramp to be comfortable for 4 people.
The Room
For it's price, I definitely wasn't expecting a fancy room. And true enough, they were not. The accommodations were container vans that they converted into stand alone rooms. On the outside, it was cute and I even fancied having something similar to build on our spare lot.
Because the pension is just beside the airport, Wi-fi signal is strong outside the rooms. They also have wooden benches in front of every room where you can sit, take advantage of the Wifi or just relax and enjoy the breath of fresh air outside.
But inside is a different scenario. The room is really small and that's not exaggerating it. Space is limited as they tried to fit everything in. You get the bed in one corner, a small table and chair sandwiched between the bed and the door, a closet in another corner with the TV on the top shelf and beside it, the bathroom.
That's basically all the free space in this room. I was already at the door of the bathroom when I took this picture.
Toilet and bath - toilet on one wall, shower on the opposite. You wouldn't believe that they were even able to fit a sink behind the door. You can't bring your clothes inside when taking a bath, because everything will get wet once you turn on the shower. But at least, water pressure was good and the bathroom was well-maintained.
Despite the size of the room, I thought our bed looked comfy, the sheets were clean and the towels were folded nicely. Until we slept on it. The linens reek of bleach and the foam mattress was old and saggy. We all woke up with backaches in the morning. Mine was worst that I had to get a massage in order to relieve the aching.
Problem during Check-in
If you've noticed in the pictures above, this was the family room good for 4 and not the standard twin sharing room. We got a room upgrade. Here's why:
Upon check in, we found out that they didn't reserve the 2 standard rooms I booked through Agoda, and the person on the front desk told us that they only have 1 standard room and 1 family room available. Initially, he wanted to give us the family room because it can accommodate 4 persons. But when my husband learned about this, he argued that we reserved 2 separate rooms and wouldn't accept that we occupy the family room because it's too cramped for 4 people (and it is, honestly, which is why we reserved 2 rooms in the first place). He added that it wasn't our fault that their reservations were messed up and insisted that we should be given 2 separate rooms, because that's what we booked.
The guy, in all fairness to him, was apologetic and kind. He admitted to their fault and let us have the family and the standard room. My husband and I stayed in the family room while my parents stayed in the standard room. Theirs, as expected, was smaller and they complained of the poor airconditioning and the rusty smell of the water coming out of the faucet and shower.
In our room, airconditioning was okay, but you have to turn on the electric fan to distribute the cold air inside, and water smelled okay. The small TV was working, too, albeit 'strategically' placed on top of the closet to maximize room space. We just needed to lie on the bed at a certain angle to be able to watch without straining our necks. Except for the saggy mattress, I really have no major other complaints - the cramped space was tolerable especially if I remind myself of the price of the room.
The Verdict
Overall, if you're only staying for the night and want something near the airport and Rizal Avenue, which is where most of the restaurants are, then Airport View Pension is a great choice. But if you're staying for a few days and want a cozy place where you can rest after touring the beautiful places that Puero Princesa City has to offer, I really suggest that you look somewhere else.
