Booking and Airport Pick-up
I booked Sunflower Royal Pensionne House through Agoda, 2 standard rooms for 3 nights. It was the cheapest that I can get that's relatively near the city. At P1,200/night (Agoda rate), with free breakfast and airport transfers, I think it's a very good deal. It's not one of the popular pension houses in Puerto Princesa, and there were only few reviews then but I took my chances.
When my booking was confirmed, I immediately left a message on their Facebook page to let them know of the booking in Agoda. The person who I was corresponding with was very polite and would always answer my questions.
Since I didn't have much time to prepare and research our itinerary, I decided to course all tours through the pension house. He only asked for a downpayment so they can process our permits for the Underground River Tour. Unfortunately, a few weeks before our planned trip, my grandmother passed away and I was not able to settle the downpayment. But he was very considerate and was even willing to allow me to forgo the downpayment and just pay the whole amount when we arrive at the hotel. Good thing, I found some free time to go to the bank a few days before we left for Palawan.
During boarding time, I also sent a text message to inform him that we're about to depart from Manila so they could estimate our arrival time at PPS airport. When we arrived at PPS, I immediately saw a man holding a sign bearing my name. Our airport pick up was prompt and he was nice enough to help us load our bags into the van. As he drove us from the airport to the hotel, he briefed us about the laws in Puerto Princesa and entertained my questions about the tours that I talked to him about in Facebook.
The Pension and Room
Sunflower Royal Pensionne House is 2 kilometers away from the city proper, in a quieter area pero medyo looban na. From the outside, it looked new and well looked after. The lobby/reception area excuded a homey atmosphere, with modest wooden furnitures and indigenuous decors, most notable of which was the preserved armadillo. And I couldn't help but notice how clean and shiny the floor tiles were.
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| Entrance that opens to the reception area/ main lobby. |
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| More wooden furnitures just beside the main entrance. |
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| Main lobby that looks like your regular sala. |
The rooms they assigned to us were in the ground floor right next to the lobby, which was great because my parents are not fond of going up and down the stairs. But I guess the rooms on the 2nd floor were nice, too becaues they have access to the veranda.
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| Our rooms were the two adjacent rooms on the right. |
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| 2nd floor lobby area |
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| 2nd floor veranda |
The standard rooms were pretty basic. Each has a double-sized bed with foam mattress, writing table, closet, cable TV and aircon. The bathroom was a little cramped though, but it was clean and had plenty of water supply. For the price that we paid for, I feel the room provisions were good enough.
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| Double-sized bed |
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| Table and Chair |
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| Cable TV and Aircon |
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| Closet |
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| Bathroom |
The Eating Area and Breakfast
The complimentary breakfast was served at the rooftop dining area located on the 3rd floor. It had a nice view of the city and gave us the pleasure of enjoying our meal as we inhaled the fresh breeze of the morning. There's also a beautiful wash area and restroom in one corner. We always looked forward to having our breakfast there not only because of the ambiance but also because of the food and service.
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| View from the rooftop |
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| Large and open-air dining area |
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| Cute wash area and restroom near the dining area |
Breakfast was not buffet-style, but the servings were large (and I think you can even asked for second helpings) and the food, traditional Filipino breakfast, were delicious. But the most commendable aspect of breakfast was the service. The staff who were attending the guests were very friendly, helpful and always had sincere smiles on their faces.
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| Traditional Filipino Breakfast: Pritong Danggit (the best!), Adobong Manok, Pritong Itlog |
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| I thought they had their glasses customized. |
The Service and Location
And speaking of service, everyone at Sunflower Royal Pensionne House was very accommodating, especially the owners. This is a family-owned pension house and all members do their part in making sure that the guests are well attended to. The man of the house was reputed to be one of the best cooks in Puerto Princesa and we even asked if he could cook Chili Crabs for us. He was willing but the pension house was unfortunately fully booked that time and they were undermanned, so he didn't have enough time to cook.
However, they don't do house cleaning unless you ask for it (I read it in the house rules). Room supplies like bathroom tissue, toiletries and towels were also not "impressive". But hey, this is a 2-star accommodation so I didn't expect much and I'm not really complaining.
Location-wise, I think it's good if you prefer to rest during the evening and have a peaceful sleep than spend the night on the town. It's far from Rizal Avenue, the central strip in Puerto Princesa where most of the fancy restaurants and establishments are, but it's just a few steps away from the main road, where you can hail a tricycle to get to almost anywhere in the city.
The Verdict
Overall, the Sunflower Royal Pensionne House was a good find and we truly enjoyed our stay there. It was a home away from home. Yes, it was straightforward and while it might not have the bells and whistles of the other more posh accommodations, the food and service more than make up for those. Definitely recommended budget accommodation in Puerto Princesa City!
Sunflower Royal Pensionne
Web: http://sunflowerroyalpensionne.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SunflowerRoyalPensionne
Email: sunflowerpension@yahoo.com
Phone: +63 (048) 723 2997
+63 917 844 1709 (globe)
+63 939 252 6381 (smart)
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