Pampanga is one of the beautiful and popular provinces in the Philippines rich in history, amazing foods, and tourist spots. It's the country's culinary center and Christmas lantern (parol) capital. The province is known for their mouth-watering dish sisig, the beautiful volcano Mt. Pinatubo, International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, and night life.
One day is surely not enough when there are so many things to do and places to visit. We need a comfortable place to rest and recharge to get on our next journey. Here's a review of the hotel my friends and I stayed at when we visited Pampanga—Clarkton Hotel.
CLARKTON HOTEL
(image source: Clarkton)
Established in 1992, Clarkton Hotel is a hotel located at 620 Don Juico Avenue in the city of Angles, province of Pampanga. The hotel is a under German management and currently has 104 rooms for guests to choose from. It stands on the commercial area and also near the Clark International Airport, SM City Clark, Korean Town, Walking Street, and other bars and restaurants. Clarkton Hotel is one of the longest running hotels in the city.
PROS & CONS
(image source: Clarkton)
The room we booked was the Standard Twin Room good for 3 persons. It has a Queen size bed and a single bed, a table with two chairs, and split air-conditioning. An overnight stay for this type of room costs Php 2,750 or $51.87 USD.
PROS
■ CLEAN
(image source: Clarkton)
Our room was clean and smelled fine in my opinion. My friends say, however, that the bathroom doesn't smell very good. It was weird because I haven't smelled anything unpleasant just like what they say. Maybe I just have a poor sense of smell? Anyway, as far as I can remember, there were no dust or insects, and everything was organized when we arrived. The tiled floor, curtains, and window were also clean.
■ QUIET
(image source: Katsanslimites)
The hotel is mostly quiet so we definitely had a peaceful stay. Occasional minimal noises could be heard from the hallway especially when the housekeepers push their trolleys. People speaking loud on the hallway could also be heard inside. On the other side of the room where the pool is, minimal noise could also be heard especially when there are people seated near the window. This is fine with me since the noises were not frequent and very tolerable. The pool also closes at 10 P.M., if memory serves me right.
■ ACCESSIBLE
Like I've mentioned earlier, the hotel is near establishments, so Clarkton Hotel is a good choice if you want to roam around the city. It's less than ten minutes from the Clark Main Gate via the "Friendship-Main Gate" jeepney. The jeepney passes by in front of the hotel and is even available late at night, so going back and forth the hotel is easy. The fare is also cheap, just Php 8 or $0.15 USD. However, I am not sure whether the jeepneys operate 24 hours.
■ GOOD AMENITIES
Our room includes a mini fridge, television with lots of international channels, electric kettle, in room safe, free Wi-Fi, and hot & cold shower. I love the shower, I could've stayed there longer if we were not on a rush. Aside from the Wi-Fi, there's also an ethernet port and cable in the room which you can use for your laptop. There's a hygiene kit too, two complimentary bottled water, two cups with two coffee packets, two spoons, and another two cups in the bathroom. The room also comes with lots of drawers and a huge cabinet with clothes hangers. There were no slippers, however. Amenities were good but I find it weird why the hygiene kit, cups, and others were only good for two persons when the room is for three persons.
(image source: Katsanslimites)
Guests also have free access to the swimming pool which ranges from 4 to 10 feet deep. Sadly, we weren't able to swim because the pool was already closed when we arrived. Strolling around the city is also made easier with the hotel's free shuttle service. Their drop off and pick-up points are SM City Clark (2 to 4 P.M.) and Walking Street (2 P.M. to 3:30 A.M.) The shuttle service is very convenient and is one of my favorite amenities of the hotel. They also have free parking for guests who have vehicles.
Other amenities of the hotel are free Clark Airport pick up, international newspapers, ATM machine, wake up calls, laundry service, and garden area access. Clarkton hotel is the only hotel in the country licensed to print international newspapers from the Newspaper Direct.
■ TOURIST FRIENDLY
Clarkton Hotel houses facilities that would be of much help to guests like a 24-hour front desk, conference room for business meetings, medical spa, salon, bar (Pan Am Bar), a function room, a small boutique, gadget accessories store, and a coffee shop (Kaffee Kultur). For foreign guests, the hotel also offers passport and visa assistance through a third party travel agency, Travel Scout Inc.
(video source: Clarkton Hotel via Youtube)
The hotel also has a 24-hour restaurant named Panorama Restaurant which caters German, Korean, Japanese, and other Asian dishes. The restaurant also boasts their Italian style pizzas called "Clarkton Pizza" and also offers buffet (Clarkton Buffet) for breakfast, brunch, and dinner. The restaurant is open for hotel guests and outdoor customers, and offers a 24-hour room service for the hotel guests.
■ CUSTOMER SERVICE
(image source: Katsanslimites)
I like hotels with good and friendly customer service, and I must say, Clarkton Hotel's customer service is great! Everything went smooth from the booking process to arriving and staying at the hotel. They answered emails and text messages professionally. Front desk staffs were very respectful and kind. They would even gladly help you out and give suggestions when you ask them about commuting in Pampanga. The staffs treat each guests equally too. The same courtesy is given whether you are a foreign or local guest.
The front desk staffs were also fluent in English and can handle conversations with foreign guests very well. I am just not sure whether they speak other languages too. It would be so cool if they can.
The staffs were also very kind to let us have an early check-in. Check-in time was at 2 P.M. but they allowed us to check-in even it was still three hours before the supposed time. I have not seen on the website that they allow early check-in. Neither did the front desk mentioned it on the email when I booked a reservation so it's really surprising and felt very amazing on our part.
■ BOOK NOW, PAY LATER
(image source: Katsanslimites)
Another thing that I love about Clarkton Hotel is their free booking. Giving my card details, especially online, is very risky and makes me uneasy. I wouldn't use my bank card as much as possible to reduce chances of getting hacked. Booking a room reservation at Clarkton Hotel is very easy. You just send them an email and the payment can be paid upon arrival at the hotel. This can be a disadvantage for the hotel though when the guests cancels the booking because they don't seem to have cancellation fees or policies as far as I know. Anyway, their "book now, pay later" policy is really great and makes it very convenient and safe for guests.
CONS
■ PRICE
The Standard Twin Room is good for 3 persons and costs Php 2,750. We were three, so our share is Php 917 or $17.28 USD each. The price seem to be a little over in my opinion. Maybe it's due to the hotel's good location. My friends can't help comparing it to the Holiday Inn in Manila which costs almost the same after being discounted.
(image source: Katsanslimites)
Clarkton Hotel, like other hotels, also have an expensive menu. If you are on a budget and find hotel menus have unjustifiable pricing, I advise you to buy foods before heading to the hotel. Don't forget to bring enough water too. Even bottled water on this hotel is expensive. We almost got dehydrated because we forgot to buy water before returning to the hotel at night. Nobody wanted to buy the overpriced bottled water. (Lol) Thank goodness, aside from the two complimentary bottled water, there's little water on the electric kettle which was for the coffee.
■ OLD ITEMS
The towels provided were old which is disappointing. They already looked overused and already quite thin. Imagine how many people have already used those towels? Another one I have to point out is the broken clothes hanger. It's still fine since only one was broken but they should have replaced it or better yet, just remove it.
■ HOUSEKEEPING UNAVAILABILITY AT NIGHT
It is only now while blogging, that I knew the housekeeping of the hotel is only until 6 P.M. We were calling the housekeeping hotline at around 12 midnight when we stayed there to request for an extra chair and assistance for connecting the phone to the television. This explains why nobody was answering the calls. No schedules were written beside the hotel's hotlines so we have no idea. One of us just sat at the edge of the bed and we just watched on the phone instead.
■ WAY TO THE POOL
The pool is beautifully lighted at night surrounded by a couple of tables and chairs, and sunbathing chairs. What I didn't like is that you have to pass by the hotel's restaurant to reach the pool area. I think it would be embarrassing to pass by a full-packed restaurant while in your swimming outfit. Thank goodness we went to the pool at night. We were not in our swimming clothes too as we went to check the area first. The pool was already closed so we were not able to swim that night. When we went back, there were already Koreans in suits and dresses having a discussion while having a drink. I felt a little underdressed so I just walked quick and quietly.
The pool area at night, by the way, seem to be a lounge area for a foreign man and a lady. Oh, you know what I mean. The hotel is quite near the red light district so it's not surprising, even the hotel has its own bar too. We saw two foreign men at the pool side, each of them talking to a lady who are dressed provocatively. They left a few moments we arrived.
HOW TO GET HERE
Clarkton Hotel is located at Don Juico Avenue in Angeles City, Pampanga. To get to the hotel by public transportation, you have to go to the Clark Main Gate to ride the jeepney with the route "Friendship-Main Gate."
The jeepney terminal with this route is separated from the other jeepney terminals at the Main Gate but is nearer SM City Clark. Jeepneys in Angeles City are color coded so it is easier for you to know what route the jeepneys are taking. The jeepneys you need to look out for when going to Clarkton Hotel are the beige ones. Tell the driver to drop you at Clarkton Hotel but still be mindful of the surroundings so you don't go past the hotel in case the driver forgets to drop you. Travel time is around 10 minutes.
HOW TO BOOK ONLINE
(image source: Katsanslimites)
Booking a room at Clarkton Hotel is very easy. All you have to do it send them an email at the email address provided on their website. They didn't ask for my name when I booked. Maybe my name already appeared on the emails I've sent as I have put my name on my email account. Once your reservation is completed, they will send you a confirmation email with the amount you have to pay upon arrival. An ID has to be presented at the hotel for confirmation.
The booking process was smooth but what's weird is that I didn't get the 5% discount that was written on their website. The staff even confirmed it on the email that guests staying 1-7 days are entitled for the discount. We were charged the regular price when we arrived. I didn't bother complaining anymore since they allowed us to check in early.
GOOD HOTEL IN ANGELES CITY
(image source: Katsanslimites)
Clarkton Hotel is overall a nice hotel in the city for tourists and families. It's near establishments, great customer service, and has lots of amenities and facilities to give you a comfortable stay. Price is just a bit expensive, though they claim that they are one of the budget-friendly hotels in the area. I would rate the hotel a nice 3.5/5. It's a good hotel and I wouldn't mind staying in this hotel again next time.
Visit their official website and social media accounts (Facebook / Twitter) for more info and the latest updates.
(video source: Clarkton Hotel via Youtube)
Thanks for reading!
✧ Katsanslimites
