SUGBUTEL has had guests from the following countries: Korea, Japan, Scotland, United States of America, Singapore, China, Mongolia, Canada, Denmark, Belgium, Spain, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Australia, Malaysia, Africa, India, Great Britain, Austria and counting.
Cebu’s first hostel offers first-class accommodations
Cebu Daily news, September 8, 2009
WHEN one steps into the lobby of Sugbutel Bath and Bath, one immediately feels the hotel ambiance with its beautifully designed waiting area and warm lighting. The friendly front desk receptionists speak well too.
“But SUGBUTEL isn’t a hotel; it’s a hostel.”says Brenda Samson, president of Carlos A Gothong Holdings Inc.
(CAGHI), which owns and operates SUGBUTEL.
Samson explains that a hostel is a dorm-type establishment, with guests sharing facilities like bathrooms and
comfort rooms. Launched in December 2008, Sugbutel is the first of its kind in Cebu. Its tagline” Creating better
ways for the traveler” sums up its goal to provide more affordable but clean and quality accommodations.
“Why spend so much on rooms? With Sugbutel, you can have extra money for pasalubong!” Samson adds.
Sugbutel’s Business Class accommodations offer beds at P250 a night, while First Class rooms start at P350 per night. The First Class accommodations additionally offer free unlimited wireless internet service and piped in music. Both accommodations are air-conditioned and feature beautiful and spacious double deck bunks.
Sugbutel has a total of 420 beds, 106 of these in the First Class. It also has a Penthouse Function Room which could seat 250 people, making it a perfect venue for conventions and seminars. There is also an entertainment lounge, a convenience store, and a canteen to cater to guest needs.
Sugbutel’s Managing Director, Arch. Edmund Samson, shares that the hostel setup is very attractive to backpackers and travelers from the Visayas and Mindanao areas. It is also convenient for educational tours and tourists who want to visit the neighboring islands without lugging around baggage.
Korean tourists dominate the foreign guests, although in peak season, there are a lot of Europeans and Americans too. The hostel averages 40-50 percent occupancy in non-peak season to 100 percent in peak seasons.
“Security is not an issue in Sugbutel,” says Arch Samson. All beds are fitted with individual lock boxes for guests to store their valuables while they sleep. If they go out of the hostel, they may choose to leave their baggages in the bigger lockers offered by the hostel. Security is tight in the locker area, with cameras monitoring all activity.
Sugbutel Bed & Bath is located at the Don Alfredo Gothong port Centre, Osmena Blvd. corner Pier 4, North Reclamation Area, Cebu City. Call 232-8888 0r 0917-725-1447 or visit their website www.sugbutel.com, for more details. (KAREEN KRISTEEN VALMORIA)
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