I must admit that I hesitated to stay at Southpole Central Hotel last month. The reason for that is because it’s located along Junquera in Cebu City.

But since I have nothing else to do that weekend, I grabbed the staycation invite. I also thought of giving this fairly new hotel a chance since Junquera these days may not be as notorious as most would think it is.

 

More than basic amenities

After a quick check-in, I was then ushered to one of the hotel’s Business Suite Rooms. Mine in particular has a queen-size and a single bed that I had no use for. You can see from the photo below that it is spacious enough for a family/barkada of 3 or even 4.

It is interesting to point out that the difference between this accommodation and the Superior Room, the hotel’s cheapest at Php 1800, is just a few hundred pesos.

But if you are traveling on a tight budget, you’d be delighted to find out that the latter and the Superior Room are also equipped with the same amenities – a bidet spray in the toilet, hot and cold shower, cable TV and highspeed internet access.

I was pleasantly surprised with these modern conveniences. You just could not find these in other properties along Junquera.

 

Function rooms and a chill out bar

Southpole Central also has function rooms that are perfect for intimate gatherings, birthday celebrations and corporate meetings. These are located at the top level, right beside the hotel’s chill out bar.

This floor is actually my favorite part at Southpole Central. The smartly placed windows allow for more natural light to come in. At this vantage point, you get to see the view of the university across the street and the charming urban sprawl of downtown Cebu.

At night, the window at the chill out bar provides a view of the dazzling lights coming from the high rises uptown. You can also sing your hearts out in their mini-karaoke set-up.

I would have wanted to stay here longer, but when someone started singing “My Way,” I took that as a sign that I should already return to my comfy bed. 🙂

 

Junquera is a safe and strategic location

My stay at Southpole Hotel made me realize that Junquera is not as notorious as most would think. I even walked around the neighborhood to look for cheap eats. And If I had more time that afternoon, I might have reached Cebu’s historic tourist spots such as the iconic Magellan’s Cross Shrine and the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño.

Change (and a Starbucks store) has indeed come to Junquera. But even so, there are no substitutes for common sense and vigilance. This is true whether you stay at a cheap accommodation downtown or a chi-chi hotel elsewhere.

What I’d like the hotel management to consider though is to improve their over-all breakfast experience. Maybe they can put up a large LCD TV to show the day’s top stories.

Or better yet, transfer the buffet at one of their function rooms by the chill out bar. I imagine that the morning view of the city is more relaxing than the dreary white walls at the ground floor.

Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Southpole Central Hotel. I was actually very surprised that for a budget-friendly accommodation, this hotel offers more than what’s expected.

 

Consider Southpole Central Hotel in your upcoming Cebu adventures. Book your stay via Agoda.

 

Southpole Central Hotel
29 Junquera St, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu

https://www.southpolecentralhotel.com/
Email: reservations@southpolecentralhotel.com
Landline: +63 32 234-7777

Disclosure: The blogger would like to thank Southpole Central Hotel for the complimentary stay. Even so, he maintains full editorial control of this hotel review.

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