Garden Orchid Hotel

Room is clean, towels are tough & stiff , staff are nice, food is not good

Rooms are falling apart, 1 pillow provided for each guest, no hand towels for the bathroom, you literally have to slam the bathroom door several times to get it to close, shower handle looks like its about come off, The only hotel we ever stayed in with 99% of staff looking miserable, no smile , greeting or acknowledgement not even for hotel guests. Too many hidden charges, the only hotel with visiting hours. Definitiely not worth your money, the worst hotel our family have ever stayed in!

I would like to start 1st with services is not as suppose to be for 5 star hotel the swimming pool not cleaned rooms not new is pretty old most of the facilities is not working like you have walk from ur room to second building where is information desk for new person to stay at this hotel will face hidden charges before you ask make sure you don’t need to pay for it later By the way in order to select the room you need see it before you book as some room display on website is different from reality

👍👍👍👍👍

Amazing

Room is nice and clean just a few point the hot water takes 5 minutes to come through and the air conditioning vent is leaking water the breakfast was more like a lunch menu very heavy food for first thing in morning no mango only pineapple and watermelon fruits staff were very good nice and friendly. I would advise to not pay for the breakfast as not bacon or sausage hash browns etc and get room in new buildings if you can we are in the old building toilet is nit stinky still here for 4 more nights yet total stay 9 nights

I love the junior suite and the attention given by housekeeping. Although a bit of a walk and isolated, the clean and spacious room is the reward.

All pool staff were on their cell phones and was not very helpful. They locked both pool access doors in the hotel and forced guests to go through the main lobby which is on the other side of the compound.

The Garden Orchid has steadily declined in quality over the last five years without reducing prices. It is now barely a 1-star hotel at 4-star prices. I was in the old wing, and woke up at night to find my bed infested with ants and my body bitten all over. The toilet was sluggish at best and the pillows were like rocks. I have stayed there frequently in the past, but I will never stay there again.

the place has steadily declined over the last five years. It is downright dingy now. I woke up at night to find my bed infested with ants and I had bites all over my body. They moved me to a different room, but that never should have happened. The carpets are stained and the pillows are like rocks. The whole place is overpriced, and I will never stay there again, when there are many newer, cleaner, cheaper options available.

I have mixed feelings about this property. While it has some positive aspects, there are several drawbacks that made my stay less enjoyable. The hotel feels quite dated, and accessibility is a challenge. To reach my room, I had to walk quite a bit and take stairs. Some of my team members stayed in another section of the hotel without an elevator, forcing them to climb multiple stairs. The in-room amenities were also disappointing. The safe did not work, the internet connection was very weak, and the shower lacked proper water pressure, with lukewarm water and no handle for easy adjustment. That being said, there are some redeeming qualities. The rooms are spacious and offer nice views. Contrary to some reviews I had read, I found that there were plenty of restaurants and convenience stores nearby. Most importantly, the hotel staff was genuinely attentive and cared about the guests. Overall, while the hotel has potential, it seems like a large property that was not built with convenience and functionality in mind. With some upgrades and better infrastructure, it could be a much better experience.

Clean and good staff services

Pros: Hotel is the closest to the airport. Easy access to transportation for commute. Lots of nearby restaurants Breakfast food is great! Cons: Room needs some remodeling and AC is only working at the main lobby. The walk going to the room is humid. Room is outdated. Bath-tub is outdated and slippery. My 70-year mother slid and luckily did not have any injury. AC is not cold. Internet is slow. Not worth the overpriced hotel rate for the room condition.

awesome

gorgeous

This hotel is very close to the airport. There are not any restaurants nearby to walk to. There is not a convenient store or grocery store year by. But this is the beat Zamboanga has to offer.

Sit long enough in the restaurant at the Garden Orchid and you can meet anyone in the political, business or military elite, particularly the main political players in the islands: Basilan, Sulu and Tawi Tawi. The rooms are large and comfortable, the wifi and hot water work well, and the staff is great. Service for anything is extremely slow -- absolutely glacial in the restaurant -- but that's minor compared to all the good points.

Safe near Police station.

facility is good but no internet in the area

It was my second time staying here. I didn't write a review the first time for I told the reception what was our first impression. For the second time around, I had a very disappointing experience at this hotel. The Wi-Fi still didn't work, and the customer service was subpar. Housekeeping never cleaned my room during my stay, and the water provided wasn't safe to drink. In the function rooms, there weren't enough power outlets, making it inconvenient for events or meetings. The staff also lacked flexibility when it came to addressing guest needs. I wouldn't recommend staying here.

A disaster from the start. The room smelled horribly musty and the toiet didn't flush. The safe indicated a low-battery which caused me not to use if for two days. The room was in a distant wing where no amenities were located. The complimentary breakfast buffet was quite good with a nice selection of fruits and local/western options. The pool and central grounds were very nice and it was very, very easy to hail a tricycle to go anywhere in town. Extremely convenient to the airport, but they should warn clients that the airport will be over-run by hawkers grabbing your luggage and pushing you to get into cars with no guidance from the airport on what might be scams or worse. Be aware the hotel is about a 3 minute drive from the airport so keep that in mind. And also, that the hawkers were very aggressive but I didn't find them dishonest in any way..

This property tired and in need of an upgrade. Very pricey and not worth it. I am not recommending this hotel.

Location is unbeatable, being just outside the airport. However, the lobby looks old and feels sad. The room has cobwebs and no effort was made to clean every corner. Towels are old and need replacement. There was no bottled water in the room and when I requested the front desk for water, nobody came. Funny that there was a minibar menu but the ref is empty. Breakfast was so so at best.

The hotel is okay considering it's supposed to be the best in Zamboanga. With that said, the standard isn't too high ratings wise. The good: restaurant and staff were polite and excellent in making you feel at home. Room had a non flushing toilet, no towels, the overhead sink light wasn't working, the safe wasn't working, no toilet paper, etc. but I spoke to the front desk and it was taken care of. The security and door people were polite and friendly. The not good: I went to print my boarding passes (every hotel I've stayed at had a self service kiosk so you can take care of it) but the business staff insisted of doing it but failed repeatedly over 24 hours. Whenever we asked for the room to be cleaned (4 times in 8 days), we'd always be shorted of something. Towels, coffee, glasses, toilet paper, etc. Overall, mixed feelings on the stay.

Absolutely terrible experience. Won’t ever stay here again. 1. Had to switch rooms due to no hot water, no wifi, non working lock box, no mini bar and fridge is unplugged. 2. New room has no hot water. Luke warm water after running water for 20 minutes. Maintenance man said to run it for a long time and maybe it will get hotter. What an incredible waste of money and water. 3. Bar tender in lobby bar hanging at the table with her friend playing on her phone instead of tending bar. 4. I am writing this review at 11:00pm on a Tuesday night while sitting in my room. Can’t sleep because the bass from the events downstairs are shaking all the walls and the bed. Also, you can clearly hear the private conversations of the guests in the next room. 5. Shower comes with a gross floor mat that you have to install yourself so you can take a cold shower. 6. No free bottled water. 7. WiFi is spotty and you constantly have to sign back in. No wifi in various parts of the hotel. 8. No tissues in the room. Blow your nose with toilet paper and when you run out they don’t replace it in the dispenser, just toss it on the counter. 9. Floors are uneven in the room so plan to stub your toe when transitioning from the bathroom to the hallway. 10. You pay New York prices to be a victim of items 1 through 9. Don’t book this hotel until they invest in hot water heaters, proper wifi, tissues, and have all staff trained on a certain level of decency; including quiet hours.

I think this hotel has seen better days. We have stayed here for years when we visit Zamboanga but this visit was very disappointing . Buffet food was not kept hot which is unsafe . Staff was not attentive , bathtub drain was clogged and we saw roaches in the room. The towels were old and rough and looked liked rags . The place needs a makeover and leadership to regain its former reputation . We will be staying at a different hotel in the future.

Room had debris under furniture and an odd smell. Cockroach in elevator area. Connection from old hotel to new tower not at same level. Fruit choices at breakfast very few. Tables not cleared promptly. Windows dirty. A/C in room worked well, room spacious, well located. Staff responsive.

Close to everthing..near airport. Good breakfast buffet. Cannot bring fruits inside room to snack o

I liked the size of the room: we had a suite, which was nice. The bathroom didn’t provide warm water for a shower, which was disappointing. The elevator to our room was a long walk from the lobby: not very conveniently set up. And while the hotel is big, it seems to be an older hotel that is in need of a refresh: the paneling is tired and dinged up. There’s no discount to compensate for the state of the hotel, either.

Staffs were friendly and very accommodating.

Very nice luxury hotel close to the airport

NEVER AGAIN!! I was initially assigned a room accessible only through stairs, the paint on the wall was peeling , toilet flush not working, molds in the toilet , safe box not working. I was transferred to another room, no elevator too,only stairs to access it, the toilet was also full of molds , the same problem with the safe deposit box, the fridge smelled disgusting, stain on the bedsheet , the previous guests’ wifi voucher still by the bedside. I’m too tired and needed to be somewhere so i settled in this room . But then at night when I arrived , I found crawling baby COCKROACHES in my chocolate box, in my toothpaste, in my bedside table . LOTS OF THEM!! The water in the pool too is blurry ! I left the very next morning and found a much cheaper room in a nearby hotel. Smaller room but very clean!!! I am truly disgusted with my experience in this hotel !!! This place needs a serious need of updating. They are expensive too compared to other hotels in this city.

Carpet needs lots of cleaning!

On my return visit to Zamboanga I chose the Garden Orchid instead of the Marcian Gardens and wasn't disappointed. The GO is always a step ahead, in particular the public areas, and there in particular the large outdoor swimming pool (including a smoking area which is dearly missing in the Marcian Gardens).

I was part of a group of travelers to the Marcian Garden Resort and our stay was arranged by an agent. My experience may therefore not be typical. Pick up at airport on time even though our flight was early. We were allowed to check in early. Room clean and has everything you need: coffee station; free water; TV; warm water; TV. WIFI is very spotty and even if you can connect it is very slow. I used my SIM card instead but one shouldn’t have to go this. They have a small pool. Menu is pretty good. They even had a few vegetarian options. Service was average. Order was correct but waiters distracted. The hotel is designed around an open courtyard with the restaurant in the middle. This means all the rooms will hear the noise emanating from the restaurant. Ok with air conditioning on and ear plugs to sleep IF there are no groups playing loud music. Overall, a reasonable provincial hotel. It’s not swish but perfectly acceptable.

First, the good points. We were picked up promptly by the hotel shuttle from the airport. Although it is early in the day they were able to check us in. We had a problem the first day however due to noise from above our room. It would seem that there was too much reverberations coming from heavy footsteps by kids after 10 pm. We have to call the front desk several times to address the situation but nothing happened and we have to ask our room to be changed. Another main issue with the hotel is the very spotty internet connection. We can only get a signal in our room toilet and in the buffet restaurant area. The food choices in the breakfast buffet are limited. In general, the hotel appears tired with old carpet and even the new wing appears abandoned.

Hotel venue is very convenient as it is near the airport.. rooms were big ,clean and tidy, friendly staff.. buffet breakfast is lacking..with no choices for vegetarians like myself.. ample parking space for guests .. I have no expectations for this hotel as it’s not very expensive. We did have a good sleep .. all in all it is very good for a hotel in the countryside..

Things went downhill the moment we arrived. Our shuttle bus from the airport did not arrive, after numerous phone call it did. The attached photo is a little puzzling for a 3 star hotel transport service !. There was no hot water in the shower despite various visits by staff it was never rectified. My wife received a call in the room asking if she would be arriving for a second booking that they had somehow done in error. Since we had paid the 4 days upfront this was a little confusing. There was no drinking water or small towels in the room, when we asked about this were told they were available on request, although the hot water was not available on request. The breakfast was appalling, as was the menu in general considering its supposedly the best International hotel in Zamboanga. On 2 occasions no towels were available by the pool, the excuse was they were all in the dryer ! The restaurant service was also extremely poor.

Staff were great. The building itself was tired. Air conditioner barely worked. Nice maintenance people tried to fix our A/C unit three times before they agreed to move us to a different room. Stayed for a week with my family, we booked two rooms. They have a newer wing but the current CEO decided to shut it down. Terrible move considering he pushed (scared) a lot of people away by putting them in the older wing. Family and I would always stay here at least for a week every year. Not sure we would be going back with is sad considering this was my hotel of choice back in the day. Again staff were great but management doesn't seem to care about returning guests.

Checked in to escape a whole day of city blackout... have I known that their wifi and cable tv is also blackout, I wouldn’t have checked in! Room is clean and spacious. Coz there’s nothing to do in the room (no wifi no cable tv) we decided to go to the swimming pool... to our dismay, the pool is packed with day entries and nowhere to sit for in-house guests! So we went back to the room instead. Breakfast is nowhere near Jollibee breakfast meal, it’s the worst hotel breakfast I have ever seen! I do not wish to recommend this hotel to my friends and family.. Overpriced with very bad service to top it off!

Overall, I think the Garden Orchid Hotel is a great choice considering it's the better of the nearby hotels in Zamboanga City. It is located just off the airport property and located nearby the KCC Mall just minutes down the road. What I was disappointed in was the staff not being attentive to maintaining and cleaning the rooms on a daily basis. I just got married in Zamboanga City, and on at least 3 ocassions...I had to contact the front desk to have someone come to clean my room. Even after my wife and I had been away from the hotel for most of the day; hoping to return to take a hot shower, cool down and relax a bit..... The housekkeping staff SUCKS..... They should have a supervisor following up and going behind their staff to make sure all things are done properly. Several times, we also had to contact the front desk to bring washcloths and towels.. I reported a proble to the front desk about replacing some light bulbs which were not working in the room. Of course, again, no one follows up to make sure staff is taking care of the problems. The breakfast buffet was good and the staff very attentive in that department.. I would recommend going to some other hotels, but not many choices in Zamboanga City..... Hope your stay and experience is better than what I had....

Our room was located at the 8th floor of the new building of the hotel overlooking the Zamboanga City International Airport. It is quite nice, the room is big and it can accomodate 4 people. All amenities is fresh and new, we have a hot and cold shower with a bathtub. Room is super clean and the buffet breakfast that goes with the room is superb and sumptuous.

This time I stayed in the superior room. The room was clean, bathroom was great and the beds and pillow was a bit on the hard side but ok. Sadly WIFI still doesn't work in the rooms. Staff is very friendly and helpful. They don't have their own booking site, so my mother-in-law (I am married to a Filipina) was told that I should via agent site which I did. I used hotels.com A few days before check-in, I got an e-mail from them saying that they didn't agree on the rate between them and the agent, and they wanted me to pay extra or they would not honor the booking. They claimed that it was an error and suggest that I cancel my booking with hotels.com and then they would give me a "good deal" . I refuse to pay anything extra or cancel my booking + mention to them in my reply, that they was the one that wanted me to use a agent for the booking and that since that I was married to local Filipina, that we would take the case to proper authorities. I never heard anything more from them after that and at check-in nothing more was said. This is EXTREMELY bad behavior and "smells" like trying to scam a tourist....

My family and I spent a night here to escape a whole day black out and no water service in our barangay. The place has always been clean and the staff are accommodating. We were given the rooms which ensured a quiet stay to rest and just be comfortable.

Over-all it was great. However, the time I stayed, there wasn’t any wifi.

This hotel is very close to where I have stayed all over the world. Our room had everything we expected for the level of comfort we want. We had a view of the pool which was nice, and overlooking the airport and the mountains. Aside from our room the entire place was well-kept and clean. Toilet facilities are very good and up to our standards. It's location sets it apart - away from the city traffic and close to the airport. Some downside though, it still uses hard water which doesn't lather as much, and with the recent renovations the 2 lobbies are rather confising. But overall, this is my choice hotel in Zamboanga.

Visited this hotel on Sep 2019 and based on my impression this hotel is about to close down already. Internet signal is very bad, you still have to go down to lobby to connect to internet (if lucky). No IT support after 5pm so sorry for customers who cant connect to internet after this time. I ask to refresh my non working key card but i was asked to be assisted by bellman for the bellman to open my door bec theyre computer is not working to refresh my card. Not a very good service.

The property had clean rooms and had a good gym and swimming pool area. Breakfast buffet was also good with good variety of mainly Filipino and some continental food choices. Staff were friendly and helpful. Some regulations in the hotel did not make sense such as including non pungent odor fruits like lanzones,avocado in a rule that it can onl;y be eaten in the pool area and not in the restaurant or room. I understand that this applies to fruits with a strong odor that can be offensive to others such as durian and marang but including non smelly fruits in this ban category does not make sense. I also did not like some of the dishes in the lobby restaurant and found the prices quite expensive compared to the grill restaurant beside the hotel.

The hotel is very near the airport and not too far from the city center so location is okay. The rooms are clean and of good size. The swimming pool and gym are okay although the open air shower for the pool can be improved as it has weak flow of water. The hotel staff are friendly, courteous and always smiling. The buffet breakfast has good variety of local Filipino and some intercontinental dishes. The room lacks personal amenities such as slippers, combs and complimentary water which has to be requested from the front desk. The restaurant ala carte orders are quite expensive and not as good as food with lesser price like the grill restaurant beside the hotel. otherwise it is a good hotel with a convenient location and good facilities. The only other peeve I have with the hotel is the policy of not letting guest eat fruits in the room which I understand should apply to potentially offensive smelling fruits like the durian and marang but to aplply the same policy to odorless fruits like lanzones or rambutan or mangosteen is not really justified or rational.

Please supply complimentary water for guest

NO internet available, breakfast buffet disappointing poor selection of cereals.

Stayed on business . Staff really nice.water pressure was very low but usable.

Nice and clean.. however you can hear other rooms noise.

Service was good , almost all request was granted, room condition is good for a 3.5 star hotel. Staff and employees are courteous. W free airport transfer w/c is very convenient. 1 minute away from airport, near KCC mall

I was surprised to find out that the room we got did not include hair conditioner, shower cap, toothbrushes and toothpaste. The drinking water in the room was in a pitcher not in sealed bottles so that the potabilty of the water was questionnable. The shampoo was in sachets which one would buy in sari sari stores when the hotel website says it is a luxurious hotel. It was hard to tear the sachet to squueze the shampoo out with your fingers. Hotel probably expected to use their upper and lower teeth to tear the sachet! I had to go down to the front desk for a pair of scissors by foot (no elevators), The people in the front desk did not have the initiative to help when I called them. They told me that if I chose to stay in the newer building of the hotel the bathrooms would have complete toiletries. How would I know that? I booked online and lack of toiletries was not mentioned in their website. I had a very terrible experience in this hotel. The front desk people are amateurs. This hotel is overrated and overpriced.

Friendly Airport pickup and checkin. Modern and very clean room. Nice breakfast and easy check out.

This property was very friendly, clean, comfortable. I enjoyed the breakfast. The pool was a bit murky, so I didn't swim. I used the exercise room; it was pleasant. Upstairs, the hall has a very dilapidated carpet. I think that they are renovating it bit by bit, because my room and the hall to my room was very up to date and sparkling good condition. The hotel is really close to the airport (I mean you can walk). I highly recommend this hotel.

the staff we met went out of their way to accommodate us. our hotel room smells bad especially at night.

Their gym is the worse , no drinking water, no towels, no WiFi. And the gym close on Sunday. Epic failure 😯 I’m not coming back.

Clean room.

I love everything about this hotel

No toiletries, no drinking water provided or kettle to boil water, no iron, no slippers

I enjoy this place. Tha staff is super, and the accommodations are too.. A great stay for the money!!

the ambiance

Sadly the entire staff needs to go on hospitality seminar / training. Front desk staff on duty in the morning is not accommodating. The food at the cafe for breakfast buffet was good but it seems it takes a long time for them to replenish, you have to wait for 10-15mins. The OJT’s are far better in terms of service than their regular employees.

There are 2 parts to hotel. I stayed in old part, my friend was in new part. I had no fridge, no kettle, no bottled water, the "premium " bedding was non existent, old thin cheap sheets. Hotel was VERY noisy until after midnight. Breakfast was nothing special. The new room was nicer.

Garden Orchid was great. Zamboanga City has changed a lot, not for good. Too crowded now, dirty, a lot less green. But I haven’t been back for 30 years.

Pest was running in my bathroom. Rubber cap of water bottle was stained with black marks, I did not dare drink the water provided in the bottle. I wish the hotel offers shower gel instead of soup bar. The noisy guest on my floor was unbearable, I had to call the front desk 3 times and the last call was nearly mid-night.

I think this is the best hotel in Zamboanga - very near the airport and accessibility is good.

Everything Was Excellent ***** THANK YOU VERY MUCH .

I enjoyed my stay tremendously everyone is nice and friendly and helpful whenever I’m in Zamboanga that’s the only place i will stay and recommend it to anyone

I had hard time going from new building to old building. No available people to ask for assistance in the night. staff are not 24/7 available. Some lights are turned off that makes the hotel creepy.

There were no bedroom slippers and hairdryer! and when we requested for a hairdryer, they said there is no available.

very nice and convenient hotel and very close to everything...