The are lots of Baguio hotels because tourism and Education are the pillars of city’s economy.There are lots of choices for your accommodation throughout the city. Here are some recommendations based on your needs, your wants, and your budget.

General Tips when Choosing Budget Accommodations in Baguio City

Hotel location is not a big issue in general. Most parts of the city can be reached by taxis for less than PHP 70. Location will matter only if you prefer to walk for the most part. Unlike most cities around the world, cab drivers in Baguio do not expect tips. They will give you your change up to the last peso. Now, it’s up to you if you want to give a tip or not.

Go to Agoda.com if you want to play it safe, or you can also go directly to a hotel’s website to book rooms. This is practically a must during peak months (summer), but not so much during the rainy season (where there aren’t a lot of tourists, see next point)

Hotels slash their rates in off-peak months, by as much as 50 percent. They may even throw in free breakfast and stuff.

Now, let me list down some of the places that I have reviewed during my stay in Baguio City from July 11^th to 14^th, 2014.

Baguio Hotels: Carlone’s Place

Carlone’s Place hotel

Location: Session Rd corner North Drive, near Victory Liner Depot

Rates: Cheapest rooms at PHP 600 per night for a single deluxe room.

Rating: Annoyingly Unforgettable

Features:

Basic Bed and Breakfast

Shared toilet and bath

Wi-Fi

PRO: Carlone’s Place is just a few steps away from the Victory Liner Bus Terminal and that’s probably its main advantage over other lodging establishments: it’s the first low-cost hotel that you’ll see.

CON: Unfortunately, it’s probably the worst one you’ll ever find. Scant furnishing, terrible ventilation, chipped off wall paint. This is just like one of those decrepit short-stay motels in Cubao, Quezon City.

Verdict: No. Just no.

Baguio Hotels: Holiday Park Hotel

Holiday Park Hotel

Location: Abanao Extension St., near Good Taste Restaurant.

Rates: Php 1800 for a two-person room, Php 1500 for same during off-peak season

Rating: Best Value for Money

Features:

Your own Toilet and Bath

CATV and Wi-Fi

Housekeeping

Non-crowded elevator

PRO: The rooms are clean and well-furnished. The staff are very friendly and accommodating. It’s just a short walk from a number of touristy places like Café by the Ruins, Good Taste Restaurant, and Burnham Park. Another five-minute walk and it’s the famed (or now-infamous?) Session Road.

CONS: No room service, but 24/7 food establishments surround the entire building and that includes the famous Good Taste Restaurant, also open 24/7.

A Deluxe Suite at Holiday Park Hotel Baguio

Verdict: If you’re after privacy, zero hassles and proximity to a lot of tourist-oriented areas and you’re willing to shell out a bit extra, this is the place to go. This was where I stayed.

Baguio Hotels: Upstairs Bed and Bath

Upstairs Bed and Bath

Location: Near junction of Leonard Wood Rd. and North Drive, a 5-minute brisk walk from Victory Liner Terminal.

Rates: Php 250 per night, dorm type

Rating: Best Option for those with a Shoestring Budget.

Features:

Dorm-type accommodation, double-deck beds

Wi-Fi

Shared T&B

PRO: The rooms are clean and well-furnished. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. The interior looks very elegant and relaxing. And best of all – it’s really dirt-cheap!

CONS: Shared accommodation means you’ll have to be able to tolerate lots of snoring roommates.

Verdict: If you’re after a decent, no frills, super affordable, basic place to stay, then this one’s for you.

Baguio Hotels: Other notable establishments

Paladin Hotel – just across Holiday Park hotel. Rates are around 33 percent lower than Holiday Park. They currently run an off-peak promo: 500Php pax, minimum of 2 per room.
Paladin Hotel

Eurotel – rates start at Php 800 a night, but Eurotel is quite infamous for being a “lover’s hotel”. The taxi drivers I’ve spoken with beg to differ, so it’s really up to you.

Eurotel Baguio

Do you have questions about the hotels featured in this article? Or do you have your own recommendations? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Baguio Hotels: Where to Stay in Baguio City on a Budget

How to Get to Baguio: What are my options?

A Victory Liner Bus

Baguio is just one short bus ride away from Manila. There are two major bus companies that ply the Manila-Baguio route: Genesis Transport and Victory Liner. Now let me help you choose which is one’s the best for you.

Bus Company	Service Class	Terminal	Trip Duration	Fare (PHP/USD)
Genesis	Joybus (Deluxe)	Cubao Pasay Avenida	6 hours	PHP 675 / USD 16
	Standard A/C	Cubao Pasay Avenida	6 to 8 hours	PHP 445 / USD 11
Victory Liner	First Class	Cubao Pasay	5 to 6 hours	PHP 750 / USD 18
	Standard A/C	Cubao Pasay Sampaloc Caloocan	6 to 7 hours	PHP 445 / USD 11

How to Get to Baguio: What’s the difference between Joybus/First Class and Standard A/C?

First, Joybus/First Class buses offer greater comfort.

Aside the obvious differences in pricing, Joybus/First Class seats are bigger and more comfortable than Standard A/C seats. Standard A/C buses usually have around 50 seats with 2 seats on each side of the aisle. Meanwhile, Joybus/First Class buses have three seats per row (two on one side of the aisle, one on the other) and there are just around 30-ish seats in the entire bus.

Victory Liner – First Class Seats

First Class seats have wide leg rests and are very generously spaced – you can literally lie down without worrying about hitting the passenger at the back. Even the seats on the two-seat side of aisle have individual arm rests.

Second, Joybus/First Class buses have built-in restrooms.

Joybus/First Class buses also have restrooms while Standard A/C buses do not. Enough said.

Third, Joybus/First Class buses offer a drastically shorter travel time.

Because Joybus/First Class buses have built-in restrooms, there’s very little need for scheduled stops along the way. Consequently, the bus can take advantage of all the expressways: the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx), the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx) cutting the travel time from the usual eight hours to as low as four.

Personally, I prefer the Victory’s First Class buses because it’s the most stress-

free. That way, I was able to just hop off the bus at their Baguio Terminal and start sightseeing (and pigging out) right away.

How to Go to Baguio: What’s the bus schedule?

Standard A/C buses leave terminals every hour. However, Joybus/First Class buses have specific schedules. The earliest trip for Genesis Joybuses is at 4:00 am while the last trip is at half past midnight (12:30 am). Meanwhile, the first trip for Victory Liner First Class buses start at 6:00 AM and the last trip is at 12:15 am.

For a complete list of bus schedules, check the section “How do I book a trip”?

How to Go to Baguio: What’s the best time/schedule to leave Metro Manila?

The length of the journey heavily depends on how much traffic there is from the TPLEx exit up to Baguio. Last trips are usually the best option because there’s virtually zero traffic, because everyone’s asleep. Besides, it’s easier to sleep on the way when everything’s dark.

How to Go to Baguio: How do I book a trip?

PinoyTravel offers the easiest way to book a trip to Baguio. The site lists down all the trips for any given day and it lets you purchase tickets on the spot. Note, however, that you can only purchase tickets up to three days from the date of departure.

Manila to Baguio Bus Schedules and Bookings

Should you decide to go to Baguio at the spur of the moment, you always have to option to buy Joybus/First Class tickets as a chance passenger (i.e. walk-in passenger). While there are no guarantees as to whether you’ll get to have a seat or not, some of the people I’ve talked to said it’s best to try your luck on the last trip (the midnight schedule). But worry not: these limited seat availability applies only to Joybus/First Class buses. There are a lot of standard A/C buses so you won’t have to cancel your travel plans, even if worse comes to worst.

How to Go to Baguio: Which is better, Genesis or Victory?

I’ve tried both buses and it’s quite clear that Victory is victorious because they have newer buses and there are fewer stops in general.

How to Go to Baguio: Which is the right terminal for me?

All Manila-Baguio buses offer reserved seating, so you don’t have to worry much if you’ve booked a seat in advance. If you’re a chance passenger, however, the best choice would be the Cubao because both Victory and Genesis have terminals are just across each other. If you’re leaving in the wee hours of the morning, then the northern Avenida/Caloocan Terminals are advisable because they have Baguio-bound buses round-the-clock. Now, if you’re coming from the airport (NAIA terminals), the best choice would be Victory’s Pasay Terminal, as it’s just going to be a few short minutes away.

If you have other questions about this post, please leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you at the earliest!

How to Go to Baguio: Frequently Asked Questions