Hotel Airport Hotel At Clark

So, I arrived at 9PM. Now what?

Of course I had to look for somewhere to lay my royal highness for the night! I didn't have reservations, since from experience, there are always available hotels in Clark.

There was this relatively unknown place though, that had been inviting my curiousity since this morning, while browsing on googlemaps. It is the nearest, but misplaced!

You see my red question mark? That's what the map was telling me. But I knew, that it is not precise. I often pass by the area, it is just a wide parking lot. Maybe nearby?

Oh by the way, we can't always trust the accuracy of what we see in google or other such maps, since those are added by just about anybody with an account, who may have inaccurate brains hehehe! What I trust at least is: it must be somewhre nearby!

Like in the above map, I trusted that the airport hotel must be in that vicinity!

In fact, the reason I went looking for it was: I could see (also on googlemaps), there were other hotels in the vicinity. If I can't find it, then there would be nearby options!

I walked. Yes cadillakad! See the red arrows? That was my walking route - like I have done a number of times before. That corner (CM Recto Hiway) is where I would ride jeeps to the Salakot Gate years ago, when Clark was new, there was even no SM yet!

That jeep-hailing memory, is most probably what led me to believe, that indeed there is a hotel near that corner. And that, was the reason why I still went to find it, even if I knew that googlemaps plots it on an expansive parking lot that I know very well of.



When I reached the corner (probably 600 to 700 meters of walking), I saw this:

The building where my white arrow points is named Hotel Airport. So I told my royal self: that is probably it, baligtad lang, Hotel Airport hindi Airport Hotel! So, I went there!

But approaching the hotel, because it was dark in that wide parking space (baka me ahas or anything), I went via the yellow arrow (the green arrows in that map above).

Nostalga: that spot by the stop light, was where I'd wait for jeeps goin to Clark Main Gate (Salakot) of yesteryears! Because, it took long if I rode the waiting jeeps at the rotunda (near the airport). They had no schedule then, they kept waiting for nothing!

Eh, many times kasi, I was the only arriving passenger that wanted/needed to ride a jeep from the airport to the main gate! Others took the expensive car hire (rentacar).

Oh well.., history! I think that was the situation even until 2008!

Hmm, nagbabadya nanaman lumiko ang usapang 'to sa nostalgia-nostalgia na yan! Okay, back to my finding the Airport Hotel that's actually to be named Hotel Airport!

Let's just follow the yellow arrows, that is where I walked, skirting around that mall.

Yes, it's a mall named CSM Mall. There's a 7 Eleven in there. Nabuhay ang dugo ko!

I passed-by to buy supplies for the night! Alams na, Marlights SanMigLight, alive na!

And when I came out, tsadaan... it's there! That's the side. Main entrance is at left.

Oh, if you check the maps above, that's the blue-roofed edifice. Just as I suspected!

I was already walking to it, but I looked left, part of the mall's rearside, and saw this:

Judging from the furnishings, decor and writings, it looked like a Korean Restaurant.

Indeed it is. Choi Ga Ne Korean Restaurant is the name written above a door!

I checked the time and realized it was already 9:20PM, so I told my self: chow time!

No more customers, everything seemed already cleaned. I still went to ask open pa?

Mixed answers! The waiters said magsasara na, but that seated lady said okay okay hahaha! Huli! Actually nahiya ako ng konti since the lady seemed kakapahinga lang!

But I couldn't be too shy. I needed to eat! Eh it looked like all other restaurants in the area were already closed. So, I got whatever was still available for dinner! I had this:

That is pork. I don't know what it is called. I just pointed to its picture on their menu, asked if it was not spicy and if available. Waiter asked the cook, he got a nod. Voila!

Food enough good enough. It tastes like Korean food hahaha! Of course, I was sure it was authentic - howsoever it tasted - since the owner and chef are Koreans hehe!!

Mind you, those were not leftovers that they just arranged on a plate for me. I could see the kitchen area. They really gathered ingredients to swiftly make that meal set.

As I sat there however, I got into analyzing as I looked around. Ang atrevida nakialam nanaman! Yes, I could sense that this place isn't that frequented by too many diners. That's a telltale sign that this restaurant might not live long (ayan, nagmarunong pa)!

Let's wait and see nalang!



After that quick dinner, it was finally time to check-in at my hotel of choice tonight!

That is the front and facade. As written on the side, it really is named Hotel Airport.

This was my room...

That blue ceramic thing on the table is an ashtray. Obviously tells something, right? A room (hotel) catering mainly to Korean businessmen. Most of them are smokers!

But you know me, a chain smoker who never smokes in his room, even in the toilet! Yet I didn't have to suffer. They have just the perfect spot for me - there's a veranda!

Oh, speaking of toilets, here was mine, plus the amenities...

Clean and good enough for me. I had 2 sets of those kits, since this is a room for 2.

Back in the room, this is what you see in front of you, when you're in the bed. But...

I didn't touch that TV all throughout my stay. I was busier writing the previous story.

And another "but"... the cat kept catching my attention hehe! Can you see it? Here...

At buti hindi gumagalaw yun kamao, baka mapatakbo ako! I even literally laughingly went near it and asked pusa ka ba o aso, because in some angles it looks like a dog!

I know it is a Maneki-neko or lucky cat in Japan, placed in many homes or business establishments. Many people think it is Chinese in cutural origin, but it is Japanese!

But this hotel is Korean-owned. So I txtd some friends (at midnight hehe), and I was told 'maybe' or 'somehow', but one said 'are you sure it is a Korean-owned hotel'? Pak!

Oo nga naman. Lesson learned, huwag assuming, huwag judgmental hehehe!



Anyway, I slept well. Fast-forward to 4:17AM, checkout time. This is Front Desk.

I asked that girl Pinoy ba ang me-ari nito? She told me Ay no, Koreans po. Oh that cat!

This is room-boy/driver/whatever. I told him wearing a hoodie at this time is scary!

He shyly removed it while explaining that it was cold outside. I asked why do you go outside at this time of day, roving guard ka rin ba? He answered dahil aalis na po kayo.

And at about that time, front-desk girl was saying sir, he will drive you to the airport.

Nge! I said aw, I'm going to walk. As if protesting, she said sir malayo po yon, libre po ito. So I jokingly said akina i-cash mo nalang! At least I made them laugh early today!

Okay, alright, so I walked back to the airport, just reversing my path last night.

Let me caution you dear readers, this walk is not for everyone. It's about 800 meters (I am sure less than a kilometer) and only good to do when not raining or sunny hot.

It's like walking from the end of Megamall Bldg A to the end of Bldg B and back. It is not far if 1] you're not in a rush, 2] you don't have heavy bags, and 3] weather is fine.

Why do it? Well, for many of us with sedentary lifestyles, galaw-galaw pag me time!

And as for me btw, that might have been the last time I'd walk to Clark Airport. Why? Ah, the upcoming new Passenger Terminal is far - maybe 2 to 3kms from that hotel.

So, after 10 minutes of a leisurely walk in the darkness of dawn on a desolate road:

Aruu as in OMG hiyay! Ang daming otaws at 4:27AM! But what can we do. Sugood!

Teka, maybe let's stop it here muna.

My inaugural flight to San Jose De Buenavista comes next!

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