Balay 8 Suites

I feel so bad about not giving this five stars all around, but I just can't do it in good conscience. The property is really very nice. Our stay was so cozy. It felt like visiting your grandma in the province for the summer. The free breakfast was also satisfying. It came with coffee and fruit. The location was ideal. Everything we wanted to see was an easy ten-minute walk. I also have nothing but kind things to say about the staff. And my favorite part about the stay was that there was a living room and kitchen completely accessible to us and exclusive for the second floor (the first floor had their own). It was nice to wake up bright and early and hang out, something modern hotels can't offer. But the place just isn't clean. Every surface needs a very thorough dusting or brushing. Our room was big and pricey, the double room on the second floor, and it had the dirtiest bathroom tiles I've ever seen in a hotel. I understand that properties like this will have stains you can't wipe off anymore just because they are so old, but grime like that on bathroom tiles may be a sign that they need replacing? Especially since this is a hotel people are paying for? It's the same for the second-floor kitchen sink and also the cabinet in the bedroom. This was my very first time not unpacking. I just couldn't put my things in that closet. It was such a nice stay, and Silay overall was lovely. But I hope the owners put a little more effort into the house's maintenance.

The mattress and pillows weren't very comfortable. The water pressure is also weak to be able to use a shower. It's good for It's price regardless. What I didn't like was there are people outside between 3-5am(near my room), must be workers? one time someone kept on ringing the doorbell nonstop at 4am!!! Sure it wasn't a fellow guest maybe the owner of the place. Didnt get a proper rest here.

Home setting where you will be assigned in one room. Staff is helpful and friendly. A good base to spend 1 day in Silay City before flight to Manila. The place is safe and peaceful.

Balay 8 Suites is a good choice for travelers who are on a budget but would still like to have a feel of the good life that Negrense culture places a premium on. The place, a two-storey Filipino house that seamlessly integrates traditional bahay-na-bato architecture with 1960s modernist sensibilities and postwar affluence, gives a homey feel. It is roughly a hundred meters away from the highway that can get busy at certain times of the day, yet its walls and greenery attain an atmosphere that upholds privacy and invites relaxation. There is a TV in the common area, as well as a small front garden with a hammock. Art pieces celebrating Filipino culture, especially the sugarcane industry of Negros, add vibrance to otherwise minimalist interiors. Access to the property is through a gate with a doorbell; while there is no curfew, I was given one of the caretakers' phone number in case I went out and returned late at night and felt hesitant to buzz up. I did not get to be in such a situation during my stay, so that remains to be tried in future stays. My room was value for money. Since I checked in at 12:00 pm and the previous guest just left, the staff were still cleaning the room (for which they apologized), which was fine with me because at least I was sure that the sheets, pillows, and towel were freshly provided. There was a clothes rack with several hangers, as well as drawers made of woven material, presumably rattan. The room also had a body-length mirror, where one's reflection can be a cause for jumpscares if one walks to the bathroom at night. Other than an issue I encountered with one of the bathroom fixtures - which they promptly addressed and apologized for - my stay has been a mostly pleasant one. For personal hygiene essentials, only two small bars of soap were provided, which was not really a problem since I had some surplus from other lodging places during the previous days of my stay in Negros Occidental. Other travelers may take that detail as an advice to check in more prepared. The airconditioning unit in my room was in good working condition, providing crisp, cool, clean air. There is free drinking water and brewed coffee available by self-service anytime of the day. Another feature of convenience that this place offers is that there is free breakfast; for best experience, it is advised to inform the caretakers of one's choices and preferences beforehand. Aside from the physical features, another asset of Balay 8 Suites - and equally important - is its staff. From the moment I informed them of my check-in to that when I left the property (which is a few hours beyond check-out time, but I was allowed to leave my things at a corner while I explored Silay's heritage district and awaited my check-in time at the Bacolod-Silay airport which is about a 15-minute drive away), I felt their affectionate warmth and attentiveness. Perhaps my basic knowledge of Hiligaynon, the lingua franca of Metro Bacolod, helped build some of the rapport, but observing their treatment of other guests, it was as if they were distant relatives eager to welcome familial visitors to their home. With such great people, how can one not be excited to look forward to the next return to Negros, which this place beautifully represents?

While not a heritage house, it being a '60s house on a quiet residential street just round the corner from the main rd with a Chicken House gives this cozy "family" vibe.Moreso with Lorna, her daughter and grandchild greeting us at check-in.Had informed them about a late check-in at 7pm but they were all so chill about it, staying up even later as a regular guest was checking in later.We liked the rooms interiors--furniture a lot; bathroom seems newly renovated with nice modern tiles & sink; ample shelves & racks.Appreciated &used the clothes rack & hangers, wall fan.Aircon just a little bit loud but tolerable, no issue. So nice to have cold water dispenser &fresh glasses, coffee, available anytime. Nice to have had a choice of breakfast; served in the dining table by the lanai.This style of wood house makes it warm, but it cooled off by evening.The common areas--dining & living rooms have light wood furniture & are airy & pleasant to sit around. We'd like to thank Lorna very much again for helping us quickly contract a taxi driver to take us to Manapla! I would book here again!