Transient hotels, full-serviced residences, modern dormitories. I’ve heard of them and knew of the concept, but I hadn’t really experienced them before The Studio 89 Residences invited us to experience the differences.
I’ve been to several AirBnBs and hotels in and out the country before and was also on a business trip in Nashville, Tennessee a few months ago in full business attire and a laptop in hand; but this was my first business trip here in Manila.
Driving all the way from Katipunan and coming from BGC, the dormitory part made sense because there are a lot of universities and offices in the area. Given the maddening Quezon City traffic, renting out a room or residing in a shared dormitory makes perfect sense since it will be safer, cheaper, and more convenient to go in and out of the area during weekdays and even on Saturdays rather than spending a possible two to four hours of your life in transit.
Arriving at The Studio 89 Residences, I immediately felt that it would be a good experience as I was immediately greeted by the friendly manong guard and the rest of the staff without them knowing who I was and what I was doing there
After some pleasantries with the manager, we were led to our room and then it was time to rest. Saying that our room was spacious is a 45 sqm understatement. Working the night shift before this assignment was hell and the thought of a hot shower and a king sized bed was a comforting thought.
Deluxe Family Suite Php8400
I didn’t really tour the place during the first day since a long sleep was in order. The place was still relatively new during their soft opening phase, so some of the facilities were still being polished (including the kitchen). however, since the place is located in Katipunan, there are a lot of places to go to if you get hungry.
Premiere Double – Php5400
It would be wise to call them first to inquire about prices, though. Who knows? There might be a promotion while the place is relatively new.
As a traveling businessman, I knew I was in a prime location for both of my assignments (Banawe the following morning and Sgt. Esguerra the morning after) which were around half an hour away.
To make a long story short, doing a “business trip” like this was extremely convenient! It actually made me feel like I’m a full-time professional traveling photographer!
After a long day of driving and taking photos, I visited the facilities and dormitory rooms. For a modestly sized hotel, they have a spacious function room, a gym, and a study room at the roof deck; but what is really surprising is how the dormitory rooms are laid out.
I’ve been to several dormitory rooms before, but none of them holds a candle to the hotel-esque layout here. Even if you share a room with several other people, you will get your own bed and not a bunk, your own cabinet, the very important en-suite bathroom, a microwave, and a small refrigerator. This is the nicest dormitory room I’ve seen by far. I was even told that a guest mistook it for one of the serviced residences instead of a dormitory during their inquiry.
Deluxe Quadruple Dormitory
At first glance, it seems like a regular business hotel, but what lies inside separates Studio 89 Residences from the rest. The place really caters to the broad demographic situated within the area: students, traveling businessmen, transient travelers, office people, and families celebrating with their loved ones.
How was my experience being a traveling businessman for a couple of days? It was wonderful as I knew that there was a nice comfortable bed waiting for me after a long day of taking photos. Hopefully, I will get to do this again sooner or later.
