After a long 4 hour van ride from Caticlan, I had no idea where to stay in Iloilo City. The van dropped me in front of Injap Tower Hotel. By merely looking at it’s facade, I told myself not to check the rates as my goal was to travel as thrifty as I can. With that in mind, I asked one of the cab drivers parked in front of Injap Tower to bring me to a cheaper accommodation in the city. He asked if I was fine with a lodge or an inn. I said yes since I don’t find anything wrong with an inn or a lodge.The driver brought me then in Dragon Lodge Drive-in Hotel.
The moment I arrived at Dragon Lodge, the set-up was like that of taxi room motels in Manila. Well, this explains why the cab driver asked me earlier if i was fine staying in a lodge or an inn. I later learned from locals that lodges and inns in Iloilo are actually motels. I didn’t mind and immediately checked-in as it was already 2:00 AM.
Formerly known by the locals as “The Green Dragon Lodge”, Dragon Lodge or DL Drive-in Hotel is located along Lopez Jaena St., Molo, Iloilo City. It is a 10-minute jeepney ride from SM City Iloilo.
Given that this is a motel, the room is very decent, clean and relatively new. The interior is modern minimalist. The toilet is separated from the room itself by a glass partition. There is also a cable TV!
Dragon Lodge Iloilo Room Rates
3 hours 220 Php/$4.40
12 hours 770 Php/$15.40
24 hours 1300 Php/$26.00
If you will be staying here during your Iloilo City visit, here are the pros and cons:
Cons
All rooms are good for two persons only.
Since this is a motel, they do not issue the room key to their guests. Some motels in the Philippines do not issue room keys as places like this are actually built for short time accommodation.
There is a small vestibule in the room where the first and main door is always locked outside. With this, you will always have to call the operator when you want to go out of your room. Moreover, you will also have to ask the reception to open your room door if you are coming from outside.
Pros
The rates are very cheap. This place is a good choice if you are traveling on a budget.
Unlike with hotels where check-in time is usually at 12:00 PM, you can check-in here at any given time of the day. I actually checked-in at 2:00 AM. Check-out time depends on the room rate you have availed.
My Take
If you are a budget traveler, I would definitely recommend this place. Security might be an issue since you do not have the door key while you are out and you can not easily go out of the room in case of emergency. Nonetheless, I was assured by the staff that the place is very safe. During my 24 hour check-in period in Dragon Lodge, I was mostly outside wandering Iloilo City and all my stuffs were safe while I was out. If you do not want to stay at Dragon Lodge, you may also check and book your Iloilo City hotel here.