Villa Caceres 3 stars

This is a good hotel with mostly great staff, probably the #2 hotel in Naga City (we also stayed at the Avenue Plaza Hotel and they treat you like royalty). The rooms are clean and nice. Wifi access is free but couldn't reach the two rooms we had. Breakfast is included but needs work. There is a good pool in the back. A couple talented bands play downstairs (in a large but soundproofed room) that seemed to draw strong crowds. In North America, this hotel would be considered a fantastic deal at its price. However... Within about four hours of checking in, my friend's wallet was stolen off of her bed while she was at the spa. After a day of the manager saying they would look into it and reviewing security tapes, they came to the conclusion that there was no proof of anything wrong and did not offer compensation for her room or even a simple, "We're sorry this happened." We got the police involved and they were great. Even though the wallet was never recovered, the police took the report, sent half of the station down to the hotel, conducted interviews, reviewed the security tapes and even kept an officer or two nearby for the next day. They concluded that two staff members did indeed go into the room - and no one else - when the wallet went missing. Unfortunately the nearest exit from the room isn't covered by camera and so there was no proof that either person had it on him. We greatly appreciated the efforts of the Naga City police. While I also appreciate the loyalty to the staff that management showed, regardless of proof, there was no question that the wallet had been stolen from the room. Yes there is a safe that wasn't used but the hotel should take some responsibility for what happens behind locked doors inside their establishment, even if that just means a simple apology. There is a great and inexpensive spa downstairs; it would have gone a long way if they offered to cover an hour in the spa while hotel security checked logs and video. At very least, all of the staff knew about the police very quickly; I think it's safe to say that nothing will go missing from any guest's room for the next few weeks! Beyond that, I suggest always using the in-room safe and marking it with a piece of tape so it will be obvious if any staff member opens it. It's a shame that one or two bad employees ruined our experience at Villa Ceceres because I would otherwise recommend it. Hopefully hotel management can quietly weed them out or put them to work elsewhere where stealing from guests won't be possible. The great service provided by the rest of the very friendly staff shouldn't be tarnished by the one or two others.