As far as I can say the philippine coordination is really horrible. This uncoordinated acting runs like a golden thread through nearly everything which is in all other places uncomplicated. Let’s list some things I experienced the last few days here:
I start at the airport in Manila, the gates changed 3 minutes before the flight was scheduled. All passengers ran to the next gate which was already occupied by hundred others who where maybe false at this gate at this time after the change.
The transfer shuttle bus between the terminals in Manila is a waste. There are three guys coordinating the people to enter the bus and stacking the baggages but in the complete wrong way. I am sure they know where the bus will stopp after leaving the terminal. What are they doing wrong is that they stack the luggage that the passengers have to unload everything because
some luggage is below all others. As mote as I am thinking about this I think they do it deliberately to provoke the tourists to use a taxi for transfer or just for fun.
In Gensan airport similar problems. There are 3 counters open. One counter for seniors, disabled and web check in. The web check in is only announced after some guys come around and try to check the passengers bookings while standing in line of the other two counters. A sign with web check in standing on would help best.
Then there is a exit way to get off the counters but suddenly some filipinos start a line there too that nobody can get off the counter anymore.
Other passengers go for the webcheckin but when they are at the counter they suddenly realize that they are in need of an additional ticket and blocking everything while reserving the counter and buying tickets in the entrancehall on another counter.
The next passengers stand in line on counter 2. Suddenly the personell on the counter stands up and goes away (maybe for toilet). The filipinos will not wait – they change all in front of you to the other counters. So patience is not a highlighting characteristic of some of them.
One thing at the airports in the philippines is that you have to pay a terminal fee. Even this would not be a problem but these guys here make it for one. So they have 3 counters but only one line and calling passengers from within the line to them. Then you are paying and after that you should go back into the line to pass the counter. The chaos is preprogrammed.
While I am writing I am sitting in the waiting hall for my flight. It is now exactly 13:03. Boarding should have been started at 11:50. The flight was scheduled for 12:20! I am still waiting for an announcement that my flight is delayed…
Coming to the hotels:
Hotel rooms where not cleaned even if the frontdesk tells you they will do. After asking for roomservice again they told us that the cleaners are not available today anymore… wtf?
In our hotel there was a restaurant where hotelguests get free breakfast every morning. Now I list what went wrong there every morning…
On the first day I asked for a american breakfast which was listwd on the menu card. But the american one was not free. I asked the girl which one are free? She showed 5 filipino menues with rice combined with sausage, beef, pork and so on. But only two of these where available at this morning. On the next day similar things, but three of the menues are offered to choose. On the third day I ordered pancakes. Three big pancakes took around 30minutes to be served and tasted delicious. Next day I ordered again pancakes but on that day only 2 small pancakes where served. The next day I ordered again pancakes to see what happens but the waiter told me that the pancakes are not available anymore and these status held until today when I left the hotel. The rest of these days similar events occured with other meals. So the management is the worst I ever experienced in a hotel stay.
Same with the poolbar. Most of the times when I wanted to buy a beer for sleep in the evening there was none available. If there was one the cashier had no money for change. Everything in the Venue 88 became an adventure so I started to call this hotel an “adventurehotel”. You will never get bored inside there trust me.
Personal management is not the strength too. There are every morning three to four waiters in the restaurant. Two of them checked their facebook on the phone one was watching tv and the last one was collecting some papers. Service only after calling and asking few times.
All in all a experience I get and makes me happy for every hotel stay without these problems.
Right now I have to end here because my delayed plane will start soon.