If you ever find yourself looking for a place to stay in historic Dapitan City, check out the Travelbee Heritage Inn.
Travelbee Dapitan is located on the corner of Maria Clara and Mi Retiro streets, names taken from national hero Jose Rizal’s literary works in tribute to his life in exile in the city, and built upon what was once the ancestral home of the Sagario clan.
The inn is affordable with clean and comfortable rooms and only 15 minutes from the airport in the neighboring city of Dipolog.
Balay na bato
An old picture of the Travelbee Heritage Inn displayed on the lobby wall shows the house was a typical balay na bato of a design common among the affluent class in Spanish colonial times.
The ground floor was made of cut stone slabs and used as bodega or warehouse while the second level was fashioned from hardwood and served as the family’s living quarters.
When the house was turned into an inn, the owners retained the tugas (hardwood) posts of the Sagario home.
Travelbee Dapitan rates
The Travelbee inn is quite close to Dapitan City attractions, such as the Spanish period St. James the Greater Church, Rizal’s relief map of Mindanao, Fantasyland and Leisure Park in the Gloria de Dapitan complex, and 16-hectare Rizal Shrine in Barangay Talisay.
Room rates at Travelbee Dapitan are reasonable, going down to as low as P600 for economy (good for four persons) and standard (good for two persons) rooms.
Deluxe accommodations, which are large and airy rooms with two bathrooms, only cost P1,200.
Interested in booking a room? Contact the inn by landline at (065) 223-6480, email at rese[email protected], or www.facebook.com/TravelBeeHeritageInn.