Roof Top Hotel and Bar Camiguin
Camiguin Island – Mambajao
This neon lit restaurant and bar in Mambajao drew me in like a firefly. The owner is a guy from Las Vegas with a lot of energy and a knack for getting things done. He likes to feel at home. Everything about the Roof Top is first rate.
The beer even comes in frosted mugs!
The Roof Top really has a nice atmosphere and a first rate staff.
The on site bakery whips up a huge pile of pastries every. Two huge walk in freezers store the ice cream and meats.
It’s almost bizarre, because inefficiency is the standard here in the Philippines, but this place ticks along like a Swiss watch.
This is the ground floor where a fast food restaurant, deli shop, and ice cream shop get a big local crowd.
This is the set up on the second floor. The balcony has 4 tables that are always full at night. It has become a gathering place for expats living in the area.
The Hotel was not yet open when I was there in Dec 2008 but it looks like it is going to be first rate when it does open. It is not geared to budget travelers but looks like it’s going to be a solid value.
Roof top Hotel & Bar
Rizal St., Poblacion,
9100 Mambajao, Camiguin Island
Philippines
Telephone Nos. +63.88.3870511 to 13
Roof Top Hotel
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Hello,
I am looking for a room for a stay at the island Camiguin during that time of about 8. march until 15. march or longer – depends on location and price. Unfortunately my budget is limited but I would like to know your prizes. I would be happy to get your offers!
I only need fan and bathroom (shower) inside: No TV and radio is necessary!
Can you send me some pictures maybe and your prize offer?
I am looking forward to get your answer soon!
Best regards
Bernd
Hi breime
dutchpickle is just a travelers information site that does not make reservations
When I visited the “Roof Top”, the rooms were still being completed. The place is plush and appeals more towards the higher end traveler, I don’t think that there are any fan rooms.
I did get a chance to eat at the restaurant a few times and can say that the food is great! The owner is a player from Las Vegas and everything was done first class in this place.
He confided to me that there is no way that he will be able to recoup his investment from this place in his lifetime.
Everything about this place has class.
Sorry – I do not even have contact information on line yet but it will be the only hotel in town with neon lights, you can’t miss it!
cheers
dp
I found their website http://www.camiguinrooftophotel.com/
Roof top Hotel & Bar
Rizal St., Poblacion,
9100 Mambajao, Camiguin Island
Philippines
Telephone Nos. +63.88.3870511 to 13
Hope this helps.
Hello Falcon,
Thanks!
This place is first class – all the way!
dp
Looks a great place. plan on going down there perhaps next month to climb Hibok-Hibok looks just the place for me to stay in.
Perhaps DP you or one of your many readers out there know the current room rates. I had a quick check of their site but no rates on it,
Could e mail them how ever would be interesting for readers to have it posted here.
Loved the hot springs last time I was there but spoilt a bit (for me anyway) by the big speakers at the pool side thumping out heavy metal, just not able to get used to this in such a beautiful natural setting, still thats Filipino style…
The hotel looks really better paced to be in Mactan rather than Camiguin how ever will be a great addition to the Island. Just carn’t wait to get there.
Hi Bruce,
The Roof Top Hotel is first class. I have eaten there several times and have no complaints.
Lindsay would enjoy the fact that the waitress brings a fresh frosted mug with each new beer!
The accommodation is first rate, but out of my price range – I just stayed at the GV.
They were not yet open when I visited so I did not get the rates. Hopefully a reader will comment on that sooner or later.
dp
DP and readers, finally received a reply from the roof top…..Yes its a bit pricy how ever considering what they offer guess its reasonable.
I will enclose the mail for reader reference.
Promo Starts June 15, 2009 until August 31, 2009
Deluxe Room 1 Queen Size Bed 1,700.00 php
Executive Deluxe 1 Queen Size Bed 2,100.00 php
Superior Deluxe 1 Queen Size Bed 2,400.00 php
1 Single Bed
Superior Deluxe 1 Queen Size Bed 2,500.00 php
(with Bath Tub)
Superior Deluxe 2 Queen Size Bed 3,200.00 php
(Family Room) (with Bath Tub)
Condo Type Room 3 Queen Size Bed 4,500.00 php
1 Double Deck Bed
(w/ 2 Separate Rooms, individual Kitchen w/ materials & utensils)
* All Rooms are Fully Air-conditioned, Unlimited Hot & Cold Shower, Flat Screen Cable TV with DVD Player, Free Breakfast for 2 Person (served @ 7:00 A.M.), & a very Safe Car Park.
Hope to get there over the next couple of months, maybe a good place to relax after climbing Hibok Hibok as will be in need of a well earned rest. Happy to write about my experience there once completed.
Hi Bruce,
Great update! Thanks for putting that info up.
We would really appreciate any info that you could add about your trip.
I am curious about that climb. Have you done it before?
cheers mate!
dp
just a tip or 2….try tias cottages…it will suit your criteria. you can walk to mambajao.
also very cheap…rest facilities etc…you wont be disappointed.
another snappy tip…tias is very quiet…you will go mad at rooftop because noise is endless…sit out the front for 2 minutes and you cop it day and night.
tias is around pesos-300….swimming at your door…anyway, just ask someone to show you tias cottages..
personally, i know camiguin very well…..our visitors go straight to tias cottages…happy days….
Hi everyone, just to let you know there are new owners at the RoofTop Hotel. I am a Dutchman and my wife MM is from Cebu. We found the place for sale when considering a business in hospitality and living in a small Philippine island.
Many thanks to Bruce and Lindsay for their stay with us last month and also DP for his promotional words!
If you consider a trip to Camiguin, just check out our website for the never ending promos! The room rates are very affordable now, even for DP -:)
See you someday in the RoofTop!
Cheers,
Gelt
This story about a recent mtorcycle trip was emailed to me by reader Lindsay
Giday DP
Back in NZ and freezing my nuts off!
I tried to post this on your website but it throws up a box saying it’s spam filer won’t accept stuff from proxies…. whatever that means.
Here’s the update:
Started in Dumaguete on Negros, up to Cebu City. Delt with bike problems as previously discussed. Then up to Bogo City on north Cebu, across to Bantayan Island, stayed there two nights. Next over to Leyte and Ormoc where it was nice catching up with you. From there down to Maasin. We had planned to go Ormorc-Bato-Ubay in one day, but arriving in Bato we found the shipping schedule had changed from 1200 midday to 0900. So we pressed on to Massin and spent a night there, going back to Bato next morning early. Over to Ubay in Bohol, from there to Jagna Bohol. As said, you really need to check out that little Idea Pension in Jagna. From Jagna to Mambajal on Camiguan Island. Stayed there 3 nights at the Rooftop Hotel, owned by Gert and his lovely wife. Did some excellent back roads on Camiguan and had a very lovely local girl guide us hiking up over 3.5km of riverbed to a beautiful waterfall and pool. From there by boat to Mindanao (can’t remember the port) and on to Butuwan city. Here is very interesting, there has been much research of the human history of the area and the museum has a wonderful display of many artefacts. We were lucky, the museum manager took us on a tour of the museum and told us many interesting things about the area. The Chinese and even the Persians were trading in that area 2000yrs ago…. There are some boats that are more than 1000 years old. After Butawan we went to Suragao City. A couple of nights in Suragao, it’s a reasonably nice little town and the E.Y. Hotel is very comfortable. From there to Siargao Island, arriving at Dapa. We rode up to the Cloud 9 beach area and had a look, also rode down the beach in the opposite direction as well. Stayed at the Cherinicol and had a meal at Ronaldos. There must have been a flowering plant on the island that didn’t like me, I was struck down with the worst hayfever I ever had. Luckily, despite it being Sunday, the local Dapa doc was around and he prescribed medication for me. Back over to Suragao for a night, then took ship overnight back to Cebu.
Had a few days rest in Dumaguete with Juvee’s folks and replaced the rear suspension monoshock because the hydraulic oil had leaked out. It is a gas filled damper with a coil spring, had to buy a new one. The part should not have failed, my bike has only done 10,000kms. After some rest I took Juvee to Bacalod city via a night at Kanlaon to see her old work-mate, then returned to Dumaguete after four days.
Some memorable moments:
At Cherinicole on Siargao Island the cook offered us a three choice off-season dinner menu: Fish, rice, or rice and fish. He kindly offered to include vegetables if we went to the market and bought them. I took the boy with me on the bike, gave his P200 and he went into the market. While waiting I noticed a lady starting to scream and throw green mangoes at a guy who was a stall owner. She threw them with great and increasing vigour, he crouching ever lower on his little box seat. Having run out of mangoes she shifted to onions, all the while screaming as he slowly got buried in a pile of fruit and veg. The crowd gathered offering much advice to both. The screaming lady ran out of onions and she found the big knife used to cut cabbages, and threw that. Finally the guy moved, onions and mangoes everywhere, eyes like golf balls. The knife missed, she dashed into the stall, grabbed the knife and began chasing him. He took of like a burning cat. Later I learned she was his wife, he had invested the weeks takings at the chicken fights, but on the wrong chicken….
Juvee and I on the bike going south on very wide National Highway leaving Bacalod on a Sunday morning. Three-abreast jeepneys, tricycles, mayhem etc you know the scenario. We are nearer the center of the highway as it is unwise to ride on the right side of jeepneys. Two guys with a leachon on a pole step of the sidewalk to the right and start marching out to cross the highway. The two jeepneys to my right slow up to stop, the lead leachon guy sees me and I can see there is still enough clear highway to pass around him. I proceed only to find a woman hiding behind him, crossing the highway and looking the other way to her right (!) steps out in front of me…. The tip of the right hand-grip rubber grazed her ribs, the bike barely wobbled and she brushed my arm. Juvee immediately looked back and said “she’s down”. Bruce and I had discussed such a scenario in the past; I made the immediate decision to keep going. We know what can happened when hordes of onlookers gather around such an incident, especially with a foreigner, and being a Sunday no police (which I’m not sure is a good or bad thing) Despite the woman going down, I knew she was not badly hurt; had we hit her full-on she would have been, and we also would have been on the road. About 2km on a guy on a screaming XRM pulls up alongside and starts shouting in Ilongo at us. Juvee speaks fluent Ilongo so, against my better instincts, I stop and she and him have a chinwag. Turns out he is some sort of low-level local government official and is saying we must go back as the woman is “badly hurt”. Bullshit. I give him P1000 and tell him to take it to the woman, and before I realise it he and Juvee are swapping cell numbers. About now the jeepneys have caught up and are stopping, a crowd is building up around us. I’m outa here, the XT gets full throttle and we are gone before the shit starts.
That evening in Dumaguete Juvee starts getting texts from the woman saying she has had a check-up, nothing is wrong but she needs more money. Next, her kids start texting saying they need more money as well… Changed SIM cards.
We were on Siargao Island and came across a beautifully laid-out little purok, flower and herb gardens, nice little community hall etc. The local kids all rushed out to see us, smiling, laughing and shouting “give me money”. We were a little taken aback as this is the back-blocks and one normally never hears the “give me money” song. The adults wandered into view and we got chatting. Bruce spent quite some time explaining to them that the “give me money” thing is not a good look, denigrates the culture etc and is generally unappreciated by foreigners. The adults duly passed the message to the kids, and a great discussion ensued.
Time to go, we wandered back to the bikes, got on and waved good-bye. To a chorus of “give me money….”
Cheers
Lindsay