For the benefit of Gateway Hotel, to identify ourselves clearly, we are staying in, supposed, Executive Room 217 for the night of 22 February 2012.

First of all there is a significant hotel extension building programme in progress ... something that doesn't get mentioned on their website nor by their reservations personnel.

Upon arrival in the room, this is supposedly an Executive Room, it's not tired, it's exhausted in appearance and in need of a top to bottom makeover.

Then one is greeted with a sign that the room contains various equipments and if any of these are absent upon check-out then we will be charged for them ...

Well straight away my partner obversed that there was no remote control for the TV (as itemised) and I've noticed that there are not the 2 blankets present (as itemised), however it would appear that Filipino executives only sleep with one less than adequate pillow thus we politely requested 2 more pillows for the room only to find ourselves being asked to pay PHP25 per pillow per night!!!

We are, or rather we were, booked here again on 26 & 27 February 2012 however that reservation, unsurprisingly, has just been cancelled.

Dear Gateway Hotel ... NEVER in some 35 years of globetrotting have I been asked to pay for a pillow for the night, I only live across the water on Siargao Island, I was about to become a regular guest of yours but, as they say, "NEVER AGAIN" ... your place is a joke.