Water Leaf Inn Olongapo City

I need to stay in Subic for 3 days over the weekend and all hotels inside the former American base does not satisfy my budget. As we all are aware of, subic can be very expensive if you don't plan your vacation well. What with all the duty free shops luring you to shop, shop and shop till you've no money anymore. But that's beside the point, I am not on a vacation and i intend to find an accomodation that is set within my budget of 1000php (23usd) per night. With this target, i know i should probably be looking for a place to stay in the nearby town of Olongapo city or position myself in one of the resorts lining the Subic Bay.

Staying in a beach resort along Subic Bay does not appeal to me because of the sleaziness, a reputation the place has depicted over the internet. So now, my option boils down to looking for a hotel or inn at Olongapo city town proper. Olongapo, for those who may not know yet is just a convenient one jeepney-eight peso ride to SBMA. Or if you brought your own wheels then it's just  5-10 minutes to the SBMA gate.

Luckily, i've spotted a cozy new little inn called Water Leaf. Here's a picture of their reception area.

Water Leaf Inn opened their doors in 2011 and they do not have a website or any advertisement on papers or over the internet. They have a total of 10 rooms as of writing. All twn sharing rooms (good for 2pax). The owners have plans of extending and building more rooms according to the caretaker. 

Aside from being affordable they have a wifi that actually works! And with a strong signal at that. They kept it on 24hours a day. Am so happy with my connection. The room has hot and cold shower , cable tv, ref. No breakfast is provided with the rate. The room is a tight squeeze but nevertheless squeaky clean. You also get a complimentary bottled water upon checkin. Everything is basic. You get what you pay for.

This little inn do not have a menu. One drawback i have seen is food availability. When you want something to eat at night you have to call for food delivery. So make sure you bring all necessities when you check in or suffer from hunger. Their staff are very courteous and always willing to help you in anyway. You can even request them to buy you food from downtown but be sure to extend some tip.

How to get there? If you have your own transpo: From Ulo ng Apo (rotonda) make a left turn towards chowking. Then after passing a bridge turn right on the first street after that bridge. That's Oreta Avenue. Drive further away and you will see Subic water building on your left. Turn right on the first street passing the Subic Water building. After 5mins you will see Water Leaf Inn signage on your left.

If you arrive in Olongapo by bus (Victory Liner): Upon alighting from the bus, you will see BDO and Jollibee from across the street. You have to cross the street (BDO/Jollibee side) and ride a yellow jeep bound for Sta Rita Balic Balic. It is important that you tell the jeepney driver that you have to go to Balic Balic or else they would make a shortcut and will not passby Balic Balic. Tell driver to specifically drop you off at Water Leaf Inn.

Here's their contact numbers for your reference: