Airbnb has indeed opened a different way of traveling. I was introduced to it many years ago, most of the time, it is where I feel the most comfortable compared to staying in hotels because of the fact that I can stay in the room with all that I need, I can bring food and eat inside, I can cook, I can binge on watching Netflix and etcetera. I hope other Airbnb guests would also agree on this so today, I'd like to share this home in Lahug Cebu City which is worth sharing.

Again, this is located in Lahug, Cebu City, just a few minutes walk from JY Building where my husband's office is located. It was May of this year when we were looking for a space to stay for Arcany's summer outing and every work-from-home employee outside Cebu gets free accommodation for 7 nights sponsored by the company. So a few weeks before coming to Cebu, I looked for the nearest place in Lahug and found Hooga.

Every single time, I always read reviews of a space I am planning to book especially since the cleaning fee right now is a lot higher compared to a few years ago so I always make sure that it is worth the booking. The reviews were very positive so long story short, I booked it.

Traveling from Oslob, we reached Cebu City at night, it was I believe past eight in the evening and so I informed the host that we were bringing a car, good thing they had parking space available as this was inside a compound and Hooga Home is the first building in that said compound.

Hooga (hygge) means the quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.

According to their listing, this space is mindfully designed to be homey, and clean, with touches of soothing greens and browns to encourage a peaceful stay, This was the selling point for me, looking at their photos posted on their listing, it's just so welcoming and I expected it to be as is and it didn't disappoint! I like how the outside has this footwear cabinet where guests can put their shoes or slippers before coming in. The lock is modern with IC cards for the guests for easy access and getting inside, this homey living room welcomed us!

I was really attracted to the colorful throw pillows and how aesthetically the host had set up everything, the items didn't look expensive in fact, they looked very Filipino with the rattan weaved lounge which reminded me of my grandmother's lounge back in the day and the native rug! I also adore the other furniture and the jalousie window looked nice as it was from floor to ceiling.

It smelled so good as well! There's a comfort room on the ground floor as well, the rooms are all on the second and third floors. The ground floor only has the living room and the kitchen although there's a room intended for the caretaker just outside the kitchen area.

Let's talk about the kitchen as I forgot to take a photo of the comfort room which was by the way, pleasing, it looked like those comfort rooms in coffee shops.

Perhaps my favorite part of the kitchen is the dining lounge because aside from it being so aesthetic, we figured it's made of bamboo. Being a probinsiyana, I have seen bamboo lounges a lot of times. I have a love-and-hate relationship with bamboo chairs, etc as they have nails on the seat and most of the time, it eats my pants or shorts but this is quite unique because it has the bamboo cuts laid sideways and the flat seat is very smooth. I told my husband that if we are investing in a dining table, one side of our table should have this kind of lounge instead.

There are actually two tables here, one is the long one with a glass top and another one which accommodates two diners only but it also serves as a kitchenware storage and they got the plates in there so it was easy for guests to spot where the utensils and kitchenwares can be found.

Water is free in Hooga home but they have an honesty store too! They have items that guests can buy by honestly paying the right amount as listed on the board. They also accept GCash and bank transfers! Aside from that, if the guests would request the host to cook them, they have meal options and guests just have to message beforehand.

But of course, cooking is allowed and they have a fully working kitchen with an oven, rice cooker, gas stove, fridge, and all kitchenware. As for us, there's a nearby eatery so we just buy food. My husband returns home at lunch and dinner so he buys the food on his way back to Hooga.

Our room was located on the second floor and I asked the host about this before booking as I wanted to make sure that my little one was safe. They referred us to book room 2 which was just on the 2nd floor and it is located at the end of the hallway. There are two rooms on the second floor and I have no idea if they have two rooms as well on the third room but I have a feeling it's just two as well. Going up their wooden stairs, there are chairs and storage with magazines and books for bookworm guests to check out. They added some plants and artworks here which is always a delight to see. There's a laminated paper with the wifi password too.

Our room looks exactly like what was on the listing. I am super glad about that. The room was spacious, and although the bed was just a queen-sized one, it was enough for us. But it has a big closet for our luggage and other stuff, they got huge baskets for trash and a working table as I was also working from home so I was able to work at that station with a macrame hanging on the wall.

Now, I didn't know that the room also has a terrace! I was surprised as I opened the window and we usually have coffee there in the morning especially during those rainy days. The neighborhood is peaceful too although there were dogs around, they bark but nonetheless, it's quiet most of the time.

I must mention that although the comfort room inside our room was spacious and very nice, it had some odor that I didn't like. I was even about to puke the first time I entered and I mentioned it to the host.

I got used to it and opening the window helped as well. But the water pressure here on the second floor isn't that strong but there's a hot and cold shower so it's always pleasant taking a bath.

The second issue I encountered was the internet connection. It was unfortunate that on our second day, the internet was spotty. I had work to do so it was a huge problem for me. I reported it to the host of course and they tried their best to fix it. On the third day, they rebooted the modem and it was okay again but after a while, it slowed down that I couldn't even work so I had to go out and go to a cafe as my mobile data was not good at the location too, the fast internet speed was one of the things as well that I consider when booking an Airbnb and they advertised it to have 100mbps speed. Anyway, perhaps it was just that week that the internet was acting up.

But, we didn't check out without snapping some family photos at the living room because it was just aesthetically pleasing!

Thank you Hooga Home for being such a homey accommodation! We enjoyed our stay!

Our room was priced at Php 1032 per night and I believe it is worth it, we were below the budgeted amount and this place was just amazing so I highly recommend it. The host by the way is a photographer, scuba diver, and yogi based in Cebu City. She went to Interior Design Institute Philippines and it explains why this space is just so pleasing to the eyes! She follows the hygge (hooga lifestyle). It means a feeling of cozy contentment and well-being through enjoying the simple things in life. Here's the link to the listing if you are interested!