SOLAIR | University of the Philippines

I wish I stayed at SOLAIRE, but I dropped the "E" and stayed at SOLAIR dormitory inside the UP Diliman Campus. SOLAIR stands for School of Labor and Industrial Relations. I was at UP Diliman for about 5 days for a seminar and since I am not very familiar with Quezon City, I opted to stay inside the huge campus. I had a good experience way back in 2008 staying at the University Hotel but it was unfortunately fully booked on my second visit. So I looked for another place until I got to SOLAIR.

SOLAIR Dormitory

Later I found out that it was very convenient staying here because it's accessible to the IKOT jeepney. And going to and from the venue of the seminars, which was held at the Bacobo Hall of the UP College of Law, is just one ride. Well, I actually tried walking from Bacobo Hall to SOLAIR and it was a good 15 minutes. It was a good walking exercise, except that it was really hot and humid on that part of the Philippines.

It was pretty affordable at P500 per night. But I shared the room with 2 other persons. Your accommodation would include a single bed, an overhead cabinet, a bedside table, a study desk and chair, and a common toilet and bath. There are other accommodations such as single and double occupancy, subject to availability. For a complete list of their rates, click here. I find it a good place for visiting students or those going to UP Diliman for an exam. It reminded me a lot about my dormitory life back in San Lorenzo Ruiz Student Catholic Center. Outside SOLAIR, there are a lot of things that will please your eyes: big, lush, trees, giving shade and a koi pond. I knew that if my mom were there with me at SOLAIR, she would really appreciate the nature-themed building. There were lots of plants and ponds even inside SOLAIR.

Unfortunately, SOLAIR did not have its own canteen but a few steps away, at the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance, you'll find a very nice canteen with a Japanese-inspired theme. I loved that canteen, although I would appreciate it if they would open a little bit earlier, say, 6:30 AM for breakfast. Hehehe! The food is really great, there are a lot of choices, and they're affordable, too.

The canteen offers rice toppings, pasta, and sandwiches. It's clean and the staff are very accommodating. We were there early and ordered rice toppings but they were not yet available at that time so they suggested the sandwiches. And by the way, this canteen also has the cleanest and nicest comfort room in the whole world! I was really amazed that this humble canteen has a very nice comfort room. (--,)

If you're looking for a place to stay in UP Diliman and you're on low budget, or if you've got nowhere else to go because all of the other hotels are fully booked, then you can go to SOLAIR Dormitory and enjoy a nice and peaceful sleep.