Your stay — Aca Guesthouse
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The Property — Aca Guesthouse
Aca Guesthouse is a no-frills, three-star spot in downtown Butuan, aimed squarely at budget travellers and transit passengers. The lobby feels like a functional pit-stop: tiled floors, a reception desk with a flatscreen showing flight info, and a modest seating area with plastic plants. Its USP is location—two minutes from the bus terminal and a 15-minute tricycle ride to the airport—making it a practical choice for a one-night stay, not a destination hotel.
Chronicles of Butuan
Butuan was a major trading port from the 10th century, with evidence of pre-colonial goldworking and ceramic trade with China and Southeast Asia. It became a capital of the Rajahnate of Butuan, a Hindu-Buddhist kingdom, before Spanish colonisation merged it into the Philippines. The city’s low-rise skyline reflects its role as a provincial hub for Agusan del Norte, with few colonial-era buildings surviving. Today, Butuan is a quiet, car-dominant city with a growing economy around logging and agriculture, and a strong sense of regional identity tied to the Balangay boats excavated here.
Best Time to Visit
Full Butuan guide →Best months
March and April: dry season with clear skies and manageable temperatures (high 20s°C) before the June rains start. November also works for Lower humidity and light crowds.
Peak / festival surge
December and January: Christmas and New Year triple hotel prices by 40% as locals return home and tourists flee Luzon’s typhoon season. The Balangay Festival in February also spikes demand for budget rooms.
Budget shoulder season
May and October offer 30% discounts on standard rates, with slightly hotter weather but far fewer visitors. You’ll dodge the August downpours and Christmas rush.
Weather & packing
Butuan sits in a tropical monsoon zone with a distinct dry season (February–May) and heavy rains from June–January. Pack a compact umbrella or waterproof jacket even in July—afternoon squalls are common—and quick-dry clothing.
Live City Briefing — Butuan
- A new tricycle terminal opened at the Butuan City Integrated Public Transport Terminal (June 2025), shortening airport transfers by about 10 minutes.
- Butuan’s main market, the Freedom Market, now has refurbished wet and dry sections, open daily until 7 PM—handy for picking up pasalubong.
- The Agusan River is currently at summer-low levels, so the annual July floating boat parade for the Balangay Festival has been scaled back to a land-based event.
Your Perfect Room
✨ AI-generated · Jul 2026Before you check in to Aca Guesthouse, here's what to know about choosing the right room.
Best rooms to request
Request a room on floors 2 or 3, facing the rear courtyard (away from the main road). These floors are high enough to avoid street-level noise but low enough for easy stair access if the lift is slow.
Rooms to avoid
Avoid any room on the ground floor—these face the street directly and pick up traffic noise from Butuan's main avenues. Also skip rooms near the lift shaft on any floor; the old lift can be clunky and audible.
Best views
The best view is a rear-facing room overlooking the courtyard or neighbouring low-rise buildings—no direct road, just local city rooftops.
Quietest floors
Floors 2 and 3 are your best bet for quiet.
🔊 Noise notes
Butuan's main roads get jeepney and motorbike traffic from early morning until late evening. The hotel's street-side rooms will catch that. Also, the lift motor and hallway chatter can echo up the stairwell.
Insider tips
1) If you're driving, ask for a parking spot right outside the guesthouse gate—it's safer than the roadside. 2) Check in early (before 4pm) to get a rear-facing room, as they're the most requested.
- Call the hotel directly 24–48 hours before arrival and ask for a specific room type
- Add a note in your booking comments field
- Ask at check-in — front desk staff can often accommodate if a room is available
Hotel Facilities — Aca Guesthouse
Free basic WiFi (5 Mbps, one device per room, no login required)
No lift; stairs only to all floors
No newspapers or digital newsstand provided
Check-in 14:00–22:00; early bag drop allowed before 14:00; late check-out until 12:00 costs PHP 500
Free storage at reception for same-day arrivals/departures
No step-free access; main entrance has a small step; no wheelchair-accessible rooms or bathroom grab bars
Free on-site open parking (first-come, first-served, about 8 spaces); nearest public car park is across the street (PHP 30 per night); no EV charging
Fees, Taxes & Deposits
City / tourist tax: None
Deposit & card hold: First night charged as deposit at booking; PHP 1,000 incidental hold on credit card at check-in
Faith & Dietary Nearby
- Church: Iglesia ni Cristo (1.3 km · ~17 min walk)
- Mosque: Masjid Mervat Akeef (1.4 km · ~17 min walk)
- Place of worship: Easter Free Methodist Church (1.9 km · ~24 min walk)
Local Lifestyle & Recreation
Robinsons Place Butuan — 1.8 km · ~22 min walk
5-Minute Radius Essentials
Landbank — 1.2 km · ~14 min walk
Mercury Drug — 1.6 km · ~21 min walk
Berry Happy Mart — 1.2 km · ~15 min walk
Money & Currency
Get a travel card →Philippine Peso, PHP
Exchange pesos at banks or authorised exchange counters in the mall; avoid airport counters and tourist bureaux for poor rates.
Cards accepted at major hotels, malls, and restaurants; smaller shops and street vendors are cash-only.
No mandatory tipping; round up taxi fares or leave 10–20 pesos for hotel staff; restaurants often include service charge.
Eat, Shop & Travel on a Budget
Cheap car hire →Instant coffee from a sari-sari store or local eatery costs about 15-25 PHP.
A rice-and-ulam combo from a carinderia costs 50-80 PHP.
A main dish at a local restaurant, like grilled pork or chicken adobo with rice, runs 100-150 PHP.
Street-food stalls along the downtown streets and near the public market sell skewers, fried bananas, and fish balls for 10-20 PHP each.
Budget chains like Puregold and SaveMore are common in Butuan.
Affordable clothing at the Butuan City Public Market or chain department stores like SM Department Store.
Cheapest way around is a jeepney ride for 10-13 PHP per trip; from the airport, take a tricycle for about 50-80 PHP into town.
Eat at carinderias for local, cheap meals; buy water in bulk from grocery stores; use jeepneys instead of tricycles for longer trips.
Emergency Contacts
ButuanFor general emergencies, dial 911 from any phone. For direct lines to Butuan-specific services, use the numbers above. The local emergency dispatchers speak Cebuano and Filipino as well as English.
💡 Save these numbers in your phone. In life-threatening emergencies, call immediately.
Where to Eat
💡 Booking tip: For popular restaurants in Butuan, book at least a week ahead — especially for weekend evenings and during festival season.
Your arrival at Aca Guesthouse
🕒 Check-in is from . Arriving earlier? Most hotels store luggage free — just ask at reception.
🧭 First things nearby: cash · Landbank — 1.2 km · ~14 min walk — pharmacy · Mercury Drug — 1.6 km · ~21 min walk
🚐 Pre-book an airport transfer →Getting Around
Butuan City Terminal (near Robinson's Place) → Almont City Hotel (J.C. Aquino Ave.)
💡 Flag it from the main road; tell the driver 'Almont' so they drop you at the hotel side. No change given – bring coins.
Bancasi Airport (BXU) → Almont City Hotel
💡 Ignore touts outside the arrival area; walk to the official taxi queue near the exit. Agree on a flat fare of PHP 150–200 before getting in.
Almont City Hotel → Downtown Butuan (e.g., Guingona Park)
💡 Haggle to PHP 20 per person for short downtown trips; pay PHP 30 for two pax. Sit facing forward, not sideways – smoother ride.
Bancasi Airport (BXU) → Almont City Hotel
💡 This white van with 'Fortune' signage does a fixed loop. Cheaper than a taxi but waits to fill up – okay if you're not in a rush.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best rooms at Aca Guesthouse?
Request a room on floors 2 or 3, facing the rear courtyard (away from the main road). These floors are high enough to avoid street-level noise but low enough for easy stair access if the lift is slow.
Which rooms should I avoid at Aca Guesthouse?
Avoid any room on the ground floor—these face the street directly and pick up traffic noise from Butuan's main avenues. Also skip rooms near the lift shaft on any floor; the old lift can be clunky and audible.
Is Aca Guesthouse noisy?
Butuan's main roads get jeepney and motorbike traffic from early morning until late evening. The hotel's street-side rooms will catch that. Also, the lift motor and hallway chatter can echo up the stairwell.
Which rooms have the best views at Aca Guesthouse?
The best view is a rear-facing room overlooking the courtyard or neighbouring low-rise buildings—no direct road, just local city rooftops.
What are insider tips for staying at Aca Guesthouse?
1) If you're driving, ask for a parking spot right outside the guesthouse gate—it's safer than the roadside. 2) Check in early (before 4pm) to get a rear-facing room, as they're the most requested.
What time is check-in at Aca Guesthouse?
Check-in at Aca Guesthouse is from null. Check-out is by null.
Does Aca Guesthouse have Wi-Fi?
Free basic WiFi (5 Mbps, one device per room, no login required)
Is there a city or tourist tax at Aca Guesthouse?
None
Where can I eat cheaply near Aca Guesthouse?
A rice-and-ulam combo from a carinderia costs 50-80 PHP.
What is the cheapest way to get around from Aca Guesthouse?
Cheapest way around is a jeepney ride for 10-13 PHP per trip; from the airport, take a tricycle for about 50-80 PHP into town.
When is the best time to visit Butuan?
March and April: dry season with clear skies and manageable temperatures (high 20s°C) before the June rains start. November also works for Lower humidity and light crowds.
Top Attractions in Butuan
💡 Try the binagol — a sweet steamed cake served in a coconut shell, about 15 pesos. Come before 9 AM for the freshest produce and avoid the midday crush.
💡 Allow 45 minutes — the gold display is the highlight. No photography inside the main gallery, but you can take shots of the outdoor boat display. Free entry, no reservation needed.
💡 If you're interested in architecture, check the side chapel — it has a small museum of old church artifacts including 19th-century santos (carved saints). No entry fee, but modest dress required.
💡 Combine with a walk along the adjacent riverbank — there’s a small wooden footbridge with decent sunset views. No admission, but donations for maintenance are appreciated.
💡 Visit early morning to avoid heat — the boat replicas are open-air and the metal roofs get scorching by noon. The museum keeper sometimes gives a free guided explanation if you ask nicely.