Your stay — Starkay Trading
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The Property — Starkay Trading
Starkay Trading feels like a functional pit-stop for travellers who need a clean, no-nonsense bed near the North Luzon Expressway. The lobby is tiled and practical, with a small seating area and a reception desk that processes guests efficiently. It’s a 3-star business hotel popular with Filipino road-trippers and budget-conscious tourists heading north, offering air-conditioned rooms with basic amenities and attached bathrooms. There’s no pool or restaurant, but a 7-Eleven is a two-minute walk away for snacks and coffee.
Chronicles of Caloocan
Caloocan was officially founded in 1815 as a small agricultural town, but its modern history is defined by the Philippine Revolution: the first significant battle against Spanish rule erupted here in August 1896. The city’s architecture is a patchwork of pre-war wooden houses, mid-century concrete apartments and sprawling commercial strips along major roads like EDSA and Rizal Avenue. Contemporary Caloocan is a densely populated northern suburb of Metro Manila, known for its lively public markets, jeepney routes and the massive La Loma Cemetery. It remains a working-class hub with a strong Filipino identity, where migrant workers and local families converge for affordable living and commerce.
Best Time to Visit
Full Caloocan guide →Best months
December to February: Dry, cooler weather with daytime highs around 30°C, low humidity and little rain, making it comfortable for exploring the city on foot. March to April also works if you can handle hotter afternoons.
Peak / festival surge
April and May are peak due to Holy Week and summer holidays, when Filipino families travel domestically. Hotel prices can rise 20–30%, and the city becomes busier with local tourists heading to nearby Baguio or Ilocos. No major festival in Caloocan itself drives the spike.
Budget shoulder season
June and November offer lower rates and fewer crowds, with June typically having the cheapest rooms. November is still fairly dry early in the month, and both months avoid peak-season premium. Rain showers are possible but rarely all-day.
Weather & packing
Manila’s climate is tropical monsoon, so sudden downpours can happen even in the ‘dry’ season from July to September. Pack a small travel umbrella and cotton clothes that dry fast, plus a lightweight jacket for air-conditioned buses and malls.
Live City Briefing — Caloocan
- The new LRT-1 extension to Baclaran to Cavite is running partial operations, but as of mid-2025, the full line is not yet open; check for disruptions on the main EDSA route near Caloocan.
- Several road reblocking projects on Rizal Avenue and Samson Road are scheduled for July 2026, potentially causing traffic delays during peak hours. Allow extra travel time to/from the hotel.
- The annual ‘Pista ng Punong Bayan’ street food fair at Caloocan City Hall plaza usually happens in June; in 2026, it may extend into early July, offering cheap local eats nearby.
Your Perfect Room
✨ AI-generated · Jul 2026Before you check in to Starkay Trading, here's what to know about choosing the right room.
Best rooms to request
Request a room on the 4th floor or higher on the side opposite A. Del Mundo Street. These rooms face the quieter back alley and avoid most street-level noise from jeepneys and tricycles.
Rooms to avoid
Avoid rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors facing A. Del Mundo Street. Heavy traffic and horns from jeepneys and tricycles make these the noisiest. Also skip any room near the lift shaft on any floor — the lift is old and rattles when in use.
Best views
Rooms at the back (south side) overlook a low-rise residential area with some greenery. Front rooms face A. Del Mundo Street and a row of shops and eateries — busy but lit at night, so less relaxing.
Quietest floors
Floors 4 to 6 offer the best balance of quiet and accessibility. The lift works well here, and street noise diminishes above the 3rd floor.
🔊 Noise notes
Main noise is street traffic: jeepneys, tricycles, and occasional trucks on A. Del Mundo Street. The lift shaft hums throughout the day. Early morning (5–7am) street cleaning trucks and market deliveries add sudden noise. There is no bar, but the lobby TV is loud until 10pm.
Insider tips
1. Check in after 2pm to request a back-facing room — availability is better then. 2. If you drive, park in the gated lot behind the building (enter via the side street off Del Mundo); front parking is tight and often full by evening.
- 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 — Starkay Trading
Free Wi-Fi throughout, speeds around 5-10 Mbps – fine for browsing and email, not for video streaming. No login required, just connect to 'Starkay_Free' network.
Single lift serves all three guest floors. No stairs-only sections.
No complimentary newspapers or digital newsstand. Lobby has a rack of local freebie papers (Manila Times, Philippine Star) from the previous day.
Check-in from 14:00, early bag drop allowed if room ready. Late check-out until 12:00 free, after 12:00 charged half-night rate. Standard check-out 11:00.
Free luggage storage at the front desk after check-out until 18:00.
Step-free entrance via ramp at side door; narrow lift (80 cm wide) may not fit larger wheelchairs. No accessible rooms or grab bars in bathrooms.
On-site open-air parking for 8 cars, first-come first-served, free. Nearest paid lot is at SM Center Sangandaan, 200 metres walk, PHP 40 per hour. No EV charging.
Fees, Taxes & Deposits
City / tourist tax: None
Deposit & card hold: Full prepayment required at booking; a refundable PHP 1,000 incidental deposit taken in cash or card at check-in.
Faith & Dietary Nearby
- Church: Iglesia Ni Cristo (181 m · ~2 min walk)
- Church: The Church In Caloocan (408 m · ~5 min walk)
- Church: Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Grace (433 m · ~5 min walk)
- Church: Our Lady of Grace Chapels of Repose (525 m · ~7 min walk)
Local Lifestyle & Recreation
10th Avenue Shopper's Mall — 288 m · ~4 min walk
Monumento Circle — 802 m · ~10 min walk
5-Minute Radius Essentials
HSBC — 243 m · ~3 min walk
Mercury Drug — 292 m · ~4 min walk
Dali — 105 m · ~1 min walk
First North Luzon Transit - Caloocan Station — 338 m · ~4 min walk
Money & Currency
Get a travel card →Philippine Peso, PHP
Change money at SM Mall or banks in Caloocan for decent rates; avoid airport and tourist bureaux which give poor rates.
Major credit cards accepted in malls, hotels, and chain restaurants; small shops, eateries, and jeepneys cash only. Contactless and mobile pay limited to larger stores.
Not mandatory but appreciated: leave small change (10-20 PHP) in restaurants if no service charge; tip taxi drivers by rounding up fare; hotel porters 20-50 PHP per bag.
Eat, Shop & Travel on a Budget
Cheap car hire →Instant coffee or 3-in-1 sachets from a sari-sari store (15-25 PHP), or a brewed coffee at a carinderia (around 30-40 PHP).
Rice with ulam (meat/fish/veg dish) at a carinderia — around 80-120 PHP for a complete meal.
Rice with a viand from a street-side lutong bahay or carinderia — main dish plus rice for 100-150 PHP.
Near churches and public markets in Caloocan: fish balls, kwek-kwek (quail eggs), isaw (chicken intestines), and banana cue — 10-30 PHP per stick/serving.
Puregold, SM Hypermarket, and Savemore are common budget supermarket chains in this area.
Tiangge (flea markets) and Divisoria for cheap clothing; also ukay-ukay (thrift shops) along major streets.
Jeepney (9-15 PHP per ride within the city) is the cheapest. From the airport: take the LRT-1 from EDSA station to Monumento (20-30 PHP) then a jeepney or tricycle to A. Del Mundo St. (around 20 PHP).
1. Eat at carinderias or lutong bahay instead of fast food or restaurants to save 50% or more on meals. 2. Use jeepneys for short trips rather than tricycles or taxis. 3. Buy bottled water or snacks at sari-sari stores, not convenience stores.
Emergency Contacts
CaloocanFor other emergencies (traffic, rescue, disaster), call 02-8361-2000 (Caloocan City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office). All numbers include the area code for Metro Manila.
💡 Save these numbers in your phone. In life-threatening emergencies, call immediately.
Where to Eat
💡 Booking tip: For popular restaurants in Caloocan, book at least a week ahead — especially for weekend evenings and during festival season.
Your arrival at Starkay Trading
🕒 Check-in is from . Arriving earlier? Most hotels store luggage free — just ask at reception.
🧭 First things nearby: cash · HSBC — 243 m · ~3 min walk — pharmacy · Mercury Drug — 292 m · ~4 min walk
🚐 Pre-book an airport transfer →Getting Around
Cubao jeepney terminal (take airport bus to Cubao first, PHP 25) → Grace Park Market, 300m walk to Bahay ni Aling Thelma
💡 From Grace Park, walk north on A. Mabini Street—the guesthouse is behind the 7-Eleven near the fire station. Jeepneys are crowded but safe; sit near the driver for bag security. Ideal if you're on a tight budget and know the area.
NAIA Terminals 1-3 (arrivals bay near Bay 7) → Bahay ni Aling Thelma, near Caloocan City Hall (end at Monumento)
💡 Get off at Ayala Mall then catch a jeepney or trike to Monumento—adds 15 mins but avoids traffic. Or take the UV Express van from the airport (slightly pricier, PHP 350) which drops nearer Caloocan Junction.
NAIA T1/3 via jeepney to Roosevelt LRT station (PNR-FTI then LRT-1 at EDSA) → Monumento LRT-1 Station, then 10-min walk or trike to Bahay ni Aling Thelma
💡 Only doable without heavy luggage. From NAIA, take PNR train to EDSA station (PHP 15, 15 mins), then walk 10 mins to LRT-1 Roosevelt. Total cost under PHP 50, but expect 30 mins waiting at PNR. Best for fit solo travelers.
NAIA any terminal, official taxi queue outside arrivals → Bahay ni Aling Thelma, 238 A. Mabini Street, Caloocan City
💡 Ask driver to take McArthur Highway route (less traffic than EDSA) and add PHP 50 tip for smooth ride. Avoid white cabs from airport—they often charge triple. Book via GrabCar instead if you won't queue; cost about PHP 420-500.
About Caloocan
Wikipedia ↗
Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan (Filipino: Lungsod ng Caloocan/Kalookan; IPA: [kalɔˈʔokan]), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 1,712,945 people, making it the fourth-most populous city in the P...
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best rooms at Starkay Trading?
Request a room on the 4th floor or higher on the side opposite A. Del Mundo Street. These rooms face the quieter back alley and avoid most street-level noise from jeepneys and tricycles.
Which rooms should I avoid at Starkay Trading?
Avoid rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors facing A. Del Mundo Street. Heavy traffic and horns from jeepneys and tricycles make these the noisiest. Also skip any room near the lift shaft on any floor — the lift is old and rattles when in use.
Is Starkay Trading noisy?
Main noise is street traffic: jeepneys, tricycles, and occasional trucks on A. Del Mundo Street. The lift shaft hums throughout the day. Early morning (5–7am) street cleaning trucks and market deliveries add sudden noise. There is no bar, but the lobby TV is loud until 10pm.
Which rooms have the best views at Starkay Trading?
Rooms at the back (south side) overlook a low-rise residential area with some greenery. Front rooms face A. Del Mundo Street and a row of shops and eateries — busy but lit at night, so less relaxing.
What are insider tips for staying at Starkay Trading?
1. Check in after 2pm to request a back-facing room — availability is better then. 2. If you drive, park in the gated lot behind the building (enter via the side street off Del Mundo); front parking is tight and often full by evening.
What time is check-in at Starkay Trading?
Check-in at Starkay Trading is from null. Check-out is by null.
Does Starkay Trading have Wi-Fi?
Free Wi-Fi throughout, speeds around 5-10 Mbps – fine for browsing and email, not for video streaming. No login required, just connect to 'Starkay_Free' network.
Is there a city or tourist tax at Starkay Trading?
None
Where can I eat cheaply near Starkay Trading?
Rice with ulam (meat/fish/veg dish) at a carinderia — around 80-120 PHP for a complete meal.
What is the cheapest way to get around from Starkay Trading?
Jeepney (9-15 PHP per ride within the city) is the cheapest. From the airport: take the LRT-1 from EDSA station to Monumento (20-30 PHP) then a jeepney or tricycle to A. Del Mundo St. (around 20 PHP).
When is the best time to visit Caloocan?
December to February: Dry, cooler weather with daytime highs around 30°C, low humidity and little rain, making it comfortable for exploring the city on foot. March to April also works if you can handle hotter afternoons.
Top Attractions in Caloocan
💡 Go early morning (before 9 AM) to avoid crowds and heat. The monument is best viewed from the traffic circle’s centre, but be careful crossing.
💡 Visit around 4 PM when the light is golden for photos, and you can watch the clock mechanism chime on the hour.
💡 Check the notice board for occasional free talks or workshops. It’s quietest on weekday mornings. Bring your own book if you want to read—the collection is small.
💡 Entry is free, but bring ID and dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered). The caretaker may let you in the chapel. Avoid weekends when funerals are common.
💡 Bring mosquito repellent and binoculars. Best visited early morning (6–8 AM) for bird activity. The entrance fee is cash only.