The Mercure Hotel of Davao has become the Grand Regal Hotel. The new management has inherited well-furnished rooms:
-real beds: good mattress, good linen
-electric control at bedside;
-black-out curtains;
-full mini-bar and tea/coffee implements;
-quite good insonorization

However, the experience of staying there is harrowing as the only consistency you get in service is in making you feel that they really don't care: I was forced to pay in advance for the entire stay, plus a safety deposit (serious company backing and obvious customer referral potential of no relevance whatsoever); The electronic card lock was not working, and I had to wait for ages in the lobby before getting into my room. Of course, all I got was the cheap and usual "sorry". Never a "thanks for saving us all preventive maintenance costs".
The restaurant is to be avoided: the food isn't good, and I had time to finish my complete meal before they brought the bread that I asked for. In another occasion, my order arrived after my dinner companion had finished her entire meal.
To relax from all these ordeals you may want to take a hot bath, but the hot water takes ages to arrive, and there is no plug. So the best thing to do is to just move to the Marco Polo as soon as they have a free room.