[Anonymous]

[Kopite52]

I just can’t wait for the new Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites to open in Makati in Manila. It’s the first major hotel opening in Makati in decades. All the other hotel are either dreadfully out of date (Intercontinental) with old fashioned + dated bathrooms or they are terribly expensive (Shangri-La). Most International chains see to want to give Manila a wide berth. How great it would be if Indigo or ‘W’ could follow and open a really fashionable hotel in Manila – really the hotels are all so dreary and out of date. Of course Holiday Inn will be late – it won’t open in Q! 2013 but more like Q3. I am going to avoid Manila and its dreadful airport as much as I can in the next 12 months.

[jetlagger]

I totally agree that most of the more decent hotels in Manila are really old.. With the exception of the Shangri-la. The Intercon has a fantastic location, but is like a dinosaur & terribly small rooms.. Think this property must be 30 years old.. I often wonder what prevents the major hotel operators from putting something decent in Manila.. Love to see a Hilton, Sheraton or Nikko property in or around Makati.. There is of course Pan Pacific & Hyatt but those are in dodgy areas so little use to business folk.

[kevin46]

The Sofitel Philippine Plaza has nice public areas, with a great buffet restaurant. Magnificent pool area with wonderful views of the sunset. I am a local resident so haven’t stayed there but the rooms were renovated a few years ago. A bit off the beaten track, but away from the traffic, noise and pollution of Makati.

Also, newly opened last year is the 5* Midas (previously Hyatt) on Manila Bay, about 20-30 minutes taxi ride to Makati.

Marriot have a huge hotel, theatre and casino complex at the airport.

[capetonianm]

On my last trips to MNL I stayed at the Shangri La and from what I heard it was by far the best. Most expensive? I don’t know as I didn’t have a comparison with the others and I wasn’t paying, but it was an excellent hotel.

[Kopite52]

I have asked Starwood why they have abandoned Manila altogether. After they pulled out of Philippine Plaza (Westin) and then Sofitel took over = nothing happened. They seem to have no interest in Manila?

I think the Fort is crying out for a brand like ‘A-Loft’ (the younger/trendy ‘cheaper’ version of ‘W’) or at least Four points by Sheraton.

if you’re an SPG member and visit Manila often please bombard Starwood with requests to open there.

[Vertrek]

Never been there, but I always trust Hyatt for hotel and just checked it, Voila! Manila does have 1 and it looks quiet modern. =)

[kevin46]

Unfortunately the Hyatt is not in the best of neighbourhoods. I think it caters mostly for its casino clients.

[OddvarJohansen]

Compared to other big cities is South East Asia, Manila is at the wrong end coming to quality hotels. Since the competition is nearly non existant, the cost of staying in a hotel in Manila is very high. It all has of course to do with the lack of both tourists and business people. Just take a look at the people you meet at Megamal in Manila, compared to a similar place in Bangkok, and you will see the difference.

[kevin46]

Well Megamall is not exactly the centre of the universe. You will see more tourists and high end shoppers in Ayala malls in Makati and even more so at Resorts World.

[OddvarJohansen]

I am sure you are right. But forget Megamal. My point was that the hotels in Manila are among the most expensive in Asia.

[Binman62]

Have very fond memories of the Shangri- la and the Intercontinental. I lived in both for a couple of months in the mid 90’s.
The Intercontinental back then was a sophisticated and modern truly 5 star hotel and the service was simply superb.
My mother came to visit and was simply flabbergasted to be treated like Royalty.
I recall having a huge room at the Shangri -La with a stunning view …or is that simply a distorted historical memory. Either way loved my time in Manila and really should go back.
There was a restaurant where the waiters sang opera and again that was fabulous. The food may not have been up too much, can’t remember, but I can remember the singing.
There was a band that played leaving on a jet plane for all the BA departures which was very funny and unique. Happy days!

[EternalExpat]

If you find that there is a lack of international hotels in Makati, then I’d give one the serviced residencies run by Ascott/Somerset in Legaspi Village a try or Fraser Place in Salcedo Village. The Somerset Millennium charges a rather reasonable £90 per night for a spacious and well-maintained 1 BR apartment. As for Manila being on the expensive side for quality hotels in SEA, I tend to disagree, pretty much par for the course in my reckoning. However, one needs to bear in mind that the peso has appreciated in value especially against the euro if that’s the currency you source your income from. A euro bought you about 62 pesos a year ago, today just over 51, meaning that everything is about 20 per cent more expensive. BT Asia reported on two new high-end hotels opening in Makati later this year, Fairmont and Raffles. In the Fort, the Best Western Premier F1 opened just last year, which I hear is of a very decent standard. So from my point of view, it’s certainly not all doom and gloom in Manila.

http://www.businesstraveller.asia/asia-pacific/news/fairmont-and-raffles-hotels

[thebigseats]

I can recommend the Peninsula in Makati, very close to the Shangri-La. A lovely “old school” property with excellent service. Not too pricey either & when booked thru Amex FHR, likely to get a nice upgrade.

[Jim4457]

My favorite used to be the Manila Hotel but switched to the Manila Pen. I have only one thing to say, avoid the Mandarin Oriental Manila where the sheets don’t get changed until you check out and the bathrooms are bigger than the room. The Pan Pacific Hotel was bad too, especially when my room was being broke into at 4 am and no one was answering the phone. The arson attack that burned down Regent of Manila was horrible and was my absolute favorite, excellent in everything.

[Author]

Posts