Where to Stay in Manilla

[Tommy T.]

On 11/3/2019 at 8:49 PM, Marvin Boggs said:

Affordable price as well.

Hi Marvin... Can you please define affordable price? And describe the accommodation a bit? 

[Tommy T.]

22 hours ago, BrettGC said:

I think it's the best value for money in the area. Last stay there was two years ago though, but I doubt it's changed. 

Last time there was in March this year. Still the same excellent service. The main guy remembered my face and welcomed me back. Between him and the girls at the desk, they could direct me to any service or shopping I required. The main thing for me is that the place is quiet at night - that's worth a fortune to me... and I didn't pay a fortune there.

[GeoffH]

I've used the Destiny Hotel, Mariano Street Poblacion Makati three times in the last two years,  have been happy  with the service and rooms each stay.  Also used other places but this is the one I've got into the habit of using when the flights to/from CDO and the flights to/from Melbourne don't match up well enough and I have to spend a night in Manila.  SWMBO and I also stayed there for 5 days when we went to Manila for a family visit.

They're a 3 star hotel so not luxury but it is international 3 star... not local 3 star, so it's comfortable and very clean.  They've got a cafe/restaurant downstairs where you can buy western food or local dishes at reasonable prices and it's a short walk to Burger King or McDonalds. It's in a side street between P Burgos Street and Makati Avenue.  I suggest booking online for your stay as you'll pay more if you extend when you're already booked in.

[Tommy T.]

47 minutes ago, GeoffH said:

They're a 3 star hotel so not luxury but it is international 3 star... not local 3 star, so it's comfortable and very clean.  They've got a cafe/restaurant downstairs where you can buy western food or local dishes at reasonable prices and it's a short walk to Burger King or McDonalds. It's in a side street between P Burgos Street and Makati Avenue.  I suggest booking online for your stay as you'll pay more if you extend when you're already booked in.

Good information Geoff... What's the average price for a room there, and are they quiet?

[GeoffH]

We have always been in rooms in the upper floors of the hotel so road noise hasn't been an issue and the rooms are equipped with split system AC units not the old box type that some hotels have so again not too bad for noise.  It helps that the hotel is in the (short) side street between busy Makati Avenue and P. Burgos Street because the side street has no where near the volume of traffic that those two roads have and there is some buffer distance between the hotel and the busier roads (unlike some other hotels that are on Makati Avenue or P. Burgos Street.

I couldn't find the invoice for my last stay but I use Booking.com to reserve most of the time and it says 'Rating 8.8 Fabulous' (by people with verified stays there) and the normal price per room is $64 for a Superior Double, there are Standard double rooms for about $50 per night (note with my Booking.com Genius Level 2 regular traveler discount it changes those costs to $52 and $37).

They are popular and often sold out so I tend to book well in advance so I don't miss out.

*edit* those are Australian dollar prices, not US dollars by the way (that's because booking.com quotes in the currency of my card).

Edited November 6, 2019 by GeoffH

[Marvin Boggs]

12 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

Hi Marvin... Can you please define affordable price? And describe the accommodation a bit? 

Picasso bills itself as a 'boutique serviced residence'.  I would describe the decor as 'designer', rooms are very generous size, quiet, modern, everything you would expect in a western hotel.  I guess the price varies depending on how busy it is, and I usually book thru expedia.  Memory recollects $60 - $80 or so.  I just looked em up and put in a random date, and it was $90.  Its on a quiet street, if you can imagine that!  But the FOOOD...good gawd we still talk about it.  Have stayed there 3 or 4 times, wife fell in love with the chicken pesto (new for her).  https://www.picassomakati.com

Even though we are quite happy in cheaper hotels when we travel around, we tend to splurge a bit when we go to Manila.  I used to pay more than that for standard crappy motels when I was on business every week in the states.  Picasso has flair.

@Pinetree, an important thing to relate which I really can't stress enough is:  if you have a specific thing you want to have access to while you are in Manila, you better get a hotel nearby.  The traffic is horrendously, stupendously, ridiculously awful.  Is that enough adjectives?  In our case, the hotel was walking distance from the Chinese embassy, and a short cab ride to the malls.  

 

Edited November 5, 2019 by Marvin Boggs

[canadamale]

On 11/3/2019 at 10:18 PM, jimeve said:

Great Eastern Hotel, right in the middle of bars, restos and more. And it's on the main road (Makati Avenue) Not expensive. Budget type.

i believe the Great Eastern Hotel was bought by the Chinese. There is a Chinese restaurant on the main flour, the night club on the upper flour is closed and the hotel rooms flours seem to be offices. Still hundreds of other hotels in the area. I was having coffee this morn at the Coffee Bean, Jazz Mall, Makati. While I was sitting there 6 vans were loaded up with young Chinese males. I would say 20's something. They seemed happy so seem be making good money. No cameras or bags so I presume not tourists. I usually stay at the Avenue Hotel and Suites, getting older now, but still ok. Quiet area but not to far from the clubs if you want. Easy to catch a cab. Prices from 2600 piso to about 4600 piso pool, weight room, restaurant, market close, Central Mall close And every type of club you can imagine..

Edited November 5, 2019 by canadamale
added A Venue

[Jollygoodfellow]

Since most are recommending Makati why not get a condo through airbnb.

[OnMyWay]

On 11/5/2019 at 7:44 PM, Marvin Boggs said:

Picasso bills itself as a 'boutique serviced residence'.  I would describe the decor as 'designer', rooms are very generous size, quiet, modern, everything you would expect in a western hotel.  I guess the price varies depending on how busy it is, and I usually book thru expedia.  Memory recollects $60 - $80 or so.  I just looked em up and put in a random date, and it was $90.  Its on a quiet street, if you can imagine that!  But the FOOOD...good gawd we still talk about it.  Have stayed there 3 or 4 times, wife fell in love with the chicken pesto (new for her).  https://www.picassomakati.com

Even though we are quite happy in cheaper hotels when we travel around, we tend to splurge a bit when we go to Manila.  I used to pay more than that for standard crappy motels when I was on business every week in the states.  Picasso has flair.

@Pinetree, an important thing to relate which I really can't stress enough is:  if you have a specific thing you want to have access to while you are in Manila, you better get a hotel nearby.  The traffic is horrendously, stupendously, ridiculously awful.  Is that enough adjectives?  In our case, the hotel was walking distance from the Chinese embassy, and a short cab ride to the malls.  

 

We stayed at Picasso in 2014 and it was very nice.  I just found my Agoda booking and it was $455 for 3 nights!  Huge suite with 2 separate lounge and bedroom areas, and really nice luxury bath.  We didn't eat there though.

[Nickleback99]

On 11/5/2019 at 4:27 AM, canadamale said:

 I usually stay at the Avenue Hotel and Suites, getting older now, but still ok. Quiet area but not to far from the clubs if you want. Easy to catch a cab. Prices from 2600 piso to about 4600 piso pool, weight room, restaurant, market close, Central Mall close And every type of club you can imagine..

I'll second that recommendation for The Avenue Hotel/Suites.  We've stayed there multiple times on visits and always enjoy the stay and location.  A couple others, depending on budget, closer to Greenbelt and Glorietta are  Fraser Place and Somerset, which are more like serviced apartments.   Embassy team put us up at Fraser on one working visit and I put family up there after a long stay in Iraq.....Was well worth it at the time.  Have no idea now.