The Manila Hotel

“Our Overnight Stay at the Manila Hotel”

I booked an overnight stay for two at the Manila Hotel in April 2026 because of the Run for Million Trees fun run. Manila Hotel is just a few steps away from the Quirino Grandstand, making it the perfect choice. Since I was with my 83-year old mother, the concierge assigned to us a room with a PWD-… more

I booked an overnight stay for two at the Manila Hotel in April 2026 because of the Run for Million Trees fun run. Manila Hotel is just a few steps away from the Quirino Grandstand, making it the perfect choice. Since I was with my 83-year old mother, the concierge assigned to us a room with a PWD-friendly bathroom, which we appreciated. The hotel also had a turn down service in which checked-in guests were given sample chocolates. The breakfast buffet has a wide variety of Filipino and international food though it may be difficult to get a table at the Cafe Ilang Ilang during peak hours. The hotel rate per night is reasonably priced and the same goes for the restaurants. The hotel never runs out of events from morning till night so parking is understandably difficult. Valet service can be availed of but expect to wait for at least 15 minutes before your car is handed back to you at the lobby.

less

“My favorite hotel but...”

We were here last Christmas and I gave a perfect rating then due to our flawless hotel experience. This time, it was somewhat different. Upon arriving at the drop-off area, the doormen in white were busy looking after the wealthy-looking guests, on-standby and ready to assist them, forgetting th… more

We were here last Christmas and I gave a perfect rating then due to our flawless hotel experience. This time, it was somewhat different. Upon arriving at the drop-off area, the doormen in white were busy looking after the wealthy-looking guests, on-standby and ready to assist them, forgetting that other guests were also arriving in ordinary-looking cars, who may also need their assistance. Check-in was a breeze since we arrived at almost 5pm, and the front desk lady was very friendly. Upon leaving our luggage in the room, we headed straight to the lobby lounge for dinner. We saw a vacant table near the piano, but the staff said that it was already "reserved"... I thought there was no reservation option at the lobby lounge? But we let it pass. We decided to have our dinner at the Tap Room instead since it was quieter at that time. The lady server at the Tap Room looks tired, she never smiled the entire time we were there. She didnt even place our drinks correctly on our table, and I was shocked when she placed the paper straws for our drinks directly on the table that obviously had food stains from previous customers. I did not leave a tip as we didnt feel at least the basic customer service you would expect from The Manila Hotel. We headed to the pool bar around 8pm. We sat on the sunken bar stools and none of the staff looked at us, as if we never existed. One was busy laughing while talking on the landline phone, while the other was also busy arranging stuff at the bar. I noticed that the other pool bar servers were very attentive with foreigners, that they tend to overlook local guests. After a good 10 minutes of waiting for any of the multiple bar staff to finally notice us, someone finally handed us the menu, and it took another perhaps quite a while before I was able to get the attention of another bar staff to take my order. I also didnt leave a tip due to the feeling of being ignored by the bunch of staff at the pool bar. Totally disappointing. The saving grace was the breakfast restaurant Cafe Ilang Ilang. From the very nice lady at the restaurant reception area, to the servers who were helpful and attentive. They reminded me that yes, this is The Manila Hotel where the staff are known to be friendly and helpful. All of the food we had were great. Loved the beef tapa and pancit malabon we ordered at the Tap Room, truffle fries and calamares at the pool bar, and of course, the great selection of breakfast at Cafe Ilang-Ilang. I've read a review here from April 9th, where the "General Manager" replied. The review stated about some staff lacking customer service. I'm not sure how long it should take from reading a customer feedback to actually correcting the staff behavior to make sure that they uphold this hotel's promise of warm Filipino hospitality. It doesnt need a classroom retraining for it to happen, they just need to be firmly reminded that each one of them represent the entire hotel brand. We are not expecting VIP service, just an attentive, warm, and friendly service that we've experience through years of staying in this hotel which made it our favorite hotel in Manila. It is with a heavy heart that I'm giving The Manila Hotel a mid-rating. But I have to do this to remind the management that something needs to be done ASAP. And hoping that on our next stay, we will experience again what The Manila Hotel felt like on our previous stays. Thank you.

less