Manila Hotel

We are currently staying at The Manila Hotel, and I am writing this review while we are still checked in. I wanted to share our experience so far as constructive feedback, because I genuinely hope the remainder of our stay will reflect the level of hospitality we expected from such an iconic and historic hotel. We checked in at around 2 PM today. Unfortunately, within our first several hours, a number of small inconveniences have accumulated and made what was supposed to be a special family stay rather disappointing. First was the valet arrangement. Instead of simply handing over our vehicle at the main drop-off area, I was asked to drive around to another area where the valet receives the car. On a normal day this may seem minor, but with the nonstop rain today and children with us, it felt unnecessarily inconvenient for a hotel of this level. We were also surprised to learn that our 5-year-old daughter is chargeable for breakfast. We have stayed in many large hotels both within and outside Metro Manila during this trip, and this is the first time we have encountered this for a child her age. I also requested an extra bed because our daughter normally sleeps separately and has difficulty sleeping when sharing our bed. Again, we were informed that this would come with an additional charge. I understand that hotels have their own policies and that additional services may reasonably carry fees, but when several basic family needs seem to result in another charge, it starts to affect the overall experience. There is also an electrical issue in our room, with the power outlets on both sides of the bed not working. I raised this earlier, but the housekeeping team only came back to us after midnight. By then our children were already asleep, so I apologized and asked if they could instead attend to it in the morning. What disappointed me most, however, was something as simple as requesting drinking water. There are four of us staying in the room, and after consuming the two complimentary bottles provided, I called to request more. I was asked whether we had already consumed the two bottles and was then informed that only two complimentary bottles are provided per day and additional bottles would be charged. I was even offered the option of using the following day’s two complimentary bottles instead. At that point, after everything else that had happened since check-in, I expressed my frustration and explained the inconveniences we had already experienced. To her credit, the operator then said she would coordinate with housekeeping to have water sent to us, which I appreciate. This hotel was intentionally chosen as the final stop of our hotel-hopping vacation in the Philippines before we fly back to Abu Dhabi. I specifically wanted my family to experience The Manila Hotel because of its incredible history and the stories behind it—something I thought would be wonderful to share with my children. That is perhaps why the experience so far has been particularly disappointing. For a hotel with such a rich history and reputation for Filipino hospitality, I expected the service experience to feel warmer and more accommodating, particularly for families. I am not writing this to discredit The Manila Hotel or the people working here. I understand that policies exist and that staff are often simply implementing them. However, I hope management considers how these policies and service processes feel from a guest’s perspective. Individually, some of these concerns may seem small, but when they happen one after another within the first few hours of a stay, they significantly affect the overall impression.

Lovely hotel. Make you really feel like you're in Manila. Close to the beautiful intramuros and rizal park. Nice spacious rooms, top service. Nice swimming pool. Good food. 4 nights stayed with 4 people for very nice price with breakfast.

It was July of 2026 when I travelled to Manila for the first time solo. It was for the 48th Annual Scientific Meeting (48th ASM) of the National Academy of Science and Technology of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-NAST). It was also the 50th Anniversary of NAST so it was a momentous experience for me as a scientific poster presenter and an undergraduate student all the way from Mindanao. The walkability from this hotel was indeed walkable distance from the hotel that I'm staying for 3 nights; it was nearby Luneta Park as well so I got to enjoy the tourist destinations before I even went to the actual event. I also really enjoyed the accommodation there; the place is as luxurious as I expected (since I grew up poor, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience), the food was exotic at best along with the exceptional service, and the rooms and hallways were so clean. And on top of all these things, the atmosphere here is ambient in way, clean, and as well as eye-catching, with not much noise coming from the outside. Overall, for someone who enjoyed all of these with taxpayers' money through DOST-NAST, it was worth the value indeed. Thank you so much to the staff behind The Manila Hotel for making this first-time experience an experience worth remembering! To the people behind NAST, thank you for being part of my journey as a student and as an aspiring researcher!