A Venue Hotel Suites

We booked a room here after a red-eye arrival in MNL. We thanked Gerwin, the Front Desk associate, for keeping our room until our arrival. He was really nice and courteous. Our room is on the 2nd floor. We understand the higher floor is not available even though we requested to be there. We're fine with that. But, it turned out to be a nightmare. The room? It was basic, as expected. But... the towels were old and intricated as the edges went into its threads. The bath mat was old, dirty with all the soil marks. The window at the shower was open and dusty. I bet the room floor needs more vacuum. Also, the street noise --- cars horn, bicycles jiggle, the beeps and shouts --- was very disturbing. The blackout curtain was not even helpful at the peak of a sunny day. Well, maybe that was the prize of paying a low price for a room night.

Best hotel in Poblacion hands down, considering value for money. The price is less than 2000PHP, however you get comfy, safe and clean room in prime location. Very accomodating staff and all restos and bars are within quick walk. if you drive car, there is free car park and also petrol pump adjacent to hotel. If you don't want to spend too much, book at Hop Inn.

So, when I stayed at the Hop Inn Hotel in 2022, it was such a great experience (see my 2022 review at their website) that I only desired to book there again the following year in 2023. Well, 2023 was a horrible experience with several issues ranging from water leaks in the room, having to be moved to a different room for different problems 3 times, the front desk staff basically not knowing what to do with complaints (other than move you to another room, which is not really solving the problem), unruly guests yelling and running up and down the halls, mentally ill guests screaming from the top of their lungs throughout the day and night, and the worst of all...smokers smoking in the rooms even though Hop Inn is supposed to be a 'smoke-free' hotel (see full review of my 2023 stay at the Hop Inn website). Me and my fiancee were not planning to ever come back to the Hop Inn Hotel again, but someone from their management team commented on my post (probably the same lame comment they give every guest that complains) and asked us to give them another try. So, we did this year (July - August 2024). I came again to the Philippines to visit my fiancee and we gave the Hop Inn Hotel another try. This time we will not come back (at least until a very serious problem is fixed and really fixed). I will start with the good: 1. From the complaints we had last year, there was still a problem with the water coming into the room after a heavy rain (my guess is because the building is just cheaply constructed), but it happened only once, as the staff came and checked it out and it did not happen again. 2. The rooms are quite clean, cozy, and budget-friendly, although I would not be surprised if after 5 to 10 years the hotel is run-down, roach, and rat-infested like many of those cheap 'hook-up' hotels over on P. Burgos and surrounding areas. I say this because there are already signs of wear and tear on the hotel, like worn tiles in the rooms and hallways, the existing water problem in the rooms after heavy rains, etc. And, I believe most of the time the management are very slow to get on top of these things to keep the property up-to-date; being more unactive than proactive (kind of like many of them are with dealing with serious guest complaints). 3. The staff in 2022 were great...so great that my fiancee and I brought them all 2 large pizzas to show our appreciation. In 2023 and this year (2024), they seem to have new front desk staff that don't really know how to take care of problems when they arise, but the good thing to highlight is that they remain pleasant and friendly. 4. The location of the hotel is near to many places to eat and do things, and is not that far from downtown Makati and all the malls and shops (about a 15 minute cab ride). Now, with most of our complaints from 2023 at least addressed, the main reason my fiancee and I choose not to come back is because of the smoking issue. Last year we were moved to 3 different rooms on three different floors and each of the floors reeked with cigarette smoke!. This year we were able to stay on 1 floor during our entire stay (15 days), but had to deal with disgusting and nauseating cigarette smoke during our entire stay. At times it was so strong that it made my head heart and made my fiancee nauseated and also made her head hurt as well as affected her breathing! Of course we reported this each time to the front desk and each and every time their solution to the problem was to put a fragrant-scented humidifier in the hallway, which does not help and does not solve the problem! Last year, they just put a regular humidifier in the hallway, which also did not work. Instead of dealing with the problem directly, confronting the perpetrators, holding them accountable for breaking the rules of no smoking (something they have you sign and agree to - that you will not smoke in the rooms or building - before you complete your checkin, and kicking their inconsiderate behinds out, they (management) figure putting a humidifier in the hallways where these guests are basically saying 'F-you, Hop Inn, we will smoke when we want to and where we want to, even if we choose to do so in your hotel,' and giving them a fine (if they really do even fine them - that's what they told my fiancee they do). Just a FYI, Hop Inn Hotel...putting a humidifier (even a scent-infused one) in the hallways to deal with the smoke smell does not help and it does not take the cigarette / marijuana / vape / cigar smells away; and fining rule violators is something most, if not all, of them probably don't give a damn about because they will pay whatever the measly fine is to continue enjoying violating the rules of your property. The answer is to stick to your rules and enforce them, even if it means losing a few guests / customers, because by doing so, you will gain more guests / customers who will follow the rules and not smoke in your hotel. Because of their (hotel management) failure to enforce their rules of being a smoke-free hotel, my fiancee and I cannot return there and will be seeking other accommodations when we return to the Philippines. Bottom line: If you are seeking a budget-friendly, clean hotel in a good location with friendly staff (although mostly unequipped to deal with problems that arise), and you don't care about people smoking in their, then by all means, book you a room. But, if you are like me, my fiancee, and others who have complained about this issue, and you don't like or can't even tolerate some from cigarettes, vapes, marijuana, cigars, and the like, then this is not the hotel for you, because Hop Inn IS NOT a smoke-free hotel.