All about Hotels

[chelsee]

San kaya may hotel within metro manila lang na may pool?

[riandrew]

^ halos lahat girl. mas mahirap maghanap ng hotel na walang pool 

[chelsee]

Yung mga nasa 3,500 below [textspeak!] price

[Frenzied]

RAINDREW - very nice blog. You got upgraded in Oakwood pala from 1B Superior to Deluxe. Please do check out the 1BR superior as well, the next time you will come back. To some, including myself, I love the look/feel (of the 1BR Superior) better because the glass-walled bathroom adds drama to the entire look of the room. The main diff between the superior and the other 1BRs is that the higher category is a corner unit  (no glass walled bathroom)-- which is an added plus since you get more view of the city.

HOTELS WITH PLAYROOM - Sofitel, Adventure Zone in Shang Resorts
SERVICED RESIDENCES with Playroom - Oakwood Premier (Ortigas), Ascott Makati (but you have to pay at the PRIMA Day care center).

To the person asking which hotel has a HEATED POOL -- Oakwood Premier (Ortigas) is the only one I know, which technically speaking is a serviced residence.

To those asking for promos:

IHG group - has promo for Easter (Intercon PHP4,500++, Crowne PHP4,000++, Holiday Inn PHP3,500++) please call to double check the rates
Oakwood - has a number of great promos for Easter. Please book the 1BR (over the Studio). FOr the slight diff in price, you get a lot more! I believe the 1BR Easter promo is PHP5,500 nett without breakfast.

For the SUmmer (after the Holy Week) - 1BR PHP 8,000 nett with breakfast for 2 adults, 2 kids (11 and below). Again, please call to double check rates and availability, but confirmed that these promos are ongoing

[Frenzied]

Oh by the way, here are the hotels I have stayed at:
(1) Makati Shangri-la - anyone who has no idea about the Philippines would always choose MSL over the other hotels. They have great outlets as well which I all love! But to be honest, in Makati, Peninsula has the best rooms.
(2) Manila Peninsula - love the ROOM. I think they have the best hotel room in Makati but that's just it. I find their lobby very magulo esp on weekends and very far from the malls. So if you intend to spend your weekend here, make sure you intend to just stay in. Breakfast at Escolta is great. Please try the ICE CREAM at the lobby -- i forgot what it's called but it's a combo of 16 diff flavors of ice cream. WE love going here for coffee as well after dinner. Check out Salon De Ning and Robot (new bars)
(2) Ascott Makati - best location, best facilities in Makati - nice pool, tennis court, nice gym, great Cafe at the 6th. But mind you, their rates are almost the same as MSL these days. Btw, L'Occitane toiletries.
(3) Mandarin - has seen better days. Love Paseo Uno though.
(4) New World - my parents' fave because of proximity to greenbelt. I love the old lobby lounge more than M2M. The rooms are just ok.
(5) Oakwood Premier Manila (Ortigas) - just refer to raindrew's and frozen toes' - they said it all.
(6) EDSA SHANG - old.
(7) Sofitel - love th pool - who doesn't and not to forget Spiral. (Kaso ang mahal mahal na)
( Shangri-la Boracay - I had the best vacation here. Hubby said we won't stay elsewhere in Bora. Nakakpagod lang the walk from the rooms to the beach esp with our kids in tow.
(10)tHE LIST can go on but these are the important ones.
I have friends in the hotel industry thus I get to stay at all these great places at a very friendly rates. Yi hee! If you need to learn more about the abovementioned hotels and even those not mentioned here, feel free to ask.

[riandrew]

RIANDREW - very nice blog. You got upgraded in Oakwood pala from 1B Superior to Deluxe. Please do check out the 1BR superior as well, the next time you will come back. To some, including myself, I love the look/feel (of the 1BR Superior) better because the glass-walled bathroom adds drama to the entire look of the room. The main diff between the superior and the other 1BRs is that the higher category is a corner unit  (no glass walled bathroom)-- which is an added plus since you get more view of the city.

thanks! the place looks better in actual life. hehe
yes you are correct. 1BR premiere: corner unit, has more windows, and bigger floor area.

sayang hindi pa ko blogger when I 1st experienced Makati Shangri-La and Ascott Makati. But I love the rooms. bongga and spacious! 

-----
will blog my Manila Hotel experience + Cafe Ilang-Ilang buffet this week.

update:
Manila Hotel's lobby is grand. Very pleasant ang welcome ng bawat staff. The room - I feel the "historical ambiance", No wonder bentang benta to sa mga foreigners. Dont miss Cafe Ilang-Ilang. It seemed underrated, pero im so satisfied. Specially the gelato!

Room + Buffet pictures

[riandrew]

Sofitel
ang gulo ng check in. daming tao, pano naman daming ikakasal. kalat kalat ang mga photographers pati mga kamag-anak ng ikakasal. sabi nga ng friend ko upon seeing the lobby - "wow parang divisoria!"

we booked for a basic room, pero inupgrade for a Club Room, 11th floor.
the elevator, parang kakarag-karag. hehe well im just expecting more kasi "sofitel" to..
the room, hhmm. just ok. but nothing special to make me say "wow". it looks like Dusit's Club Room.
bathroom, bakit walang bathtub? buti pa sa Dusit meron..
now im thinking, what more yung superior room. mas basic?
pool, too crowded. kasi naman mothers day! daming nakacheck in. 

[aranses]

During my wedding last month, we booked Hotel H2o for wedding preps.

We stayed in their biggest suite (Executive suite) - view of Manila Bay was great but super init ng buong area! nagkasakit talaga makeup artist ko..  We call the attention (for about 8x!) of their staff and engineering department to check what's wrong with their ac, grabe nag-init talaga ulo ko kasi from 11am to 4pm tawag kami ng tawag sa front desk tapos they always told us wala daw problem ac!  They asked me to move in a different room, I was in fuming mad kasi we don't have time na to change room(then maglipat gamit)! Sa galit ko talaga I shouted some bad words which was captured on video.  Then they provide electric fan which was too late since I have to go to the ceremony venue.. haist! the hotel was good, I love their aqua and jelly fish room but service s*cks bigtime!    I never encounter this kind of treatment in Shangri-la, Diamond, Hyatt and some other hotels in the metro!

We also booked their aqua and jelly fish suite for our relatives, no problem with the ac. Kids definitely enjoy those rooms. 

I still recommend this hotel for those who wants to expereince their aqua rooms, kids will definitely enjoy their stay there. 

[kikaygimikera]

riandrew, im waiting for your sofitel feedback. alam mo i was offered the Club Room kasama na lahat ng food and snack and drinks for 14,000.00 pero to think you booked an ordinary room lang ha. How much was it? is 14,000.00 okay for the Club room?

[Frozen Toes]

Feedback on New World Hotel please. Thinking of checking in this weekend so we can party at Palladium all night.

[riandrew]

kikaygimikera,

my friend booked a room for only P8,000+ something. on the day we arrived, do we mind daw kung hindi maibigay yung room na yun, pero i-uupgrade naman. we agreed of course.

ok yung room. it's so simple. what more yung superior room. club room is maybe designed for businessmen.  it's nice pero walang wow factor for me.

- kung worth to ng P8,000++, parang nakulangan ako sa room. pero dahil sa 2 buffet breakfast at Spiral at ganda ng pool - solb na kami.

(di ko pa maupload yung photos ko, pero eto muna. that's exactly the same room we got)
"pick the club suites if you can.."
acdg jan, may access kayo sa club lounge with free snacks and drinks. pero kung 14,000, i will think twice. it's up to you. basta dont expect much sa room.

honest opinion, parang Dusit's Club Room lang. mas feel ko din ang Makati Shangri-La Deluxe room.
pag kasama sa option mo ang serviced apartments, go with Oakwood Premier in Ortigas. the room is classy and sophisticated. ramdam kong worth every peso spent. hindi pa crowded.

[kikaygimikera]

Thanks so much. Yes, nakapag oakwood nako dahil sayo. Haaay simple lang ang deluxe ng sofitel. I was given an option of that Club Room na iyon kasi wala nang available room eh.

Thanks sa feedback sis.

[riandrew]

^ aayy, great!
here's my blog entry. dinagdag ko nalang sa buffet. konti lang kasi pictures ko. mahirap kumuha ng magandang shot ng room pag hindi nakawide angled lens. hehe
Sofitel's Club Room + Spiral Dinner Buffet

[ysmem]

hi ching...super enjoy ako sa pagbabasa ng blogs mo very informative and lalo kong naeexcite umuwi ng pinas, i love your travel tips, food and hotel trippings also your spa escapades...i will surely try those next yr...

Compare sa mga hotels dito sa middle east, mas maganda jan sa atin especially in terms of packages offered, dito limited lang to think it's so expensive...thanks to this thread at least me idea na ko sa mga hotels jan sa atin

[riandrew]

^ hi ysmem,
sweet! thank you for the kind words. katuwa naman to hear them.
di ba sa middle east yung burj al arab? pero tama ka, it's sooo expensive.. dito satin abang abang lang ng discount vouchers, mejo affordable na din. 

[twelvth_goddess]

Riandrew, read and followed your blog. I enjoyed reading your posts so much

[riandrew]

hi  twelvth_goddess,
im really flattered. thank you.

[Frenzied]

ARANSES - you are facing the bay area, that's why super init siguro. so naabsorb ng glass all the heat outside.

[aranses]

^yep afternoon sun plus there's really something wrong with roof insulation sa room na un.

[kikaygimikera]

chyng, yung clubroom ng sofitel parang yan rin yung delixe room na napagstay-an namin? Weird. Same na same.