Where to Stay

Metro Manila abounds in accommodation options. Rates run from the high end to the incredibly modest and everything in between. Visitors can pick from international chain hotels displaying well-known logos, foreign or locally run properties for long-term stays, boutique hotels with character and history, or no-frills lodgings offering basic services.

As many hotels address the traveler's need for business and leisure facilities, your choice will depend on your budget, efficiency requirements, or penchant for the out-of-the-ordinary. But wherever you choose to stay, you will not feel lost or isolated: English is spoken everywhere, and Filipinos are warm, friendly, and hospitable.

The Modern City

Expensive international hotels thrive in Makati, the city's main business district. Makati Shangri-La, The Peninsula Manila and Mandarin Oriental are among the premier business/leisure hotels and lie within walking distance of many office buildings. Their location within a bustling commercial area offers excellent shopping and dining opportunities. These hotels extend a full range of business and convention facilities plus seasoned, responsive service. Hotel Inter-Continental, Dusit Hotel Nikko and New World Renaissance Hotel, all within Ayala Center, also address standard business and conference requirements.

Catering to long-staying travelers with generous budgets, Ascott Hotel Manila provides tastefully furnished and fully serviced deluxe apartments with business facilities. Along Pasong Tamo Street, the 60-room Herald Suites offers rooms with old-world charm at modest rates.

CEO Suites, a 29-room, all-suite accommodation on Jupiter Street supplies essential business needs plus limited in-room cooking facilities. Unique furniture and furnishings create an elegant yet homey atmosphere. The newly opened and inexpensive City Garden Hotel Makati, at the end of Makati Avenue, lies away from office buildings, amid small, interesting adult bars. Clean and functional, it offers straightforward accommodations and the added plus of a helicopter charter service.

The Tourist Belt

Along Roxas Boulevard, a tree-lined thoroughfare by Manila Bay, hotels alternate with museums, embassies, travel agencies, bars and evening entertainment spots. The Heritage Hotel and Hyatt Regency, situated across from the World Trade Center, stand nearest the airport. The Hyatt is an old but well-maintained medium-size property, while the newer and bigger Heritage functions as a busy convention hotel. Casual tourist-type accommodations can be found at Copacabana Apartment Hotel, also in the vicinity.

A 609-room "city resort," the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila sits on reclaimed land that encompasses the Philippine International Convention Center, Folk Arts Theater and Coconut Palace. The Philippine Plaza offers great sports and leisure facilities such as tennis courts, a driving range, 24-hour spa and fitness center, and outdoor pool. Opposite The Cultural Center of the Philippines and beside the Metropolitan Museum of Manila stands the four-star Traders Hotel. Bayview Park Hotel, another four-star property, fronts the American Embassy at the northern end of the boulevard, near Rizal Park and the Children's Museum (Museo Pambata).

For the budget-conscious who wish to get a feel of the Ermita/Malate area in the Tourist Belt, both Adriatico Arms Hotel and Malate Pensionne deliver good options. Century Park Hotel, next to Harrison Plaza, lures travelers seeking big hotel comfort. The Orchid Garden Suites, a boutique hotel, imparts a sense of history with its laid-back ambiance. Comfortable and orderly, the Palm Plaza is straightforward and inexpensive, while the 52-room Best Western La Corona Hotel offers another alternative for the budget-minded traveler.

The Historic City

Hotel Intramuros de Manila sits amid the rich-in-culture landmarks, churches, art galleries, arts and crafts shops, and native and Spanish restaurants in historic Intramuros. Managed by the Hotel and Tourism Institute of the Philippines, it delivers good value for money plus an ambiance evocative of 19th century Manila.

The Holiday Inn, along United Nations Avenue, is a popular leisure hotel, though many prefer to check into the Manila Hotel for historical reasons. For those wanting to stay near Paco Park, another historical site, the Park Hotel provides an address with character and business facilities, while the Garden Plaza Hotel & Suites offers fully equipped kitchenettes for longer sojourns.

Ortigas Center, north of Makati, is a business and commercial area with some good hotels. Edsa Shangri-La ensures top business and convention facilities, with guest and meeting rooms in either the tower wing or the sprawling garden wing. Nearby, the Richmonde Hotel offers advanced business equipment and a good fitness center. The Legend Hotel is an inexpensive choice, with well-appointed rooms spread out in low-rise buildings. The Manila Galleria Suites features very comfortable and spacious rooms, while the Discovery Suites offer deluxe apartments that meet both business needs and relaxation requirements.

Inexpensive accommodations can be found in Quezon City, an area of government offices, schools and residences with concentrated dining and entertainment spots. Hotel Rembrandt lies in one such spot teeming with bars and restaurants. The Camelot Hotel, with its mock castle façade, provides a regular venue for small private banquets, while the Century Imperial Palace Suites, along Timog Avenue, allows longer stays in furnished apartments.