During my childhood in the Philippines,
Manila hotel is the premiere destination to have your guest to stay in, to have the most glamorous parties in town… Decades later bigger hotel brands with their impeccable 5 star services has come to the Philippines so its time to check back on how Manila Hotel is doing
The building itself needs renovations, from the outside it does not look very appealing to stay into, it is no longer the preferred accommodation for the jet set or the business traveler. Arriving into the hotel, even in a posh car the bell service is actually no service. Not even an offer to assist guests with their luggage. Security personnel were not courteous either in screening luggage that comes into the hotel… It seems they have sacrificed customer satisfaction for the sake of perceived security. The reception is no better with the staff snobbish and impolite and there seem to be a lot of distrust to their guests….
Inside the hotel, the decors brings you back to the time of the Spanish regime in Manila. Its like stepping into a time machine giving you the all the opulence during the time of Marcos and all luxury that comes with it. I feel nostalgic as I entered the room given to me, a flat sreen TV inside the bathroom brought me back to the reality of the modern age… Although the paintwork is relatively new, it can be improved to give the impression of a modern classic instead of antique. To my surprise the Spa is open 24 hours a day… a far cry from most hotels that closes in the evening. Sleeping comfort is superb.
Business services which is typically free in most moderns hotels are not free at Manila hotel, prating is 1.5 USD per page… that’s a lot of money for a piece of paper, well even more expensive than printing a dollar bill :-). Here Manila Hotel has a lot to learn, it has not discovered yet that high spenders are mostly business travelers (who dines in and prefers to stay and spend within the hotel premises to save time). Manila Hotel in itself now a days is reduced to delayed passenger sanctuary, not the kind of customers you wan in a luxury hotel.
Breakfast is great, it has not lost its old charm of providing spread from various regions of Asia and Europe. Services are good too, except when you are asked to sign a 25USD bill for breakfast. For all its charm Manila hotel has lost its title of luxury, it is no longer the place to stay… The bigger foreign hotel chains has done a much better job of providing excellent experiences to its customers, something that Manila Hotel needs to learn if it wants to stay on top of the Hotel business in the Philippines.
I won’t be staying in Manila Hotel again unless its free or if I need to go to the Spa or the gym past midnight.
Manila hotel is the premiere destination to have your guest to stay in, to have the most glamorous parties in town… Decades later bigger hotel brands with their impeccable 5 star services has come to the Philippines so its time to check back on how Manila Hotel is doing
The building itself needs renovations, from the outside it does not look very appealing to stay into, it is no longer the preferred accommodation for the jet set or the business traveler. Arriving into the hotel, even in a posh car the bell service is actually no service. Not even an offer to assist guests with their luggage. Security personnel were not courteous either in screening luggage that comes into the hotel… It seems they have sacrificed customer satisfaction for the sake of perceived security. The reception is no better with the staff snobbish and impolite and there seem to be a lot of distrust to their guests….
Inside the hotel, the decors brings you back to the time of the Spanish regime in Manila. Its like stepping into a time machine giving you the all the opulence during the time of Marcos and all luxury that comes with it. I feel nostalgic as I entered the room given to me, a flat sreen TV inside the bathroom brought me back to the reality of the modern age… Although the paintwork is relatively new, it can be improved to give the impression of a modern classic instead of antique. To my surprise the Spa is open 24 hours a day… a far cry from most hotels that closes in the evening. Sleeping comfort is superb.
Business services which is typically free in most moderns hotels are not free at Manila hotel, prating is 1.5 USD per page… that’s a lot of money for a piece of paper, well even more expensive than printing a dollar bill :-). Here Manila Hotel has a lot to learn, it has not discovered yet that high spenders are mostly business travelers (who dines in and prefers to stay and spend within the hotel premises to save time). Manila Hotel in itself now a days is reduced to delayed passenger sanctuary, not the kind of customers you wan in a luxury hotel.
Breakfast is great, it has not lost its old charm of providing spread from various regions of Asia and Europe. Services are good too, except when you are asked to sign a 25USD bill for breakfast. For all its charm Manila hotel has lost its title of luxury, it is no longer the place to stay… The bigger foreign hotel chains has done a much better job of providing excellent experiences to its customers, something that Manila Hotel needs to learn if it wants to stay on top of the Hotel business in the Philippines.
I won’t be staying in Manila Hotel again unless its free or if I need to go to the Spa or the gym past midnight.
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