If you're in the Philippines' capital for business, you don't want to be guessing where you'll be spending the night just as your flight is touching down. I've listed some of Manila's best hotels for business travelers, with a wide range of budgets and locations represented in the list. Make location your paramount consideration: Manila's traffic is legendary for its molasses-like pace.
Rates are subject to change and serve as a reference only. Headings link directly to the hotel website.
Linden Suites
Excellent service, generous-sized rooms, and convenient location make the Linden Suites a top pick for executives staying in the Ortigas Center area of Manila. The hotel's compact size makes for some uncomfortably small facilities (the pool is only four feet deep; the lobby is practically nonexistent), but the friendly and quick-thinking staff more than make up for these quibbles. And it's only a five minute walk away from three huge malls!
Address: 37 San Miguel Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Manila. Rates: From USD 80 per room per night.
City Garden Hotel Makati
The City Garden Hotel is only 20 minutes from the airport, and located right in Makati, where most business is done in the Philippines. The staff pay great attention to small details, from the plump towels to the crisp bed linens. Don't miss the rooftop, with its pool, bar and grill, and a splendid view of the skyline. The lack of a service elevator, however, might turn you off.
Address: Makati Avenue corner Kalayaan Avenue, Makati City. Rates: From at USD 81 per room per night.Royal Bellagio Hotel
It isn't in the swankiest part of Makati – a nightclub district, more like – but the Bellagio compensates for its location with a helpful staff, clean and larger-than-expected rooms, and comparatively low price. There's only one elevator, and the wireless Internet and the in-hotel restaurant are relatively expensive, but the pluses definitely outweigh the minuses.
Address: 5010 P.Burgos Street, Poblacion, Makati City. Rates: From USD 59 per room per night.
The Bellevue Hotel
The location is rather distant from most of Manila's interesting spots, but the Bellevue compensates by providing free shuttle bus service to anywhere in the surrounding Alabang area. Comfort comes standard, although not without a few snags (no breakfast buffet for you, if you're not at the coffee shop by 10 am). Staff is friendly and attentive, the pool and gym are acceptable.
Address: North Bridgeway, Northgate Cyberzone, Filinvest, Manila. Rates: From USD 123 per room per night.
Holiday Inn Galleria
You simply cannot overestimate the convenience of staying at a hotel attached to a mall – the Robinsons Galleria mall is easily accessible from the hotel's fourth floor. The staff are no slouches in the service department, either. The hotel's Internet access, however, could be improved: surfers will experience a bad connection in their rooms, and will do much better by simply going to the mall and using the Wifi provided by the coffeeshops.
Address: One Asian Development Bank Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Rates: From USD 87 per room per night.
InterContinental Manila
Talk about a great location – the Intercon is right in the middle of the Makati Central Business District, and only a few minutes' walk away from the country's swankiest malls. The Intercon was one of the first hotels in the area, and they've had a few decades to practice giving good service, from the breakfast buffet's wide array of choices to the cozy lounge/bar that stays open till one in the morning.
Address: No. 1 Ayala Avenue, Makati City. Rates: From USD 104 per room per night.
Pan Pacific Manila
The rooms are well-appointed: granite desk, fully-stocked minibar, two phone lines, a fax, and broadband Internet. The breakfast is great (but not free). The location is ideal if you have business in the Malate area, or if you dig Manila's freewheeling nightclub scene, but go elsewhere if you're bringing your family. Perhaps to compensate for the slightly seedy location, security is top-notch. The butler service, in particular, raises the bar for personal service, and is something you might want to experience for yourself.
Address: M.Adriatico corner Gen.Malvar St., Malate, Manila. Rates: From USD 109 per room per night.
Mandarin Oriental Manila
Good: Guests with itchy feet will love the hotel's central location in the Makati business district; the Glorietta shopping area and Burgos Street's nightlife scene are both less than fifteen minutes away. (The hotel provides free shuttle service to the Glorietta and Greenbelt malls.) Not so good: the Mandarin's been around a while, and it shows in some places. The pool, though, is great, and the staff will spoil you rotten. You might want to give the airport service a miss, as it charges ten times the rates of a regular taxi going the same way.
Address: Makati Avenue corner Paseo De Roxas, Makati City. Rates: From USD 116 per room per night.
EDSA Shangri-La
The rooms, while well-appointed, are smaller than you might expect, and the prices for extras like laundry and room service might be too high for the average traveler. The hotel's location compensates for these – for dining and shopping, you'll be spoiled for choice at the two major malls just a few minutes' walk away. Be sure to check out the pool area (beautifully art-directed to resemble a tropical paradise) and the high-tech gym.
Address: 1 Garden Way, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City. Rates: From USD 127 per room per night.
Discovery Suites
The apartment-style accommodations – complete with kitchenette, receiving area, and separate bedrooms – might appeal to travelers who want to feel like they're at home in a strange city. The amenities are adequate: the guide's wife particularly recommends the hotel's spa, and the free breakfast buffet at the top floor comes with an excellent view of the skyline. The pool is rather small, though, and the service could stand some improvement.
Address: 25 ADB Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Rates: From USD 109 per room per night.
