Lodging at Manila
Trip Start
Unknown
1
10
11
Trip End
Ongoing
Where I stayed
Pinoy Pamilya Club
Sogo Hotel
Raff Mansion
Manila, Luzon, Philippines
Monday, May 24, 2010
What could I say is, most tourists escaped to stay in Manila and they most prefered other routes like Cebu for south and Clark for north. Evidence, I saw more bulks of foreigners in downtown Cebu and Baguio than in Manila. Sad to say, but I agreed on how Manila nowadays evolved. It's more populated and polluted The tourist destination at previous decades, now judged as the unsafe place of the country.
However, a wide selection of hotels and lodging houses consider as a competition. For the mean time, I can give highlights on these three neighboring hotels in Pasay.
Raff Mansion - From the airport, the taxi driver offered me this hotel overlooking the biggest Mall of Asia. They said most seamen checked in on this hotel but I also saw some foreigners. The hotel is near Baclaran church and you can see busy street vendors and lined up of night bars along the way. They have given me de luxe room with a price of P2,100 because the normal rooms are already fully booked. The room situated on the 3rd floor is wide and with colorful curtains. The terrace allowed you to spy busy streets of Coastal road. The bathroom has different architecture but I hate the fashion of showering inside the bathtub. They said that there is internet connection but not WIFI. I have to use one of their rented computers in the 2nd floor. My stay is just for a night and the restaurant is in the 5th floor with a good curtains design and a five-star restaurant costumer treatment.
Pinoy Pamilya Club - My co-worker always lodged here. He always says, this is the best and quite place. This place full of hanging "balete" roots is just at the back of Heritage Hotel. At first, I can say, its a car park lodge for there are car parking space at the bottom of every 2-storey houses. At reception, I paid P2,300 for a room which I saw in the internet costs P2,100. Booking online has discounted price as explained to me. So next time, I'll book online. I booked for two days.
The room is satisfactory. It's a normal painted room with cable TV, mini bar, and a slightly rusty refrigerator. However the staffs and thier services are excellent. Their free Filipino style breakfast at the reception is good. Those foods are what I really missed when I'm working abroad. At night, drinks can be ordered and they will deliver it. Solid foods are not available.
This place has WIFI but its strong connection is in reception area. So rooms near reception has good access with internet.
Sogo Hotel "So Clean, So Good" - My first impression for this hotel is only for those couples who want good times with each other. I mean for short time.
I tried this hotel for just overnight. I have a round trip flight tickets Davao-Manila so I will not stay longer in the city. This SOGO branch is just infront of Pinoy Pamilya Club. I was impressed that this hotel rates started at two hours with equivalent prices. I took executive room for 12 hours at rate of P1,200. Expensive when converted for a day but it's a way better than renting a normal hotel which costs more than two thousand.
The staffs are very descent and neat looking on thier red japanese inspired uniform. The room is full of mirrors at ceiling and side. I can see my reflections anywhere, a very good spot for any scandalous act! The two adult channels in thier cable television might be considered as their best ads for a costumer. The room's design is cool and good except for walls. I think the wall is not a solid and hard materials for I can hear a resident coughing and flushing a toilet bowl from other room.
The food is excellent and they delivered it to room with plastic cover. Cleanliness is assurance. The delivery man have all bills so when I pay, he gave me change directly. They have a policy that the food is free if they don't have correct change.
WIFI is all over the building with fast internet server. Thumbs up!
