Where you stay in Manila matters more than in most cities, because traffic can turn a five-kilometre trip into an hour. The best approach is to choose the area that matches what you most want to do, then use Grab and day tours for the rest. Here are the four areas that work best for a first visit, with our pick in each.
Ermita and Rizal Park: for history on foot
The streets around Rizal Park put you between Intramuros, the National Museum and the bay front, so you can walk to the main sights and watch the sunset over Manila Bay. The Manila Hotel, at One Rizal Park since 1912, is our splurge and featured pick: a grand landmark with 515 rooms, an outdoor pool, a spa, six restaurants and the penthouse suite where General MacArthur lived. It is the most atmospheric address in the city and a short walk from Intramuros.
Intramuros: for sleeping inside the walls
Staying in the walled city lets you explore its streets in the cool of early morning and evening, before and after the crowds. The Bayleaf Intramuros is the pick: a modern 57-room hotel at Muralla and Victoria streets, with the Sky Deck View Bar on the roof looking over the golf course to the Manila Bay sunset. Fort Santiago, San Agustin Church and the Bambike base are all on foot. Intramuros is quiet at night, which suits some travellers more than others.
Roxas Boulevard and Malate: for bay views and a pool
South of Rizal Park, the bayside boulevard is lined with big hotels facing the sunset. Diamond Hotel Philippines, at the corner of Dr. J. Quintos Street, offers five-star comfort at a fairer price than Makati, with 482 rooms, an outdoor pool facing the bay, a spa and the Corniche and Yurakuen restaurants. It is a short ride to the old city and close to Malate’s restaurants.
Binondo: for food lovers on a budget
Across the Pasig River, the oldest Chinatown in the world is noisy, crowded and delicious. Red Planet Manila Binondo, on Juan Luna Street, is our budget pick: 171 clean, simple rooms with fast Wi-Fi, five minutes on foot from Binondo Church and Ongpin Street and about fifteen minutes from Fort Santiago across the Jones Bridge. There is no pool, but the food on the doorstep more than makes up for it.
Makati: for restaurants, shopping and polish
The business district is greener, more orderly and full of excellent restaurants and bars, but it is thirty minutes or more from Intramuros. New World Makati Hotel, directly across from Greenbelt in the Ayala Center, is the pick: 578 rooms, an outdoor pool, Jasmine for Chinese food and Café 1228. Many day tours to Tagaytay and Pagsanjan pick up in Makati.
Matching base to trip
For history and a sense of occasion, The Manila Hotel. For Intramuros at dawn and dusk, The Bayleaf. For a pool and bay sunsets, Diamond Hotel. For food and a small budget, Red Planet Binondo. For dining, shopping and business, New World Makati.
Practical tips
Check whether breakfast is included, as it often is not on cheaper rates. Ask for a high floor away from the street, since Manila is loud. Allow plenty of time for airport transfers, especially on weekday evenings, and book well ahead for Christmas and New Year, the busiest time of year.
