Manila Pavilion Hotel, Manila

My friends are I stayed at the hotel for 1 night on 17-18 June 2009. The hotel lobby was classy and the staff were friendly and non-pushy. We were carrying our backpacks and the bellboys respected this and did not insist that we place our backpacks on the cart for him to carry (other hotels may insist on this so that bellboys get tips). We were also informed that there are free wireless access at the hotel lobby. However, stepping into our hotel room was a different matter. Our room smelled like paint and the water tasted metallic. The shower head was rusty and the water in the toilet bowl was yellow despite constant flushing. The TV in our room also could not be on. We called housekeeping and a TV technician came to assist. Despite not being able to speak English, the technician was friendly and apologized to us for the inconvenience. The hotel's location was accessible. It was near a casino so there is a vibrant nightlife. The LRT is within walking distance and there is a shopping mall (Robinson's Mall) nearby where we went to change more money and purchase souvenirs such as the infamous Philippines dry mangoes sold at an attractive price at the Mall supermarket. For those who want to chill and people watch, I will recommend the Mrs Field's cafe right beside the hotel. The cafe is not crowded and one of our best times in Manila were spent sipping the chilled fruit shakes while watching life go by in Manila. We also took a cab to another mall, the Mall of Asia located about 20 minutes by cab as recommended by the hotel staff. This huge mall boasted food from various countries (korean, japanese, indonesian, western, chinese etc)and the departmental store has affordable local clothing brands and souvenirs for last minute purchases. We found that the souvenirs such as T-shirts, mugs and model jeepneys are much cheaper as compared to those sold at Ninoy Aquino Airport. The next morning we went for breakfast at the hotel (our hotel stay includes breakfast).

I'd say Manila Pavilion Hotel is central to everything. It's located in the shopping district, near airport (150-200php taxi), and full of lively places. I'll come back again.

My family and I booked a room at the Manila Pavilion through Agoda for 5 nights. The staff especially in housekeeping and those working at the breakfast buffet were warm and friendly. They did everything they could to accommodate us. However, the room we got looked old and decrepit. The bathroom tiles looked moldy and our chairs were delapidated. Overall, I can't complain much as the people were polite and helpful. I would definitely stay there again.