Swagman Hotel, Manila

Good airport pick up service if you let them know. Hotel is now a bit run down after 30 years service, still the same since 1980s. Convenient if stopping overnight but do not expect a lot for your money, there a better hotels in the same district for less price and better service.

After talking to several foreigner friends about a decent place to stay at a good price, i decided to book a room for one night at this hotel. Not only is it in a sleazy area, scamsters everywhere, as soon as you exit the front door. I reluctantly checked in, with no help from the hotel staff in bringing the bags to the room. I turned the AC on which was so noisy and old that you couldnt hear the tv, while standing there i looked at the view from our room and was shocked to see a small settlement living in the alley next to this place, they were stretching tarps and the smoke was boiling from beneath these. I soon discovered the windows were so bent up and warped that they lacked two inches to close so i wrapped wire ties around the handles to keep the alley people from coming in, they already had a ladder leaning against the brick wall so i was very leary. The bed was a wooden slab with about four inches of foam and a dirty looking comforter thrown atop. The shower at first appearance was the best looking part of the room but later found out the shower head was broken and the drain clogged. Thank God i was only staying until the next morning. If you can avoid this place do so at all cost. The restaurant area was fairly neat with many australians and europeans eating there but i couldnt get past the rest of the place to eat there. Fortunately there was a Wendys nearby, although it was old and nasty looking but i didnt feel comfortable walking too far from the hotel.

Swagman is an economy class hotel with lots of good features but is badly organised with regards to room cleaning ( so many traineees not allowed to clean rooms!) and I wonder about cleanliness as the cockroaches are enormous and climb walls (and even in beds?? - I woried about that!).\nHowever I would recommend it to the econmy traveller but make sure you don't get a room in the dungeon (cellar rooms have no windows!)