WHERE TO STAY IN MANILA FOR TOURISTS

If you are interested in where to stay in Manila, you may also be interested in where to stay in Boracay, where to stay in Cebu, where to stay in El Nido and where to stay in Baguio.

Ermita, the best area to stay in Manila

Ermita is the most popular place for first time tourists to stay whilst in Manila. Rizal Park lies at the heart of Ermita and is a National Park that is adored by locals and tourists alike. As busy as Ermita is, locals like to relax as much as possible, so shopping, eating and people watching is high on their agenda. Take note of what the locals do as you will love it too. Robinson's Place Manila is one of the largest shopping malls, that gets packed at weekends, with youngsters hanging out with friends and tourists snapping up the bargains. Adriatico Street is popular both during the day and at night, with plenty of restaurants, bars and cafés to suit every taste. Young people and couples will love the vast array of night life and live music venues, with the Ermita area becoming known as one of the trendiest areas to live in the world.

Manila Ocean Park, a large scale oceanarium is a great place to take children, as is the Museo Pambata, where kids are encouraged to interact with exhibits to support their learning. Although Manila is a large, crowed city, it can be a good place to come with your family, with hotels and restaurants very accommodating for children. Due to the size of Ermita, you will find hotels, condos, apartments and youth hostels to cater for every budget and every holiday need. A stay here is fast paced, varied and above all lots of fun.

Hotels in Ermita

Other places to stay in Manila

Makati

Makati lies in the heart of Manila and is the main financial and commercial district. The area attracts big name businesses from around the world, something which has aided the city’s development and growth. Most of the hotels in the area are 4 and 5 stars, offering top quality services to tourists arriving in the city for business and pleasure. Honeymooners will love the pampering services and the area is popular with retirees, looking to finally relax. The main shopping areas in Makati are the Greenbelt area and the Gateway Mall, where you can buy designer brands alongside handmade Filipino gifts to take home.

The Ayala Center is a large scale mall, where locals hang out at weekends and tourists fill up their cases at a fraction of the price they would pay back home. Makati is packed with dining options, with street food stalls, cafés and restaurants scattered all around the district; the area northeast of Ayala Triangle is a particular hotspot for foodies, who cannot get enough traditional Filipino cuisine.

Makati is not all skyscrapers and high rise apartments, there are quiet spots where you can relax and soak up the atmosphere, with Greenbelt Park one of the most multicultural areas of the city.

There are also lots of museums and galleries to visit if shopping and eating become a bit too much for you. Night life also centres around the Greenbelt area, with Makati Avenue coming to life of an evening, with bars, clubs, karaoke joints and GoGo bars.

Hotels in Makati

Pasig

Pasig is a busy urban area in the Metro Manila area that is becoming increasingly popular with tourists. Pasig City is home to the Ortigas Center: a fast growing financial and commercial district filled with new skyscrapers popping up seemingly every day. This region of Manila has a high concentration of churches, which are good to look around and you can attend mass at the weekend. The Plaza Rizal is where people from all cultures get together to spend the afternoon after mass at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral nearby.

Pasig is close to NAIA Airport and has a fantastic infrastructure, meaning it is easy to get about to see other parts of the city and is a great base for exploring further afield. Tourists who enjoy arts and culture head to Pasig as there are lots of galleries, museums and pop up theatre productions that give Pasig a unique vibrancy. There is accommodation to suit all budgets but Pasig has a higher concentration of budget and backpacker accommodation than areas like Makita.

Metrowalk is a popular night time hangout, with dozens of restaurants and bars to feed and water tourists and plenty of places to relax and see how Filipinos like to chill. Food in the area is influenced by many cultures that converge in Pasig, so you can get traditional Filipino cuisine alongside Indian, Chinese and European foods – to name but a few. To round off your stay in the area, a trip to the Tiendesitas area will provide great shopping opportunities where you can buy something unique to take home.

Hotels in Pasig

Quezon City

Quezon City was founded just after World War II to replace Manila as the Capital of the Philippines, but that decision was reversed in 1976. Named after the Philippines’ second President, itis still a densely populated city with government offices, universities including the national one, the University of the Philippines Diliman and the national park, Quezon Memorial Circle where the 66 metre high Memorial Shrine is located, a mausoleum where the President and his wife are buried. The Ninoy Aquino Parks & Wildlife Centre with its lagoon, aquarium, botanical garden and Rescue Centre is certainly also worth a visit.

Despite the City being highly urbanised, the rail systems, two being elevated, make travel easier than you would expect. The City is just a few miles north east of Manila while the International Airport is only 20 kilometres by road, accessible by car, bus or train. A wide variety of accommodation, hotels and apartments, are on offer in Quezon City making it one of the best places to stay for visitors to the Philippines who want to be close to Manila but not in the City itself. When it comes to restaurants, Quezon City has huge choice, including many casual diners and certainly an extensive range of cuisine.

Hotels in Quezon City
 

Malate

Malate developed from a tiny fishing village in colonial times into what it is today, the heart of Manila’s commercial and tourist sectors. Watch the sunset or cruise in Manila Bay before enjoying the nightlife that Malate provides aplenty whether simple bars, those with music or clubs.

It was the Americans who ousted the Spanish at the turn of the 20th Century who saw its potential. It was largely residential half a century ago, but things have changed. After World War II there was an urgent need for reconstruction and renovation which took place over the years.

Former large villas and apartments have been converted into hotels and restaurants making Malate a great area to stay for visitors to Manila. The transit rail system ensures good transport communications within the wider area and the quality resort accommodation locally reinforces the sense of staying in Malate. Manila’s first enclosed shopping mall, Harrison Plaza, is located in Malate. Over the years, Malate has become home to artists of all kinds thereby creating a marvellous atmosphere in a large urban area. It is also home to the Rizal Memorial Stadium which hosts many events and there are also zoological gardens in the neighbourhood.

Hotels in Malate