The Peninsula Manila

Rooms and decor

Picture walking into a two-storey glass-dome lobby with the afternoon sun coming down in shafts, and a gold-plated sculpture called Sunburst by Filipino artist Impé Sacramento fanning out across the center of the ceiling. That's the first image everyone keeps of The Peninsula Manila, a 5-star landmark open since 1976 in the heart of Makati under Hong Kong's Peninsula Hotels. The 469 rooms and suites are split between twin buildings — Ayala Tower and Makati Tower — with entry rooms starting around 42 sqm, noticeably roomier than the city's 5-star norm. The look is warm cream and brown, pale wood furniture against heavy curtains that pull back to a dense Makati skyline on the Ayala Avenue side, or much more quiet on the pool side. Renovated rooms feel more current, with big-screen TVs and marble bathrooms; the un-renovated ones keep an old-school feel that many guests actually prefer. Beds are soft, the linens are good, and reviewers keep mentioning the signature Peninsula scent that relaxes you the moment the door opens.

Food and amenities

If this hotel has one beating heart, it's Afternoon Tea — every afternoon in the lobby under the glass dome with a live string quartet, a tradition The Pen has kept since it opened. Hot fresh-baked scones arrive with clotted cream, three-tier stands of handmade sweets, and a long tea list, in a grand Hong-Kong-classic setting; plenty of couples pick it for proposals or anniversaries. Then there's Escolta, whose breakfast buffet reviewers rank among Manila's best — a cooked-to-order egg station, homemade breads, fresh fruit and juices with no limit, local Filipino food alongside international plates. Spices covers Southeast Asia with Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian dishes and has been an expat favorite for years, Old Manila handles modern European for a dressed-up dinner, and The Bar takes care of cocktails before or after. Down at pool level there's a curved, resort-style outdoor pool ringed with greenery that does a good job muffling the Ayala traffic, plus The Peninsula Spa with several treatment rooms and a 24-hour fitness center — everything a luxury hotel should carry.

Location and getting there

Location is the strongest card here. The Pen sits exactly on the corner of Ayala Avenue and Makati Avenue, the dead center of the Makati CBD in Metro Manila. Walk out of the lobby and it's about 5 minutes to Greenbelt, the open-air mall with Greenbelt Chapel, a central garden and a stack of good restaurants, then another 8 minutes or so to Glorietta, the big mall tied into Ayala Center for shopping, movies and the Ayala sister hotels. MRT Ayala (Line 3) is about 10 minutes by car, handy for BGC to the north or Quezon City. NAIA airport is roughly 10 km away, 30-45 minutes by car off-peak — but in rush hour Ayala Avenue can easily eat an hour and a half, so anyone running to the airport on a weekday morning or evening should leave extra time. Nearby you've also got the Ayala Museum on Philippine history, Greenbelt Park, and a long list of Makati's favorite restaurants. In short, stay here and you can wander Makati on foot without ever calling a Grab.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide — the complaint that comes up most is the building's age. The Pen opened in 1976 and is being renovated in phases. The updated rooms are smart and current, but some un-renovated ones still feel old-school classic, with furniture and bathrooms that can look dated next to the newer 5-star openings in BGC or Makati. If you value a brand-new room over the legacy and the service, other options in the area may suit you better. Rates also run a bit above the surrounding 5-stars, especially in high season — entry rooms from around $130 climbing to about $315 for suites — so if you're booking over a festival date, compare nearby hotels first. Ayala Avenue traffic is heavy at weekday rush hour, so leave a buffer for the airport or any meeting away from the hotel. Some reviews also flag the service charge and tax added to the bill, which makes the real total higher than the booking-site figure; add it up before you confirm.

Our take

After reading through hundreds of real guest reviews, The Peninsula Manila is a hotel that sells classic Hong-Kong-style luxury — warm staff who remember your name, the iconic glass-dome lobby of Makati, an Afternoon Tea that has become one of the city's signature experiences, and a CBD address you can shop on foot. If your trip in your head looks like waking up to the Escolta breakfast buffet, walking to a meeting or to shop Greenbelt, dropping into Afternoon Tea in the lobby in the afternoon, and closing the night at Old Manila, this is about as well-matched as it gets. But if you're expecting the fully modern rooms of a brand-new BGC opening, the old-school feel here may not be your spec. Overall we give it 8.7/10, best for business travelers in Makati, couples who love classic luxury, and anyone who values the Peninsula name and service over how new the room is.