Trader's Hotel Manila

Despite spending almost 4 years of my college life in Manila, I never formed an affinity for it cause I always felt it to be a bit too chaotic. I did find myself in the heart of Manila at the Trader's Hotel when we learned that our vacation in Boracay earned us enough points to stay there for four nights for free.

Lobby:

They have a very spacious lobby but just a small sitting area. I've always felt that the hotel would look and smell old but it does not. Their scent brand, which is very welcoming, is obvious the moment you step in.





Room:

I was, again, also surprised at the size of the room. I wasn't expecting it to be also very spacious.



The bed, pillows and sheets are heavenly.



It's very modern and I found the luggage rack below to be particularly nice.





Do note that some rooms haven't been completely updated yet. The TV, luggage rack and even the phone below are all a bit dated.



The best feature of the room for me would be the free WiFi. All hotels should really follow suit.



Toilet:

The toilet is basic but well maintained. The tiles are all white and not a grime in sight.









You get a good view of the CCP and Roxas Blvd from your room, sadly, I wasn't able to take a nice photo of it.

Service:

Service is, as usual, top notch. Everyone is always smiling, even their guards. They have turn down service and they sent a fruit platter upon our arrival.



My only complaint, though not the hotel's fault cause I forgot to hang the "Do not disturb" sign, is I was woken up two days in a row by loud knocking to check if we have clothes we need laundered and another just to check up on us...at least I think that's the reason why. I couldn't be sure cause I was in my half-sleep groggy state.

Gym and Pool:

Their spa is currently being renovated so I guess the gym and pool area would follow next. Upon entering the gym and pool floor, it felt totally disconnected from the hotel. I won't say much, just that they are in bad need of updating.







Breakfast:

Our stay didn't come with free breakfast so we ended up paying for it which I felt was not worth it as the spread is pretty limited.

Location:

The hotel's location is very convenient. It's just across the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the fast developing Harbour Square right beside it giving you plenty of options to eat at. Wensha, the 24-hour spa is also just a couple of blocks away. Walking distance to the hotel, there's a convenience store and SM Hypermart.



SM Mall of Asia and Robinson's Place are also very near, about 60-80 pesos cab ride away.



Cabs are also very to easy to come by so there's no need to worry about transportation.

If you're ever wanting to stay in Manila, do consider staying here. Contact information below:

Address 3001 Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, 1305, Philippines
Tel (63 2) 708 4888
Fax (63 2) 708 9850

Lub'd Siam, Bangkok

During our last night in Bangkok, we decided to stay at Lub'd Siam, one of the most well-reviewed hostels there.



Its location is even more convenient than Holiday Inn Express as it is right in front of the National Stadium BTS station. In fact, I learned of this hostel cause I would pass by it on my way back to Holiday Inn.



They have different room types, the dorm, econo twin, econo double and the double deluxe. You can check out photos of the rooms here.



We booked the econo double located on the fourth floor. They don't have a lift so just be ready if you have a heavy luggage.



The room doesn't have its own toilet so Em-J took quite a bit of convincing. Upon getting there, that's what we first checked out. Fortunately, there was nothing to be concerned about. The shared toilet is clean and well maintained. Its also but a few steps away from our room.





My only problem is I normally use the toilet in the wee hours of the morning. Heading out of the room is certainly not as convenient.

Check-in was efficient and the staff were really friendly. The lobby is free for all but you would need your own key card to enter the hotel area.

Facilities:

They have a veranda outside where you can just chill and people watch.



The lobby is quite inviting with several computers and couches if you just want to hang out and meet new friends.





There is a theater on the 2nd floor, it was quiet when we got there but this would be perfect if you are travelling with a big group.





They also have friendly instructions on how to operate the tv and the dvd player.



There is a laundry area as well which I forgot to take a picture of and best of all, you can actually leave your luggage with them even if you're not checked in. They can keep it for you for as long as a month! How nice of them.

They also have different activities planned which you can take part of if you don't have anything planned.



The room with the industrial look is just about the right size.



The bed is comfortable and they have a nook if you feeling like literally rolling out of the bed and using your computer. If you have a problematic back like me, then you'd be glad to know that they have a desk available as well.







Towels are also provided but if you are staying in a dorm, they charge extra for the towels.



While the room is comfortable, I actually didn't like that the airconditioner blows straight at you and try as I might to adjust the fan, it stayed that way.

Overall, our experience was more than satisfactory and I would have no problems staying here again the next time I'm in Bangkok.