Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria Hotel

Crowne Plaza in Galleria has a multi-level lobby that I love.  You enter the hotel and get greeted by the friendly concierge staff.  Take a few steps up and you get to the front desk, a few more steps to your right and you can while away your time by sitting at the lounge chairs.

It has one of the most spacious hotel rooms that I've stayed in. Some of the furnishings are a bit dated but they have little modern touches to the room so you don't feel as you've stepped back in time. 

Even the bathroom is big with a separate bath and shower area.  Standard IHG amenities are provided wrapped in wax paper, nothing interesting enough to keep. 

I don't remember why but my stay came with access to the lounge.  I opted to have breakfast there which was a mistake.  Unless you want privacy, skip it and head to 7 Corners.  

I didn't get to use the pool but it has to be one of the most disappointing feature of the hotel.  It is also shared by Holiday Inn which is right next door and I find it too small for the number of guests between the two hotels.  It also looks in dire need of a major uplift. 

There's also a Gold's Gym which hotel guests can use free of charge. 

As it is connected to Robinson's Galleria, this would be perfect if you have shopping in mind.  Podium is also but a few minutes walk.  It is also close to several offices in Ortigas but be mindful of the morning rush traffic in the area. 

One of the best assets of the hotel would be their very helpful and friendly staff.  The front desk personnel even went out of her way to look for a cab for me when she noticed that there was no one manning the concierge desk at the time of my departure.  

Wifi is not free unless you are an IHG member so better sign up before checking in. 

Crown Plaza Manila Galleria

Ortigas Ave corner ADB Ave

Ortigas Center, Pasig City

Official site: Click Here

F1 Hotel Manila

F1 Hotel is the first hotel to open in Bonifacio Global City which puts them in a prime position.  I initially thought that it's part of the Best Western chain of hotels but I didn't see any branding when we stayed there.

Check-In:

Check in was smooth but take note that the hotel lobby is at the fifth floor.  The ground floor lobby serves as a reception area for the residential side of the hotel.  The lobby looked very modern and neat.

Everything actually looks modern and appealing, the only thing that I didn't like is the elevator buttons as they confused me.

Room:

We booked a City Suite room and liked it.  It is not designed like your usual one bedroom suite where the living room is separate but it worked.

There's a workspace, an ironing board, a safe, an iPhone alarm clock dock, and two TVs.  The two TVs weirded me out a bit as you won't be able to use both TVs without distracting yourself. 

Toilet: 

The toilet is simple and clean.  Water pressure is not as strong though and their heater is a bit wonky.  It takes a bit of time to get the temp that you want and even then, it doesn't stay that way.  The provided toiletry is also too simple.

Breakfast: 

The restaurant where they serve breakfast is a bit small.  Good thing the hotel was not fully booked so there was no fuss but my friend had to wait half an hour before being seated when she was there. 

The food is okay, good enough to fill you up.

We have had no problems with the hotel staff except during breakfast.  We requested to be seated at a small square table like the one below but we were denied given an excuse that it's for four people.  I reckon they have tables half the size of that with only two chairs.  We were then seated at the very back of the restaurant and when we stood up to get our food, we noticed that they sat two foreigners on the very same table that we requested. 

Other Amenities: 

They have an interesting looking lap pool and a couple other pools.  There is also a gym, quite small, but should serve you fine if you're just looking to exercise a little.  There is also a steam room and a jacuzzi which were still under maintenance.  Do note also that not all elevators serve the floor to which the gym is located.  I had to wait for one particular elevator just to get to it as I wasn't sure if it was fine to use the stairs.

Location:

Located at 32nd street, it is right in front of S & R and one of the more nicely designed Starbucks store, there are a few restaurants for your late night cravings and High Street is just a few strides away.  I find it a little odd though that the hotel entrance is not along the main road but is at the back in front of the parking lot.  

Transportation:

Transportation is not that easy as it is not really as accessible.  Cabs pass by the main road instead of the entrance which would pose a problem if you are heading to the airport with all your luggages as you have to walk around the hotel.

Overall, I would stay back at the hotel.  I love a leisurely stroll at night and the area is perfect for that.  The hotel and the rooms still smell new and the staff are generally very friendly.

F1 Hotel Manila

32nd Street

Bonifacio Global City

Taguig, Metro Manila

www.f1hotelmanila.com

Holiday Inn Express, Hong Kong

I asked my cousin, Ralph, for recommendations on where to stay in Hong Kong and one that agreed with our budget is the Holiday Inn Express in Causeway Bay. 

Getting to the hotel from the airport by cab is quite easy as the taxi driver was familiar with the hotel. If you are taking the MTR, get off at Causeway Bay station, take the Times Square exit, and it's a few steps away. Its proximity to the station is another factor why we chose the hotel. 

The lobby is at the 2nd floor of the building, check-in was fast and smooth. 

The room is adequately sized with comfortable beds. As is customary with Holiday Inn hotels, firm and soft pillows are available and labeled properly. 

There is a small couch by the window and a small work table with a small CRT tv. I wasn't able to take a photo but the bedside table has an iPod / iPhone 4/S dock. 

There is a small wardrobe with a safe and a full length mirror on its door. 

The toilet is, likewise, adequately sized. It served its purpose and I'm glad that the shower area is actually separate from the toilet seat. 

I didn't get to explore the hotel much as we were just there to sleep but I did see an ironing room on one of the floors if you need any of your clothes to be without wrinkles. I also can't comment on breakfast as I skipped it. 

I would stay here again if given the chance primarily because of its location. Lane Crawford in Times Square is directly in front of it. Hysan Place is also but a few steps away. I particularly love going to Hysan Place because it looks surreal. I feel as if any moment the people walking past would just stop and burst into a song and dance number. 

There are also a lot of different shops within the area. For your really late night craving, a 24 hour McDonald's and a 7-11 are also nearby.