Advantages: Cooled with airconditioned breeze and getting glimpse of some of the rich and famous
Disadvantages: Just an ordinary church when there is no occasion or aircon.

Manila Cathedral Church is like any other churches in Manila with a plus factor that it is airconditioned. It is much nearer the busy street in Intramuros but with more vendors outside its church and its front. It has five or more steps up to its front ... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Ciao members have made 3 comments about this review View comments

It is a shame that only the elite can get married here. Thanks. J. by headcase44

I can't imagine there's anywhere in Manila that isn't air conditioned! You would get a higher rating if you gave some more information about what is inside, the kind of decorations there are, what time the masses are on etc etc. xx by avacarrdo

read all comments

Advantages: Located within ancient busy street and free to visit or take pictures
Disadvantages: few vendors outside the church

The Catholic church is located in Intramuros, Manila where one has to pass by the Spanish-built bricked road before entering its parking area. Inside the church, one can see and feel the antiquity of its artistic designs and paintings. Sitting in its so ... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Ciao members have made 1 comment about this review View comments

A nice review...I am a lover of churches and some of my most honest thinking has been done whilst sitting very still in a church. Thank you for writing this review....J. by headcase44

read all comments

Advantages: Easy to locate,educational and free
Disadvantages: Open field and far parking place

...ago, it was renamed as Rizal Park; at of the present time, thi ... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Ciao members have made 3 comments about this review View comments

Hello and welcome to Ciao....A good first review that could have been extended to give you a better rating, However this comes with ongoing experience. There are plenty of us to help if you contact us. Thanks. J. by headcase44

Not a bad first review but would like to hear more about it, sounds like an interesting place. Read around lots of reviews to get the idea. If you update let me know. Good luck with future reviews, I will keep reading Helen xx by Helenofellon

read all comments

Advantages: Close to the entertainment, shopping & business districts at a reasonal price with friendly staff.
Disadvantages: Noisy on the Ayala side and a little run down.

...I have stayed in the Gilarmi Apartments several times, the last was for a month between Dec 2001 and Jan 2002. ~~~ The Facts First ~~~ The Gilarmi Apartments are located in the centre of Makati City, Manila’s Business ... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Ciao members have made 6 comments about this review View comments

Very good review! Lots of help. by ElFreakoKid

Sounds real good. A lot of detail in this op. by manunas22

read all comments

Advantages: Friendly staff and very cheap.
Disadvantages: Unsafe location, unclean and bad water supply

The best laid plans… The second hotel in our month long adventure in the Philippines, things were not quite as we had expected. In an effort to save some money, I was prepared to lower my standards, I trawled the Internet, a habit I have, and came u ... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Ciao members have made 9 comments about this review View comments

I have stayed at Villa Carolina Townhouses on several occasions and some of what Andrew says its true. There are times when water is not available either due to the municipal supply being shut off or the fact the storage tanks in the hotel are depleted but this isn't really the fault of the management. I found the hotel to be acceptable. The staff are friendly and the owner, an ex-pat named Bill, was helpful in giving me tips on other destinations in the RP and filling me in on what the going rate should be for things in the area. He gladly allowed me to cash travelers checks at the official exchange rate thus allowing me to avoid spend an hour at Metro Bank and then be limited to cashing only $150 USD at a time. This is by no means a 5 star hotel but they don't advertise it as being such. It can be cheap to stay there, the staff will allow you to leave extra luggage in a lock up while you make side trips out of Manila and they offer a relaxing place for not much money. If you want to be pampered then this is probably not the place. If you are looking for inexpensive lodging near the airport then it certainly will suffice. For my money, I would stay there again and have no hesitation recommending it to someone else but with the caveat that this is not going to be equal to some of the "better" and more expensive hotels on Roxas Blvd. by movsrus

Obviously Andrew is proficient at writing but I'd say his past experience with staying in luxury type accomodation disables him from giving our hostel style hotel a fair judgement. Actually that idea for explaining occasional water problems at our place and all over Metro-Manila came from an English owned bar and restaurant in Makati. Writing a critical opinion about only two Manila hotels comparing our place to The Gilarmi Apartments, a luxury skyscraper located in the financial district on Ayala of Makati is like comparing a small, 18 ft. day sailor type with a 100 ft. yacht. Our "hands on" parenting responsibilities and the education of our daughter here in New England will be finished by next spring. So I have taken Andrew's comments above as constructive criticism and we had already planned to add private kitchenettes to five of our rooms, completely renovate the front entrance to add a New Orleans or Mediterranean style facade and demolish the whole check-in counter / kitchen area to replace it with a VERY CLEAN stainless steel "DINER" style cafe which just MIGHT be nice enough to satisfy even Andrew should I succeed at the nearly impossible task of coaxing him and his wife back for a stay at our place. We should be finished between Fall 2004 to spring of 2005. Our place has grown from a 4 bedroom hobby in 1986 to a friendly family style hotel with 25 bedrooms since 98 so we MUST be doing SOMETHING RIGHT. Otherwise. how could we have afforded to move to the Santa Cruz,CA in 95, traveled around the world for a year and bought a house here in Fairfield, CT in 99 supported ALL by a few THOUSAND happy, satisfied guests from 78 countries ( so far ) every year who have stayed at The Townhouse Hotel over and over again? by AsiaBill

read all comments

Advantages: Great Location, Great Staff/service, Comfortable
Disadvantages: Some of the extra services are pricey

Although I have been to the Philippines before, it is the first time I have stayed here and it was for only one night. My wife has stayed here before when her flight to the UK was cancelled and the airline put her up here for free. We elected to stay here ... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Ciao members have made 10 comments about this review View comments

I love Dusit hotels ...especially the Dusit T in Bangkok. You know the quality on the hotel with always be first class. Good Op. Best Regards Baz by bazza1603

rated VH (as it is VH) on the Hotel itself as I understand from your profile page that you have requested a category for the Hotel by janna

read all comments

Advantages: Away from busy streets, sea frontage
Disadvantages: Away from main district

The Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel where I stayed for a few weeks on my trip to Manila last year, offers quite a good location compared to the other hotels in this capital city. It is located away from the hustle and bustle of the very grimy city centre cl ... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Ciao members have made 4 comments about this review View comments

Have been to the Philippines on four different occasions as my husband is a Filipino National and there was always a difference in price-be very aware that the 'local' rate are always MUCH cheaper! by becbats

The philipines is a great place to say ,but not a place for those who are not willing to give up a few creature comforts (we didnt have running water were we stayed) if you go back again you should try a jeepney ride more fun than a taxi and cheaper too but only for the brave i hope you enjoyed you stay, we cant stay away we are going back to manlia again soon, by ERNLE

read all comments