If you’re planning a trip to Manila there are about three areas of the city where you’ll want to stay. Oddly, none of them are actually in Manila. There’s the city of Makati, the Bonifacio Global City or BGC, and the area around the Mall of Asia in Pasay.
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I haven’t stayed in BGC. And to me Makati is really not that great. So for someone collecting points and status the TRYP by Wyndham is an attractive option near the mall. My rate on a recent stay was $103 per night. That’s high by Philippine standards but still a bargain compared to the US. It was also my first time staying with the brand.
TRYP Mall of Asia Location
The Mall of Asia is a very popular destination in Manila. The mall itself is huge and the area around it is like a planned city with several office buildings with ground floor retail. It’s much cleaner and more orderly than even the ‘upscale’ Makati. There’s a waterfront promenade on the bay with many outdoor restaurants and amusements that’s popular with locals and tourists alike.
Filipino food is generally not very good. Having hundreds of options of all types of cuisine right around the mall is a huge plus for a hotel stay.
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The mall area is also about as close to the airport as you can reasonably get. Manila is huge and famous for its gridlocked traffic so being able to get to and from the airport easily is a valuable consideration. Some parts of the city can take two hours to reach the airport.
TRYP Mall of Asia Property
This hotel is a bit strange. It’s 18 stories tall but not actually very big as a building. There’s nothing but an entrance on the ground floor, and you have to take an escalator up to the second floor lobby. The lobby is large, modern and nice with a front desk, several seating areas, panoramic windows, a bar and a small business center.
The rooftop pool is definitely a highlight at this property with a small fitness center in that area as well. They operate a bar on the rooftop in the evenings but the hours are limited. Views of Manila Bay and the city are outstanding and the uncrowded pool is a great oasis from the dirty and chaotic streets of Manila.
An airport shuttle is listed as an amenity of this property but it actually costs 1200 pesos. A Grab to the airport is about 300 pesos. So the shuttle is really only for large families with a shitload of luggage. There is a free shuttle at posted times to the Mall of Asia, but it’s really only a walk of about four city blocks.
TRYP Mall of Asia Guest Rooms
I think this hotel is generally in pretty high demand and sells well. I was only able to book a two queen bed room. It was nice. Clean and comfortable. Had a fridge and a kettle. TV working. Bathroom fine. A little seat by the window. overall nice and nothing to complain about at all.
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The TRYP brand is nicer than most of Wyndham’s offerings and I’d definitely stay at one again in another city.
About Manila
It stinks. It’s not a good destination. There’s not anything interesting here. I wanted to like Manila but after two visits I just have to admit I don’t.
Aside from Makati I also stayed a few days in the Chinatown area of Binondo. That was a free stay at another Wyndham property on points. And. Jesus Christ it was awful. There’s literal slums there. If you attempt to stay anywhere besides the three places I mentioned here’s what will happen: You’ll spend an hour or more each day round trip in a Grab going to and from those areas because they’re the only places worth spending time.
Bottom Line
The only good reason to visit Manila is as a one night stopover on the way to a beach destination.
In that context the Mall area, and the TRYP Mall of Asia specifically are probably the best choice. Highly recommended if that’s part of your itinerary.
