OUR RATING: 1/10
Despite being number seven on Priceline’s list of best accommodations in Manila, the Manila Pavilion and Casino was a huge disappointment. If you’re going to spend $72 a night on a hotel, spend an extra $20 and book yourself a room at a well-known hotel chain. The Manila Pavilion is nowhere near being a 4-star standard hotel.
Our room on the 19th floor was in a dark, wood-paneled corridor that smelled as much of smoke as it did of dust. The room was nasty. Threadbare carpets, uneven furniture that was obviously bottom of the barrel, a bedspread that was as distasteful to look at as it was to sleep on, moldy bathroom fixtures, and an odd smell that was vaguely suggestive of old cheese. We’ve stayed in $8US rooms that were cleaner and better equipped than our room at the Manila Pavilion.
Our disgust with the room was so great that we went down to the front desk to see if we could move. We found out we could upgrade to a room in the new wing of the hotel for an extra $12US. The new wing, however, wasn’t much better than the old wing. We didn’t find the staff helpful at all. We were reluctant to try out the hotel restaurant, and we were frisked going in and out of the hotel.
You wouldn’t be getting any complaints from us if the room had been under $20US, but $72US is a steep price to pay for such shabby accommodations. If you’re staying in Manila, the Manila Pavilion and Casino is one establishment you’ll want to give a miss.
