Best Hotel In Manila: The Peninsula Hotel Review

Last updated on April 24th, 2025

The Peninsula Hotels is a luxury hotel brand which has a strong focus on quality. From the moment I pulled into the driveway at The Peninsula Manila, I knew that I was going to have a fantastic experience. With my first step out of the car, I immediately heard “Welcome Mr. Blake” and was ushered into the lobby where my jaw dropped.

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The Peninsula Manila’s lobby is absolutely massive, and screams luxury. This is clearly the place to be and everyone around the city seemed to be very aware of it. The lobby alone is worth a visit. In the evenings they have live orchestra music. I loved that it’s open 24 hours a day even though I’m not personally a night owl. Whether it’s breakfast, afternoon tea, or dinner, there’s always a reason to be at The Peninsula Manila’s lobby.

Back to my check in process, which happened in my suite on the 11th floor. I was escorted to the room by the very courteous staff. Just like the lobby, the suite had a timeless design and focused on quality everything. In the large living room there were sofas, chairs, a dining room table, a fully stocked tea and coffee station, half bathroom, and a tasty welcome amenity of fruits and sweets! I felt like I was at my mansion, I mean, at my home.

The bedroom was approximately the same size as the living room, very spacious indeed. There was a large desk, comfortable bedding, lounge chair, and a great view both day and night! Look at these photos! Both the living room and bedroom had control stations for the air conditioning and lights which made my life easy throughout my stay.

The full bathroom and walk-in closet were also very spacious. The bathroom featured a single sink, large bathtub, shower stall, and separate toilet stall. I liked that they used shavers with three blades and not the cheap ones. Well done Peninsula Manila! I love you, please marry me.

The closet was practically the size of another bedroom.

The hotel has two towers. My room was not in the same tower as the club lounge so I had to go down the elevator, walk across the lobby, then go back up another elevator in the other tower to get to the fourth floor club lounge. The trek was worth it each time and gave me a chance to revel in the beautiful lobby as I passed through. The Peninsula Manila’s Club Lounge offers breakfast, afternoon tea and evening food and drinks from 18:00 to 20:00.

The service and quality of food was incredibly consistent at the club lounge! Some of the most attentive, and courteous service I’ve ever been able to enjoy ever, and I’ve reviewed 215 luxury hotels worldwide at the time of writing this. Everything I ate was very delightful and I loved trying the local Filipino dishes, the Sisig was my favorite, thanks Chef Philip for your kindness! The cozy atmosphere, impeccable service, and tasty food and drink make this a top-notch club lounge where you’ll never be left hungry!

On the ground floor of the property you’ll find the famous Peninsula Manila pool, fitness and spa. The pool is very impressive, a tropical oasis. The gym looks out over the pool and has lots of quality and modern equipment to choose from. Inside the respective male and female locker rooms, you’ll find a steam room and dry sauna.

There are lots of venues to enjoy breakfast at The Peninsula Manila. For my stay I had breakfast in the room and the gorgeous lobby. Since it was my first trip to the Philippines, I focused on the local Filipino Cuisine and tried milk fish, Filipino style corned beef hash, beef tapas, dried fish, Longaniza (Filipino sausage), all with garlic rice. I was pleasantly surprised that Filipino food matched my flavor preferences of sour, and spicy. No matter where I ate, or what I ate, it all tasted great!

During the stay, I enjoyed afternoon tea in the lobby. If you have a chance, spend time in this lobby, even if it’s only for a coffee, it’s seriously worth the visit. The beauty of the lobby matched with the top-notch Peninsula Manila service is a recipe for success. I went for the Bain De Roses tea!

If you have a chance, also order the Poorman’s Tea, an exceptional cocktail.

Throughout my stay there were little personal touches that put The Peninsula Manila far ahead of the competition. Even though it was a week after my birthday, I was treated to a birthday cake, balloons and sung happy birthday by the staff. There was always a lovely turn-down amenity to look forward to, whether it was a gin and tonic kit, chocolate, or other treats! They even gave me small cable straps to contain my cords and a glasses cleaning kit! To top it off, they took of photo during my birthday greeting and put it in a picture frame and delivered it to me. I really didn’t want to leave!

The Peninsula Manila lived up to all of the hype and actually over-delivered time and time again. This hotel is one of the top hotels of my life. At the end of the day, the fact that every Peninsula Manila employee was so delightful made this property truly exceptional. My stay at The Peninsula Manila Hotel was flawless, and I can highly recommend absolutely everyone to visit whether it’s a stay or just a tea in the lobby!

The Peninsula Manila

Hotel

Corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues, 1226, Makati, Metro Manila

Phone: +63 2 887 2888

Pierre Blake

Travel enthusiast, writer, and photographer. Sharing tips and tricks to help you explore the world on any budget.