Quick answer
Stay at The Peninsula or Seda BGC for business, The Manila Hotel or The Bayleaf for history, and Z Hostel or Lub d in Poblacion on a budget.
In short
- The Peninsula, The Manila Hotel and the Admiral are the luxury picks, in Makati, by Rizal Park and on Manila Bay.
- City Garden Grand, The Picasso and Seda BGC are the mid-range bases for Makati and Bonifacio Global City.
- The Bayleaf puts you inside Intramuros; Holiday Inn Express is two minutes’ drive from NAIA Terminal 3.
- Z Hostel and Lub d are the budget beds in Poblacion, Makati’s nightlife district.
The 11 best hotels in Manila run from The Peninsula Manila, rated 9.0 out of 10 by guests, to Z Hostel’s rooftop bar in Poblacion, and every one was checked on 26 October 2026. Manila hotels split by district, so where to stay in Manila depends on your plans: Makati or BGC for business and restaurants, Ermita, Malate and Intramuros for history and the bay, and Newport City for flights.
Manila hotels at a glance
Manila hotels at a glance: the table compares the 11 picks by district, price level and guest score.
| Hotel | Area | Price level | Guest score | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Peninsula Manila | Makati | Luxury | 9.0/10 | a classic five-star in central Makati |
| The Manila Hotel | Ermita | Luxury | 8.8/10 | history lovers by Rizal Park |
| Admiral Hotel Manila – MGallery | Malate | Luxury | 8.7/10 | couples wanting a heritage hotel on the bay |
| City Garden Grand Hotel | Makati | Mid-range | 8.8/10 | a rooftop pool near Poblacion |
| The Picasso Makati | Makati | Mid-range | 8.8/10 | longer stays with a kitchenette |
| Herald Suites Polaris | Makati | Mid-range | 8.3/10 | a simple room near Poblacion |
| Seda BGC | BGC | Mid-range | 8.6/10 | business trips and High Street shopping |
| The Bayleaf Intramuros | Intramuros | Mid-range | 8.4/10 | exploring Intramuros on foot |
| Holiday Inn Express Manila Newport City | Near NAIA | Mid-range | 7.9/10 | early flights from Terminal 3 |
| Z Hostel | Makati | Budget | 8.2/10 | social travellers in Poblacion |
| Lub d Makati | Makati | Budget | 8.2/10 | a design hostel on Makati Avenue |
- Business trips: The Peninsula or The Picasso in Makati, or Seda BGC in Bonifacio Global City.
- History and sightseeing: The Manila Hotel by Rizal Park, or The Bayleaf inside Intramuros.
- Couples: the Admiral on Roxas Boulevard, with its rooftop bar over Manila Bay.
- Early flights and layovers: Holiday Inn Express in Newport City, next to NAIA Terminal 3.
- Solo travellers and nightlife: Z Hostel or Lub d in Poblacion.
Where to stay in Manila: the five districts
Where to stay in Manila is mostly a choice between districts, because Metro Manila is a group of cities and traffic between them is slow. Pick the district where you will spend your days, then the hotel.
Makati
Makati is the central business district, with Ayala Avenue at its heart. Its northern edge, Poblacion, is the nightlife quarter, home to Z Hostel and Lub d. Salcedo Village, where The Picasso stands, is a leafier corner near the Saturday market. Six of the 11 picks are in Makati.
BGC (Bonifacio Global City)
BGC, or Bonifacio Global City, is the newer business and shopping district in Taguig, east of Makati. Seda BGC is steps from High Street, its main pedestrian strip. It suits business travellers and shoppers more than anyone who wants old Manila.
Ermita and Malate
Ermita and Malate are the bayfront districts along Roxas Boulevard and Rizal Park. The Manila Hotel stands at One Rizal Park, and the Admiral is on Roxas Boulevard in Malate, about 6 km from NAIA according to its official site. Both are close to Intramuros.
Intramuros
Intramuros is the historic Walled City; the Intramuros Administration, set up in 1979, looks after its restoration. Its official hours page lists Fort Santiago at PHP 75 for adults, open from 8 AM on weekdays. The Bayleaf sits inside the walls.
Near NAIA (Newport City, Pasay)
Newport City in Pasay is a resort complex next to NAIA Terminal 3, the main airport. Holiday Inn Express is a two-minute drive from the terminal, according to its Booking.com listing. Stay here for a late arrival or an early flight, not for sightseeing.
Luxury hotels in Manila
Luxury hotels in Manila are city hotels rather than resorts; these three cover Makati, Rizal Park and Manila Bay, each with a pool and a spa.
The Peninsula Manila
The Peninsula Manila stands at the corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues, in the centre of the Makati business district. Guests rate it 9.0 out of 10 from 1,033 guest reviews on Booking.com, read on 26 October 2026, the highest score on this list.
Its official site lists a 22-metre outdoor pool set in tropical gardens, The Peninsula Spa, a fitness centre and the Old Manila fine-dining restaurant, with newly refreshed rooms in a contemporary Filipino design. It suits business and leisure travellers who want a classic five-star base, but not a tight budget.
The Manila Hotel
The Manila Hotel opened on 4 July 1912 at One Rizal Park, and its official history calls it the country’s first five-star hotel and the former official residence of General Douglas MacArthur. Guests rate it 8.8 out of 10 from 805 guest reviews on Booking.com.
It has a re-engineered swimming pool, The Manila Hotel Spa, a gym with Life Fitness machines, the Champagne Room and Cafe Ilang-Ilang, plus its own heritage museum and art gallery. It is the pick for history lovers; if your meetings are in Makati or BGC, the drive makes it a poor base.
Admiral Hotel Manila – MGallery
Admiral Hotel Manila – MGallery is a bay-view hotel at 2138 Roxas Boulevard in Malate, about 4 km from SM Mall of Asia. Guests rate it 8.7 out of 10 from 619 guest reviews on Booking.com.
Its official site says it was among the MICHELIN Guide hotel recommendations for 2024 and 2025. There is the rooftop Admiral Club Manila Bay, Ruby Wong’s Godown among four dining spaces and The Admiral Spa; Booking.com adds an outdoor pool and a fitness centre. Makati’s nightlife is a drive away.
Mid-range hotels in Manila
Mid-range hotels in Manila give you a good location and solid guest scores at a lower level than the grand hotels; these six cover Makati, BGC, Intramuros and the airport.
City Garden Grand Hotel
City Garden Grand Hotel is at 8008 Makati Avenue, on the corner of Kalayaan, on the edge of Poblacion. Guests rate it 8.8 out of 10 from 4,641 guest reviews on Booking.com, the most reviews on this list.
Its official site lists a roof-deck pool, the Firefly Roofdeck Restaurant on the 32nd floor and a breakfast buffet at Spice Cafe on the 7th floor. Rooms are on floors 10 to 25 and take up to two adults and two children, and airport pickup is available on request. The street outside is not quiet.
The Picasso Makati
The Picasso Makati, also known as The Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences, is on L.P. Leviste Street in Salcedo Village, a two-minute walk from the Salcedo Saturday Market. Guests rate it 8.8 out of 10 from 1,043 guest reviews on Booking.com.
Its Booking.com listing shows themed studios and suites with a kitchenette, an art gallery, a two-storey fitness centre, two restaurants and a free shuttle to Ayala Mall and the Makati business district. It suits longer stays; anyone after a resort-style pool should look elsewhere.
Herald Suites Polaris
Herald Suites Polaris is at 45 Polaris Street in Bel-Air, Makati, a short walk from Poblacion. Guests rate it 8.3 out of 10 from 1,356 guest reviews on Booking.com.
Its Booking.com listing shows air-conditioned rooms with a work desk, a restaurant and bar, a coffee shop, a minimarket and a 24-hour front desk. It is a simple, practical room for travellers watching their spend, and it has no pool.
Seda BGC
Seda BGC is the Seda brand’s flagship, on 30th Street at the corner of 11th Avenue in Bonifacio Global City. Its official page puts it just steps from High Street. Guests rate it 8.6 out of 10 from 1,193 guest reviews on Booking.com.
It has 519 refreshed rooms, a swimming pool with a pool bar, the Straight Up rooftop bar, meeting rooms and function halls. It suits business travellers and shoppers; for old Manila sights, Intramuros is a long drive away.
The Bayleaf Intramuros
The Bayleaf Intramuros sits at the corner of Muralla and Victoria Streets, inside the walled city. Guests rate it 8.4 out of 10 from 1,521 guest reviews on Booking.com.
Its official site lists 57 guest rooms and the Sky Deck restaurant, and its Booking.com listing adds an airport shuttle and three restaurants. It is the best base on this list for walking Intramuros, but no pool is listed.
Holiday Inn Express Manila Newport City
Holiday Inn Express Manila Newport City is in Newport City, Pasay, a two-minute drive from NAIA Terminal 3. Guests rate it 7.9 out of 10 from 4,532 guest reviews on Booking.com, the lowest score on this list.
Its Booking.com listing shows a fitness centre, two restaurants and a bar, and apartments with a sofa bed and a kitchenette, with The Runway Manila link a five-minute walk away. It earns its place for early flights and layovers, not for a sightseeing stay.
Budget hotels in Manila
Budget hotels in Manila on this list are two hostels in Poblacion, both offering private rooms with an en-suite bathroom, and both with guest scores of 8.2.
Z Hostel
Z Hostel is on Don Pedro Street in Barangay Poblacion, in the middle of Makati’s nightlife district. Guests rate it 8.2 out of 10 from 1,043 guest reviews on Booking.com.
Its official site lists the Z Roofdeck bar with skyline views and a DJ deck, Z Cafe with a buffet breakfast, and air-conditioned dorms and rooms with en-suite bathrooms, each bed with its own socket and reading lamp. The hostel hosts street parties and DJ nights, so light sleepers should skip it.
Lub d Makati
Lub d Makati is at 7820 Makati Avenue in Poblacion, 600 m from Century City Mall according to its Booking.com listing. Guests rate it 8.2 out of 10 from 1,619 guest reviews on Booking.com.
Its official site shows private 16 m² King rooms with an en-suite bathroom, and the hostel has high-speed WiFi, a rooftop bar, an à la carte breakfast and a 24-hour front desk. There is no pool.
How we chose these Manila hotels
How we chose these Manila hotels matters, because we have not stayed at them. The 11 hotels were chosen from public, checkable data: a precise location, a guest score on Booking.com and facilities read on the official website where one exists, all checked on 26 October 2026.
Where a hotel has no official website, or its website blocks automated checks, the facilities come from its Booking.com listing. The Philippine Department of Tourism does award official star ratings to accredited hotels and resorts, but we have not checked each hotel’s grade, so this list shows no official star category; any star level mentioned is the hotel’s or Booking.com’s own description. No hotel pays to be listed; see the editorial policy and the affiliate disclosure.
Before you book a hotel in Manila
- Arriving passengers register on the official eTravel site, which is free; registration opens 72 hours before arrival. Visa rules depend on your nationality, so check them with an official Philippine source.
- Book in the district you will use: the drive between Makati, BGC and the bayfront districts can take a long time.
- If you land late or fly early, Newport City next to NAIA Terminal 3 saves a cross-town transfer.
- Guest scores change; the figures here were read on 26 October 2026, so check the latest before booking.
When a Manila hotel is the wrong choice
A Manila hotel is the wrong choice if you are only changing planes for the islands. Many travellers spend one night near the airport and move on to Palawan, Boracay or Siargao, where the beaches are.
For island stays, see our guides to hotels in Palawan, hotels in Boracay and hotels in Siargao. The Philippines guide covers the whole country, and about Travel Guide Kit explains how we work.
Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, compare our Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia guides, or for Europe see where to stay and things to do.
More hotel guides
Other hotel guides for Philippines:
Where to stay in Manila
If none of these hotels fits, the areas below are where the other good options are. The map shows the same property across Booking.com and Agoda, with prices live from them.
Common questions
What is the best area to stay in Manila?
The best area to stay in Manila for most visitors is Makati, the business district, with hotels at every level and Poblacion’s bars nearby. BGC suits business and shopping, Ermita, Malate and Intramuros suit history and Manila Bay, and Newport City suits anyone with an early flight from NAIA Terminal 3.
Which Manila hotel is best near the airport?
Holiday Inn Express Manila Newport City is the closest pick on this list, a two-minute drive from NAIA Terminal 3, though its guest score of 7.9 out of 10 is the lowest here. The Admiral on Roxas Boulevard is about 6 km from the airport, according to its official site.
Is Makati or BGC better for a Manila hotel?
Makati is better if you want choice and nightlife: it has six of the 11 picks, from The Peninsula to two Poblacion hostels. BGC is newer and more planned, and Seda BGC is steps from High Street. Both are far from Intramuros and the bayfront, so allow time for traffic.
Which Manila hotel is best for history?
The Manila Hotel is the best Manila hotel for history: it opened in 1912 at Rizal Park and has its own heritage museum. The Bayleaf puts you inside the Intramuros walls, close to Fort Santiago, which the Intramuros Administration lists at PHP 75 for adults.
Written and checked by
Travel Guide Kit Editorial
An editorial desk, not an invented persona. Every opening time, ticket price and transport connection here is checked against the operator’s own website and carries the date it was read. Where a page cannot draw on direct experience, it says so.