I was spending 24 hours in Manila and chose the Holiday Inn instead of the Crowne Plaza next door, basically because it was a bit cheaper and I wouldn't be spending much time in the room anyway. Not that I can complain much, because as a platinum member of the Priority Club programme I was upgraded to a bigger room, with some complimentary nice chocolates. However several things didn't turn out as expected: my key wouldn't open the door, and they couldn't fix it, so every time I returned to my room I needed someone from the staff to open it for me; the password I was given for the internet didn't work... And not a big issue, but the hotel is in need of some general refurbishment.

Other than this, it was fine, and so is its location. But next time I may give the Crowne Plaza a try...

We stayed in Holiday Inn Manila Galleria to celebrate the New Year 2012. Prior to that, we have stayed at this hotel over a number of years already to celebrate similar events (Christmas, birthdays) as I am personally a Priority Club member (the in-house hotel loyalty program of the Intercontinental Hotel Group, of which Holiday Inn is a part of), and in Manila, Holiday Inn provides who the most cost-efficient way to earn points for the program.

As their current advertorials state, the rooms have undergone some refurbishments and improvements. The beddings were definitely an improvement and our room was VERY spacious for two people - it had a receiving area with a place for your laptop. The bathroom was pretty standard but that suited us fine as we are not fussy travelers.

The room rate we got was the "Breakfast Internet Promo" - just a little over 4000 pesos (under US$100) for a big room (I believe it was 44 sqm) that included the breakfast buffet at Fab (their cafe) as well as FREE use of the internet (which is usually NOT free in Manila, and an excuse for hotels to charge exorbitant rates for the service). I would strongly recommend anyone who can avail of this rate to TAKE IT, it is worth the price.

A few portions of the carpeting seemed dated, and there was a post with a discolored portion of wallpaper, but those are really just nitpicking at the "imperfect" parts. The comfortable beds and ability to adjust the air conditioner settings were very welcome, and the space of the room made the other issues really not a big deal at all.

Check in time was at 2PM (as stated in the rate's guidelines) but it was December 31, 2011 when we checked in, and we were expecting a deluge of people queuing which we did not relish, so we decided to head to the hotel early and chance an early check in time (12NN) - and we were able to get in at that time, too! The early bird does catch the worm - or the extra 2 hours of stay.

The hotel is adjacent to the mall Robinson's Galleria. The mall has undergone some expansions and renovations as well (including a dining area facing the area where cars pass by - NOT a good idea for outdoor eating) but it will definitely be great for retail therapy as they feature a mix of local and international brands. There is a 7-11 across the hotel so you can easily get some supplies or late night cravings sated (although Housekeeping woould be more than happy to give you the essentials you forgot to pack like toothpaste and shaving kit).

All in all, this is great base to stay in if you are comfortable in "city surroundings".

If your looking for a hotel near a mall in manila, then this is one to consider. You don't have to go out to get to the mall. There is a connecting floor that goes straight to shops and restaurant. The staff were also friendly and accomodating. What I liked the most was that we thought we left a paper bag with shoes and clothes. I called the hotel and they were helpful and really tried to help me find our stuff back. We found out it was left behind in another van. Still the staff made their effort in helping us. The rooms were clean and spacious. We enjoyed our stay and recommend this hotel to traveleres in manila.

This is a hotel with dated furniture and musky carpeting. In the two rooms I occupied in 10 days, they both featured the dark industrial grey color found in doctor offices. The second room I occupied which is an upgraded room isn't much better. The house cleaning staff is very friendly, as well as front desk.

I love the direct access to the Robinson's Mall from the 4th floor. The 5th floor has the suriya spa and golds gym. The daily internet charge is very expensive, so if you booked using a travel site featuring free internet use...make sure you print this out and give to front desk. They'll give you a printout of you free password for free access. Unless you want to argue at the last day with the P300 daily use charge.

The MRT station is "Ortigas" very close by, and the "edsa shrine" is just around the corner from the Hotel.

Try not to over pay at this hotel. It's not worth it no matter how the professional pictures look!