The Tower Inn Makati
I first heard of the Tower Inn Makati in 2010. Marc and I had gone to the Philippines for the Christmas holidays and we stayed in the Dusit Thani Hotel then. A close family friend recommended that we checked this place out and perhaps stay here the next time we returned. Apparently it was not as expensive as the hotel we were staying in nor the hotels in the Central Business District of Makati. Further research on the place did show it was a lot cheaper. When Marc and I checked the place out during our second visit in 2011, we found the hotel's bathrooms not so nice. On this solo trip when I wanted to stay in Makati close to the shopping malls, the financial district, and the plethora of upscale hotels where I could wine and dine during the Easter break, I chose to stay at the Tower Inn. I was still apprehensive about the place given the reviews on Tripadvisor but since I was determined to save money, I booked a single room here for a mere US $54 a night. I was still not sure I made the right choice up until the last minute. When my family and I reached the lobby, I spoke to the lady who checked me in and asked her if I could still change my mind about staying there should the room be not to my liking and standards. The female employee agreed to me checking the place out first and boy, was I in for a pleasant surprise.
The façade of the hotel. The hotel sits on Arnaiz Avenue formerly known as Pasay Road. The hotel sits right across the newly constructed Fairmont Hotel and a mere block away from The Landmark, a local department store.
The stairs leading to the hotel. There is a ramp on the side for wheelchair access.
The lobby, not shabby I say
The front desk
One of the lounge areas where people relaxed and congregated throughout the day.
The table where I had breakfast every single day during my stay
The other part of the dining area and restaurant. I only had breakfasts here but apparently a lunch buffet was served for PH 300 pesos per person during the weekdays.
I was assigned Room 212. It was a single occupancy room with a single bed tucked in one corner of the room. There was no view. The room was located next to the wall of an adjacent building. This did not bother me at all. Some travelers who stayed in this room felt claustrophobic but I didn't. The room was perfect for me.
This was my bed. It was firm but comfortable.
The desk and flat screen TV at the foot of my bed. The TV had cable which included CNN International, the BBC, FOX News, NatGeo Channel, TLC, and a lot more.
Although the room was only for just one person, there was ample space. It didn't feel cramped at all. This was the corner where I placed my two trunk like suitcases.
The bedside table which had the switch for the table lamp and one of the ceiling lights.
My bed once the duvet had been folded for the night.
The closet
The bathroom door between the hotel room door on the left and the closet on the right
A view of the bathroom from the hallway
The once dark bathroom had been retiled and renovated. Apparently all the bathrooms had been retiled and now look like this. It certainly looked clean and bright unlike when the bathroom walls had the speckled gray tiles.
The shower handle. One word of caution though. Hot water was more luke warm than hot. Since it is very hot Manila, this did not bother me.
The toilet and shelf with the bathroom amenities which included a shampoo bottle, a lotion bottle, and a toothbrush.
The sink
There was free breakfast provided for every paying hotel guest. Every morning, I had to claim a coupon from the front desk and gave it to the waiter on duty. I like the food I ate and in fact had this plate for many mornings. I had fish with one egg and garlic rice. It was good and in fact loved it. The set breakfast plate catered mostly to the taste of the local visitors so this could pose a problem to foreigners.
Would I recommend this hotel? Most definitely! The hotel is in an excellent location and previous hotel visitors who wrote reviews about this place vouched for this. It is right across the street from all the shopping, the restaurants, movie theaters, and more. It is very, very safe.
Should you desire luxury, Makati, Manila's premier financial district is replete with high end hotels. There's the Peninsula and the Shangrila. The Tower Inn is across the street from the Fairmont and Raffles Hotel. Two new hotels built in the last two years. A modern and brand spanking new Holiday Inn is likewise a stone's throw away. Unlike the many Holiday Inn hotels in the US, the one in Makati is slick and very modern. The Dusit is also down the street. For these places, expect to pay more of course. Double the price at the Tower Inn, if not much, much more.
I just hope the Tower Inn doesn't get too popular with tourists. I would hate for it to raise its prices. When this happens, I would have a hard time looking for a value for money hotel in Makati.