The Peninsula Manila

Why book?

Deeply woven into the capital’s history and well-heeled society, the Peninsula Manila is the top stay in town, offering world-class luxury for which the hotel name is globally known.

Set the scene

Arriving at the Peninsula Manila – the “Manila Pen,” as we Manileños call it – offers that familiar feeling of stepping into the salon of an imposing yet warm-hearted great aunt, a fabulous deputy matriarch of a Filipino family, who’s throwing a casual afternoon get-together for hundreds of her closest friends. Never had that experience? You will as soon as you step into this grande dame’s triple-height Lobby (capital L, please) where you’ll find locals on banquettes toting Vuitton wallets and washing down scones with rooibos teas. They’re the Escada-clad doyennes holding court and execs in Lacoste polos signing contracts that move Manila. Yes, there are guests too – travellers from China, Australia, and the US who know the name – but this is first and foremost the capital’s living room and has been for nearly 50 years. It shows no signs of slowing down and everyone is invited to tea.

I should say: This is my hometown hotel and I’ve checked in more times than I can count, e.g. during my mother’s wedding to my stepfather, when I treated them to a stay for their anniversary, for just-because spa daycations. My most recent stay was over the December holiday period, and glittering faux-pine trees towered over me as I was led by guest relations managers to my suite for an in-room check-in. I got dressed for dinner and headed down to the lobby – sorry, Lobby – to find a madrigal choir singing carols; wedding guests in their Filipino fineries milling about after the ceremony but before the reception; and people popping in to take Christmas pictures of and with the decorations. This spirited whirl feels perennial (Filipinos notoriously begin decorating for Christmas as early as September) and far from tranquil. But you could go to the beaches of El Nido or Amanpulo’s private island for such solitude. This is the Manila Pen, a slice of the city, the Philippines at its most metropolitan and proud.

The backstory

The first Peninsula hotel opened in Hong Kong in 1928. It took nearly 50 years for the Kadoorie family to stake their brand’s flag elsewhere, and they chose the Philippine capital. The second-ever Peninsula – a double-winged Brutalist beauty designed by Filipino architect Gabriel Formoso – was built on the corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues in Manila’s financial hub of Makati, ahead of the 1976 International Monetary Fund conference. Since then, it has been the premier hotel venue in Manila for all manner of occasions: social, cultural, and even political. (An armoured military vehicle once stormed the main lobby during the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege; bullet holes in the wall behind the check-in desk are now framed by an artistic copper sculpture.)

The Peninsula Manila celebrates its 50th birthday in September 2026; expect the hotel’s programming calendar to commemorate the anniversary in the near future. But there’s always some sort of event or other happening in its ballrooms, catering as it does to a large events and meetings business. Far from starched and stiff, however, the vibe makes even the most ordinary day seem momentous. One could chalk it up to the resplendent Neoclassical interiors, the classical music floating from the Yamaha piano perched on the mezzanine, or the mingling of locals and tourists from various walks of life. Here, anything can happen.

The rooms

If the Lobby is delightfully ostentatious, then the property’s 351 keys are elegant and subtle. (Save for the presidential suite, I suppose; it has a baby grand piano and private access to the hotel helipad.) There’s a tenderness to the colour palette: Alice blue linens and grey carpeted floors contrast against the dark wood and rattan sofas (there’s the Filipino touch). My premier suite had a view of the leafy Ayala Triangle Park through expansive windows, and a layout that made the place ready for move-in: a big living area, a large executive desk, a generous bedroom, and a walk-in closet. The marble bathroom had a separate shower, toilet, and bathtub, as well as toiletries scented with chamomile, ylang ylang, and cedar, a creation by noted Filipino nose Wiji Lacsamana. The overall aesthetic effect is a traditional one – here are no boundary-breaking adventures in interior design here – but the room had useful tech touches like bedside outlets and ports for charging your gear, a Nespresso coffee machine, and multi-function panels for lighting, air-conditioning, and valet calls.

Food and drink

There’s something for every taste among the dining venues at the Manila Pen: Hit the hotel guest breakfast and all-day buffets at Escolta for pizzas, fresh sushi, and prime cuts at the carving stations. Grab Southeast Asian plates at Spices before heading to the pool, which the space’s glass-walled pavilion overlooks; crispy catfish salad, tôm nướng tiger prawns, and lamb curry are good places to start. Pre-game dinner – or have a nightcap – at Salon de Ning, where the decor is put together by the imagined “Madame Ning,” a Shanghainese socialite who opened a club in Manila for some reason; and the drinks are electric, flavoured with the likes of Sichuan pepper and lapsang souchong. At Old Manila, French fine dining and white-tablecloth suppers are the name of the game; at the simply-named Bar, malt whisky and leather club chairs (keep an eye out for temporary takeovers conducted by Asia’s top mixologists); and at the Gallery Club Lounge, nibbles sized for taking tea at all hours of the day.

Now, all that said, I cannot emphasise enough that the main event is the Lobby. Park at this all-day spot (espressos and eggs with fried rice hit tables from 7:00 a.m. and the last martinis go out at 11:00 p.m.) and watch the parade come and go – Filipinos in their Sunday best, foreign suits in town for contracts and acquisitions, out-of-towners fueling up before excursions to the shopping malls, families looking to treat themselves – as you dine on crab cakes, sesame chicken salads, and towers of confections for afternoon tea. They all fill the soaring sun-filled atrium, crowned with a sculpture of bronze, copper, and steel that resembles a bursting sun, the beating heart of this hotel.

The spa

The Peninsula Fitness Centre’s spa treatment menu puts a spotlight on Philippine traditions like hilot, an ancient Filipino healing art that finds and releases energy blockages in the body using coconut and lemongrass oils, and local brands like Amu'in aromatherapy to relax or revitalise. Such techniques were especially effective on me: When I last stayed at the Peninsula, I was fresh from a car accident and hobbling around on a cane. My two-hour appointment at the spa helped release pent-up pain and tension; after my early morning session, I returned to my suite and slept from 12 p.m. until dinner time.

The spa area also has saunas and steam rooms. The gym is very well-equipped with free weights and training machines by LifeFitness. Plus, there's a team of in-house personal trainers available on request. The outdoor pool is 82 feet long and served by the Pool Snack Bar; the options include calamari, nachos, and Korean hot wings. The whole Peninsula Fitness Centre isn’t overly large, but in all my stays, never have I ever found it to be off-puttingly crowded.

The neighbourhood/area

The Peninsula Manila sits at the corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues, right at the centre of the financial district of Makati. (Makati is technically a city, one of 16 cities – and a municipality – that make up the capital region of Metro Manila.) I've always described it as the sort of Manhattan of the Philippines: with sleek luxury shopping malls, gritty and cool neighbourhoods, and everything in between. From the hotel, you can walk to Legazpi Village with its cute restaurants; Salcedo Village with the weekend markets; Poblacion with hip nightlife; and the Greenbelt Mall complex with every possible shop and designer boutique you could need. Of course, if you're in town for work, you're steps away from Manila's top financial headquarters.

In a capital city that's notoriously traffic-jammed, the area around the Manila Pen is refreshingly walkable, with signage in the under- and overpasses that help you navigate the streets. Going around on your own is a fun way to explore; that said, the concierge at the hotel is superb and can put together tours and excursions at request. You could even ride the very charming Peninsula Jeepney, a souped-up and air-conditioned version of the kinds locals use for paid public transportation.

The service

Polished and professional service is warmed by Filipino hospitality at the Peninsula Manila. International travellers will have a relatively easy time communicating in English, given its widespread use in the country, particularly in the hospitality sector. Individual team members can admittedly feel a little by-the-book, but everyone on the whole is friendly and happy to help. And a tip for hanging out in the Lobby: Don’t be shy about flagging down the staff; it’s a huge space and a clear cue that you need something is always appreciated.

For families

Connecting rooms and suites can easily accommodate groups and families, and the team has programming for kids, like a cooking class on how to make the Filipino dessert halo-halo (translated from the Filipino: “mix-mix,” for the way that it's a melange of cooked fruit, egg custard, pulses, shaved ice, and purple yam ice cream).

Accessibility

Elevators help in navigating the property's multiple floors. That said, I realised that it can be a bit of a hike getting anywhere, the way that the rooms are laid out between two wings. So while there's step-free access to all the essential common areas, be prepared to spend a couple of extra minutes getting to the elevators.