The Best Luxury Hotels in Manila

Filipino hospitality, high-end amenities and spectacular views meet at the Sheraton Manila Bay. The tower-like hotel spies the surrounding city, especially from the smart Sunset Lounge bar and outdoor pool deck. Every guest has access to a personalised butler service and rooms have views of Manila Bay. Those wanting to up the ante should plumb for the Presidential Suite to soak up views from the jacuzzi tub and massage shower.

Set in magnificent Manila Bay, the Diamond Hotel is a five star that focuses on recreation and wellness. The health club offers personalised fitness programmes, spa packages and reflexology treatments, plus there’s a swimming pool, outdoor whirlpool, tennis courts and steam rooms to leave guests feeling refreshed and energised. The Premier Suites are the real jewel by the bay thanks to exclusive perks, such as butler service and a gratis buffet breakfast.

This Sofitel comprises polished French design and decor with a Filipino cultural touch. Overlooking Manila Bay, it has a lagoon-like swimming pool, 12 acres (5ha) of tropical gardens, mini-golf, tennis, petanque courts and even a jogging trail. Splurge on a spa treatment on the private outdoor sundeck or a holistic health programme at the So Fit wellness centre, then dine under the stars at the Sunset Bar where live cultural shows play out.

If the walls of the Manila Hotel could talk, there would definitely be tales to tell. Notable guests here have included presidents, royals and writers, such as Ernest Hemingway, who labelled it one of the most important landmarks in Manila. Today, the historic hotel boasts modern amenities and a spruced-up spa, pilates studio, fitness centre and courtyard pool. Built in a Spanish Revival style with dramatic arches and arcades, and grand chandeliers, it endures as an emblem of old-world charm, sophistication and elegance.

Established in 1898 as a social club for the US Navy, the Rizal Park Hotel reopened in the 21st century after top-to-tail renovation that saw it restored to its former glory. The hotel foyer provides a suitably grand entrance, with marble checkered floors, soaring double-height ceiling, twin twisting staircases and oversized chandeliers. The old-world luxury atmosphere continues throughout the hotel, where antique furniture and modern conveniences await, such as the rooftop infinity pool and bar for some of the best sunset views in the city.

The Winford offers 128 stunning rooms and suites, each with sleek decor and views of the Manila skyline. Restaurants spin the globe from Filipino to Spanish and Chinese, symbolising the city’s crossroad-like status. Enjoy a cocktail at the alfresco pool bar, take a dip in the heated pool with, yes, more views, or unwind at the on-site spa.

Makati Shangri-La is strategically located in Manila’s main shopping district, close to the mall-crawl hubs of Glorietta and Greenbelt. The hotel’s decadence begins in the lobby and continues all the way up to the city-spying rooms and suites. World-class Japanese cuisine is on the menu at Inagiku, courtesy of chef Wataru Hikawa, who crafts multi-course kaiseki meals from land and sea. Meanwhile, Cantonese cuisine is served up at the Bond-worthy, red-velvet-clad Shang Palace. The outdoor pool is the place to turn on holiday mode.

Raffles has become a byword for luxury and the Makati outpost certainly lives up to expectations. A sanctuary within the city’s business district, it offers 32 spacious suites with floor-to-ceiling windows that offer mesmerising views of the cityscape and butlers at your service. Treat yourself in the spa’s eucalyptus steam room or have an invigorating swim in the hotel’s outdoor pool. Guests can also take a tour with the in-house art concierge to learn about the works on display throughout the hotel.

The vibrant rooms here deftly showcase Nobu’s modern design ethos. From the origami-inspired furnishings and cherry-blossom wall panelling to the free Japanese tea, rooms and suites speak to simple sophistication. All have views of the city or the infinity pool. This being part of chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s hotel empire, guests are granted a table at the in-house Nobu Restaurant for innovative Japanese fusion dishes, such as king-crab tempura and black cod in miso.

Conrad Manila’s unique architecture was designed to look like the yachts that dot Manila Bay’s waters. Chic and sleek, every room is outfitted with clever technology, such as Bluetooth-enabled entertainment, hydrotherapy rain showers and smart lighting that adjusts to the time of day. Indeed, every detail is rather well thought out, from the fine art found throughout, to the infinity pool that offers views of the sea and the low-lit spa treatment rooms with their oversized soaking tubs.

This 1940s-era mansion is now a characterful boutique hotel set in a leafy compound in the Pasay neighbourhood, a quiet respite from Manila’s city-centre bustle. Each of the 35 spacious rooms speaks to the building’s past with retro floor tiles, dark-wood furnishings and mustard-toned fabrics. Most overlook the back-to-nature grounds, romantically trailed by giant Banyan trees and topped off with a tranquil pool. There’s an honesty shop, where you can pick up handcrafted Filipino products from the Gifts and Graces Foundation, and the Apartment 1B restaurant for morning feasts of fruit bowls, pancakes and more.