Lotus Garden Hotel‘s unassuming facade is not its strongest selling point. But I did not consider that at all when I was still weighing hotel options for my trip to Manila.
All I wanted at that time was to stay in an affordable accommodation that’s located not too far from the NAIA 2. It would also be a plus factor if the hotel is situated near the heritage spots in the city.
Since Lotus Garden Hotel fits all these descriptions well, I decided to stay here for my layover in the capital.
Clean and comfortable rooms
After a breezy check-in, I was ushered to my room – a Deluxe with Kitchenette. It has 2 comfortable double beds, a small dining table and a kitchenette that I never used.
You could easily see that this accommodation is spacious enough for a family or barkada of 4. In retrospect, I should have invited my other travel buddies to crash in with me before our flight to Hong Kong.
I would have wanted to just snooze the afternoon away if only to be spared from Manila’s humidity and bustling traffic. Or I could have lazily streamed YouTube clips of Jimmy Fallon or James Corden especially after finding out that the hotel has wickedly fast Internet connection.
But the lures of nearby Solidaridad, F. Sionil Jose’s Filipiniana bookstore and the Spoliarium at the National Museum were too hard to resist.
I then closed my laptop, left my card keys at the lobby and met my good friend Popoy waiting for me.
Central location
Manila is a city that does take awhile to love. But if you explore it on foot, you might be able to appreciate its beauty and even embrace its madness.
That is why my original itinerary was to walk from Solidaridad all the way to the National Museum. I think that this was actually doable but Popoy suggested that we take the jeepney instead. We still needed to drop by a typewriter shop somewhere in Sampaloc.
I imagine though that if I just walked around the hotel’s neighborhood, my afternoon probably would be spent along the stretch of Roxas Boulevard. I’d pass by the US Embassy, make a stop at the Rizal Shrine at Luneta and catch the world-famous Manila Bay sunset on my return.
Exploring Manila’s heritage districts on foot or by jeepney would only be possible if you stay at Lotus Garden. Its central location makes it an ideal jumpoff for your adventures in the city.
Excellent customer service
My stay at Lotus Garden Hotel was made more memorable thanks to their well-trained staff and personnel.
First, the front desk staffs allowed me to avail of the complimentary buffet breakfast right after I checked in. I explained that I would be checking out very early the next day. They didn’t ask any other questions after that.
Finally, their security personnel also helped me hail a cab at 3 AM. They then instructed the taxi driver to immediately turn on the meter after I hopped in. This gave me a sense of safety as most cabbies in these parts overcharge when they learn that you’ll be headed to an international airport.
Indeed, the hotel’s other strong selling point is their excellent customer service. I experienced it literally from check-in to check-out.
This brand of hospitality ultimately differentiates Lotus Garden Hotel Manila from everyone else. I’d gladly return here for my layovers or business trips in the future.
Lotus Garden Hotel Manila
1227 A. Mabini St. & P. Faura St.
Ermita Manila 1000 Philippines
For reservations, call +63-2-522-1515 or email lotusreservations@citygardenhotels.com
Disclosure: The blogger would like to thank Lotus Garden Hotel Manila for the complimentary stay. Even so, he maintains full editorial control of this hotel review.
