Asia - 1st Time Manila: Shame to skip Makati and stay at Sofitel or Marriott?

I have a one night stop-over in Manila in November (3 pm to 8 am, Sat/Sun). Would it be a shame to visit Manila for the first time and never make it to Makati? I am considering staying closer to the airport at the Marriott or stay at the Sofitel rather than in Makati since I want to try the Spiral buffet at Sofitel (after renovations are complete) and see the casino at Resorts World. Also, the hotel car airport transfers are cheaper if I stay out of Makati. But now I am feeling bad that it would be a mistake to not see Makati.....would I really be missing something? Would I get gouged by the hotel taxis for taking a trip to Makati from Sofitel or Marriott?

Many thanks for any insight.

Will you be by yourself?

Everything you heard about Filipino traffic is true. If your flight lands at 3pm you will be very lucky to be at your hotel in Makati area by 5pm. around the hotel you will probably see the sterile side of Makati around Greenbelt.

Unless you know what you are doing in Philippines or have a trusted guide it might not be a good idea to see the real Filipino side of Makati on a Saturday night.

Will you be by yourself?

Everything you heard about Filipino traffic is true. If your flight lands at 3pm you will be very lucky to be at your hotel in Makati area by 5pm. around the hotel you will probably see the sterile side of Makati around Greenbelt.

Unless you know what you are doing in Philippines or have a trusted guide it might not be a good idea to see the real Filipino side of Makati on a Saturday night.

Many thanks for your reply. Yes - I will be solo. I had understood that Makati was safe to walk around a bit. Is there really any reason to experience Makati by walking around a bit, or might I as well stay at a resort for the night, closer to the airport....?

There are so many things to see and do in Makati, especially in the Mall area. If you want to see the entire Makati area, just negotiate a price with a cab driver and let the driver know what you want to see and do. If you take a cab, just remember to lock the doors because they have street kids that can easily reach into the car. Also, if you see these street kids, do not give them anything. If you do, the next thing you'll see is every other street kid swarming into your vehicle. Take it from my experience. If you want to wander around to other parts of Manila, you might want to consider taking the MRT (train/subway). It's fast, especially if you're going from Makati to Cubao or by the Malate (by the US Embassy area). I would not recommend taking a taxi or a jeepney if you're going outside Makati. As they say, "It's more fun in The Philippines."

I stayed at the Mandarin Oriental and walked the short distance to the Greenbelt Mall. Very nice mall with many shops and restaurants. Local bands playing the evening. Felt perfectly safe walking around at night. I think it takes about an hour to get to the airport by taxi.

Around Makati you get an American version of Philippines. Greenbelt/Glorietta/SM are safe places to hang out on Saturday night.

Re Cabbing around: specify the sights that you want to see(written list will be good), ask if the A/C is working and the driver will be using it. Have patience with the driver's English skills. Ask a question such a way that it can't be simply answered by "Yes, Sir!"
At beginning of trip fake a cell phone call and give name of driver, his taxi license number and the car license.
OR
Have hotel concierge arrange a driver/guide after you have dinner.

I have a one night stop-over in Manila in November (3 pm to 8 am, Sat/Sun). Would it be a shame to visit Manila for the first time and never make it to Makati? I am considering staying closer to the airport at the Marriott or stay at the Sofitel rather than in Makati since I want to try the Spiral buffet at Sofitel (after renovations are complete) and see the casino at Resorts World. Also, the hotel car airport transfers are cheaper if I stay out of Makati. But now I am feeling bad that it would be a mistake to not see Makati.....would I really be missing something? Would I get gouged by the hotel taxis for taking a trip to Makati from Sofitel or Marriott?

I do a similar one-night stay in MNL about 1-2 times a year, but I tend to arrive closer to 9 PM and leave at 9:30 AM, so I stay at the Marriott. However, given that you have an extra six hours, as long as you don't mind waking up extra early as insurance against the awful MNL traffic I would probably choose somewhere more central with more interesting nightlife. (Though I will admit that people-watching at the Maxims casino can be interesting...)

I do a similar one-night stay in MNL about 1-2 times a year, but I tend to arrive closer to 9 PM and leave at 9:30 AM, so I stay at the Marriott. However, given that you have an extra six hours, as long as you don't mind waking up extra early as insurance against the awful MNL traffic I would probably choose somewhere more central with more interesting nightlife. (Though I will admit that people-watching at the Maxims casino can be interesting...)

Many thanks everyone for your insights and suggestions.

Would traffic at 6:30 am on a Sunday morning be light? I would expect so...and that is when i am travelling to MNL....

In terms of the Maxims casino, is that the casino that you would recommend checking out? I was thinking of the one attached to the Marriott, but maybe this is the same one?

In terms of the Maxims casino, is that the casino that you would recommend checking out? I was thinking of the one attached to the Marriott, but maybe this is the same one?

It is the same one (it's technically attached to the Marriott but I don't think there's a way to get between them without going outside). I don't necessary "recommend" it per se, but given that there's not much else to do in the vicinity it's okay. Usually I've still got a couple hours left in me after arriving and checking into the hotel, so I tend to spend them wandering around nearby.

Personally I find Makati very dull - seeing as you're there one night, I would just shoot for the Marriott.

Take a yellow metered cab from the airport - it will only be about 150 PHP. The driver will be annoyed he's only getting a short fare, so make sure you tip him well. The hotel service is overpriced.

You don't need to worry about taking cabs from the Marriott - they will bring you in a metered cab and they take down the plate of every cab that comes in, so the cab drivers know if they screw you around, they won't be back. Have taken cabs from there just fine.

The casino has a good house band and there's also a cinema and theatre next to it. You can get directly into the mall from the Marriott

BTW, your trip to MNL coincides with a big holiday weekend, Nov 1st (Thursday) & 2nd (Friday) are holidays, so just about everyone will have a 4 day weekend.