Modo

Im with you on this dilemna. I took the IHG status match expecting to easily qualify for 2017 out of stays at this hotel. Im already 10 stays elsewhere in Manila.

I also agree on HI Makati. Dreadful over priced hotel.

Give the New World a go. Join their online club and stay at the Residence Club floor. Rooms are a bit small and house keeping as ever in The Philippines is dubious. But otherwise the best of a bad, expensive dated bunch of hotels.

NoStressHere

Thanks for your tip on New World hotel. Signed for their online club. Current promotion ends before our trip, but I clicked on it to check dates and BINGO - Residence Club Floor for $112 a night plus $25 in taxes. Done!

(My plan was to stay at the new Conrad, as a Diamond... oh well)

Modo

The Residence Club at The New World is pretty good. Great view, wonderful staff and high quality food offerings - although from a visit last week they seem to have removed at least two dishes from the evening offering. The dm sum that comes from the Chinese restaurant downstairs are better than in Hong Kong! Rooms are frankly a bit small for the hotel standard but with the lounge and spacious atrium on each level you tend not to notice. Get an Uber the hotel airport car offer is insanely expensive.

The New World is going to struggle for my 20+ nights per year when the Conrad opens. Unfortunately most of the other forthcoming Western brand hotel openings seem to be in the Resorts World casino complex near the airport. All the ither hotels in Makati apart from the Fairmont are starting to show their age - and not very gracefully. The well reviewed HI Makati is horrendous. It tends to get used as a staycation venue by large local familes. At weekends it is like a zoo.

atlion25

Have a reservation for a stay in the next few months and just received notification that I'd be relocated to the Hyatt if I keep the reservation.

"We have made arrangements with the Hyatt City of Dreams Manila to keep your reservation during this timeframe using your HHonors points. The Hyatt is located at Asean Avenue corner Roxas Boulevard, Entertainment City, Parańaque, Manila, Philippines, 1701. We will keep the original number of HHonors points for your stay. If you choose to accept this arrangement there can be no changes once the reservation is confirmed; the reservation is non-cancellable. Because this property is not under the Hilton flag you will not receive point or stay credit and you will not receive any HHonors benefits."

Seems like a rather unfriendly offer considering that my current reservation is fully refundable, I'd otherwise receive breakfast as a Diamond, and that as a points and money reward I would have earned points on the cash portion.

scubaccr

Was offer from hilton corporate or the conrad? Halfway house here as hilton get points and hotel gets cash portion at checkin. In either case Conrad would be the on hook to pay Hyatt hotel for delayed opening.

Agreed why change a flex booking to non-cancel months ahead. No reason why hilton/conrad need force issueso far ahead.

Anyway as a Hyatt elite youd book direct. Would Hyatt honour your Hyatt benefits if Hilton paid some cheap inter-hotel rate to move your reservation, making akin to a 3rd party or ota booking?

As HHD and suposed guaranteed Hilton (Conrad Brand) reservation, surely you can call this a "Diamond Walk" ? I'd argue it is a walk whether done before arrival or at arrival time!

You didn't say if Conrad is for single or multinight stay?

Then as a diamond walk you are entitled to
$100 cash
refund of points within 24hours
Conrad to pay full cost of alternative accommodation (or is it just pay first night?)
Free transfer from Conrad to Hyatt

atlion25

The e-mail was from Hilton corporate and not a member of the Conrad Manila staff. It is for a two night stay and I agree it would make more sense to just book the Hyatt directly for only 4K points + ~$50 a night. The Conrad looks like it's slightly better located than the Hyatt, but I guess I will have to give it a try another time.

Modo

Modo

The Hyatt is in the City of Dreams gambling complex. It is a modern development with much of it still under construction. Unless you want to gamble its only advantage is proximity to Terminal 3 which given Manila's excruciatingly bad traffic can be a BIG advantage. But for visiting Manila/Makati it is a pretty lousy location at best.

sbams

A mixed bag of an offer IMO:

At least they did find and offer an alternative.
I would imagine they have to accept the Hyatt terms of non-refundable booking for a low rate.
Definitely a poor offer not to receive benefits - maybe your Hyatt status can rectify this

If I am correct there are NO HHonors points earned on the cash portion of a P&C stay.

scubaccr

Correct about zero points earning from cash portion of P+C at Hilton.

Actually HH is worse, as if staying combination of award and paid nights, eg 9paid 1award/p+c night stay, then as an award night is in the mix, none of the paid 9 nights are points earning.

No way is Hyatt location compatable with Conrad / Mall of Asia location. I'd refuse the Hyatt and reply suggesting hotel somewhat closer that suited me better. I'd also ask for such hotel move to be treated as a HHD walk.
When you are walked you still earn qual night and points when staying at non Hilton nbranded hotel !

Neither is it acceptable for Hilton to try and change a flex night to a non-cancel night, the solution which will require Hilton to pay Hyatt hotel more per night, is Hiltons problem and responsibility, and not a problem to dump on the person reserveing Conrad in the first place.

orson_y

i think the hyatt is the closest hotel to the conrad within the same 5* category. Nobu hotel is also located on the same complex as hyatt, too rich for my taste so never stayed there.

Solaire hotel, a bit older than hyatt, is located on yet another isolated part of the gambling complex. Good rooms but you have to go through the casinos to get to your room. The advantage is that they have regular free shuttle service to the SM MOA which is within conrad's vicinity.

A little further out would be Sofitel, old but seems to be getting good reviews.

Phil the Flyer

Prompted by your experience - and with two Conrad Manila reservations (made in December 2015), each for three nights in the first half of August 2016 - I recently e-mailed the Conrad Manila to establish the current status of my own bookings. I have received the following reply from a Conrad Manila Reservations Supervisor:

'I am pleased to inform you that your reservation with us is still active. Our target opening date will be second half of the year, rest assured we will contact you as soon as there will be any update with regards to the opening date.'

To be honest I'm far from happy with this response. Their website currently states - 'This hotel ... is presently accepting reservations for arrival September 1, 2016 and beyond'. If the property knows they will not open until after the date of my reservations then the Conrad should just come out and say so; I am not prepared to be sent to another hotel at the whim of the Conrad. I'll be replying to the Conrad's e-mail along these lines.

scubaccr

Just looked to book nights under current 40% sale rates

No sale discount rates loaded which stinks.

Modo

As I commented in the sale price thread the pricing at opening looks very ambitious indeed.

Unless there is an event on at the arena in MoA this location has little going for it other than relative airport proximity. The Mall itself whilst popular with Filipinos is relatively downscale by International standards and with Philippines tax and import duties expensive. It also attracts a lot of pick pocketing petty crime vagabonds.

9,000 Pesos ++ for that location is really pushing it.

scubaccr

Similar rate to Manila Marriott that goes for 9500++, I am sure Conrad owners have checked out the competitions room rates and did the usual sums, before they even signed on the dotted line to build the Conrad.