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Blog - Where to Stay in Manila: How to Choose Your Accommodation in the Philippine Capital
Written on July 2026
Before telling you where to stay in Manila, let's understand the capital of the Philippines first!
A Map of the main areas of Metro Manila that we advise for your overnight. Explore them one by one below. Photo: Tropical Experience
If you've been following us for a while, you'll know that Manila is given its deserving attention. Of course, this is also because our travel agency is located in the area, but it’s not only that.
Although not physically located in the center of the country, Manila is the political, economic, and cultural hub of the Philippines. If you are going to have a tour of the Philippines, a stop in Manila is almost a must, whether it's because your international flight will land there or because you're interested in discovering the culture and history of the Philippine capital.
Getting around Manila may be complicated for first-time visitors. Traffic is chaotic, and you can switch from ultra-modern metropolitan areas to small, confusing neighborhoods with narrow streets.
It's very difficult to say "which is the best area of Manila", because we're talking about a metropolis of 14 million inhabitants, to which you need to add millions of commuters entering the city every day. For comparison: the whole Sweden has about 10 million inhabitants, while Belgium has 11 million only!
Before we begin our list of our best places to stay in Manila, there's a necessary methodological premise: the metropolis is composed of 16 different municipalities, each with its own Mayor. And yet, there's no mayor of Metro Manila! The separation, however, is purely administrative, as the metropolis is physically continuous, with nothing more than signages identifying one municipality from another. One of these municipalities is the municipality of Manila, which is the original part of the city. However, the entire metropolis is generally identified as Manila (for example, the Manila Airport is in the municipality of Pasay).
Confused? Do as the locals do: if you want to indicate the original municipality of Manila, say "Manila Manila". If you want to refer to the entire metropolis, say "Manila" or "Metro Manila."
Which is the center of Manila? We're often asked this question, especially from Europe, where you commonly find a city center as the hub of local life and services, spreading out toward the residential areas on the outskirts. In reality, this isn't the case: Metro Manila is a polycentric city, with many different major areas and each with its own identity.
We're ready to get started with our list, in no particular order!
Sleeping in MANILA, understood as the old city and the “Municipality of Manila”
The focal point of the municipality of Manila (we're talking about "Manila Manila") is Intramuros, what we would typically call the city's "historic center". It is usually a great starting point for a travel to the Philippines. In reality, however, we can't call it the center of the metropolis, either geographically or in terms of importance. Intramuros is probably the prettiest area to explore on foot: we're in the old Spanish colonial citadel, still home to public offices and places of great importance to local history, such as San Agustin Church, Fort Santiago, and the cathedral, among others.
However, there are very few hotels in Intramuros; instead, there are many more in Manila within 1-2 km by the bayfront area (Roxas Boulevard), full of large and even luxury hotels. Behind, there’s Malate, which is decidedly more affordable: it's full of nightlife, but a bit chaotic and not family-friendly. There are also a few hotels in the Luneta area and the sprawling Rizal Park, which are very lively and historically significant areas, where you can stroll and have a glimpse of the authentic local life.
Manila's strengths: ideal for visiting historic sites and experiencing a bit of local life, a good balance between modernity and authenticity, various price levels available.
Manila's weaknesses: less modern, a bit chaotic, with fewer services in the evenings, a bit far from the airport.
Sleeping in MAKATI, the metropolis's trendiest area
Makati is universally recognized as Manila’s most modern area, or at least the largest of the modern ones. It has "only" 300,000 inhabitants, yet during business hours, more than 2 million people inhabit this area of the metropolis, making it more crowded during peak work hours. Aside from a few pockets of chaos, it's an easy area to explore independently, with wide sidewalks, outdoor shopping areas like Greenbelt, and public parks like Ayala Triangle.
There are plenty of hotels to choose from, including some of the city's most expensive ones. There are some interesting modern museums like the Ayala Museum. In the evening, there are plenty of trendy bars and restaurants to choose from.
Makati's strengths: easy to walk around, ultra-modern amenities, shopping, a wide range of hotels, relative proximity to the airport.
Makati's weaknesses: low historical significance, a globalized area with almost no uniquely Filipino personality for a visitor.
Sleeping in BGC ("Bonifacio Global City"), the even more trendy spot of Metro Manila
Bonifacio Global City, commonly referred to by its acronym BGC, is located in the municipality of Taguig. Construction began in the mid-1990s on the site of the former Army headquarters, which were later moved elsewhere. This area has been modernly planned and stands out from the rest of the metropolis, with a sort of New York-like style. For example, here you won't find the typical dangling and tangled power lines commonly found in Southeast Asia!
This area is home to the most high-end companies, embassies, and diplomatic offices, making it the preferred place to live for expats and foreigners in general, and therefore also the most expensive place. Hotels here are generally expensive, while there is limited choice of budget ones. It's a very modern neighborhood with just few traditional Filipino features, ideal for strolling and going out at night. The focal point is most likely Bonifacio High Street, the most fashionable pedestrian street. The number of restaurants, bars, and shops is huge.
BCS’s Strengths: ideal for evening strolls, wide availability of services, green areas and jogging paths, proximity to the airport, dazzling modernity.
BGC’s Weaknesses: very limited representation of the local identity, historically insignificant, very expensive compared to the rest of the city (even for hotels).
Sleeping in ORTIGAS, a Central Business District divided between 3 municipalities
Ortigas is a financial district divided between the municipalities of Pasig, Mandaluyong, and Quezon City. It boasts towering skyscrapers and top-notch services, but it's located in an area less recently developed compared to Makati and BGC. Its modernization began in the 1960s, so it has a distinct history and landscape, where modern buildings and older buildings are competing with each other.
This is where the headquarters of major historic Philippine companies such as San Miguel and Meralco, as well as the Asian Development Bank, are located. Hotels here have different ranges and you can also find budget ones.
One of its highlights is undoubtedly Megamall, a huge indoor shopping mall where you can find almost anything. It's open late and is a favorite for locals. Near Ortigas you can also find the small Greenfield District, active at night during weekends.
Ortigas' strengths: excellent for shopping, easy to walk around, affordable hotels, well-connected to different areas of the city.
Ortigas' weaknesses: rather impersonal for a visitor, not very useful if you're short on time, not interesting if you're not into shopping.
Sleeping in CUBAO, the metropolis' hub
Cubao is one of the most well-known and famous centers in the municipality of Quezon City and is ironically referred to by locals as "the center of the universe". There's even a popular Filipino rhyme: "Basta may karatulang Cubao, hindi ka maliligaw," which translates somehow like "as long as there's a signage indicating Cubao, you can't get lost," referring to the destination signages on buses and other local means of transportation. And it's true, as almost all buses arriving in Manila from the provinces - even the most remote areas of Luzon - terminate in Cubao, or at least pass through there: even 500 km away from Manila, you can easily see a bus indicating Cubao as its terminal.
So, if you're interested in traveling by public transportation to the various provinces, Cubao provides a strategic location. There’s more than public transportation though: it's also a lively commercial area full of services and shops, including modern ones. Compared to large modern districts like Makati and BGC, Cubao is smaller and has a slightly more vintage feel, being an older area. However, it's also a bit more fun and has a local feel, especially thanks to the Farmers Market, a lovely fresh market that can be interesting to visit.
There are several hotels available, with various price ranges.
Cubao is also home to the Araneta Coliseum, a major venue for sporting events and concerts, making Cubao the ideal place to stay if you're interested in attending an event.
Cubao's strengths: easy access to public transportation, easy-to-explore market, modern but with a bit more personality, useful if joining local events, affordable.
Cubao's weaknesses: no significant historical attractions, can be chaotic, less relevant if you don't need public buses or don't attend local events, far from the airport.
Sleeping in GREENHILLS, San Juan, a residential area
Greenhills is a residential and commercial area located in Metro Manila's smallest city, San Juan. There are no "green hills" to enjoy there, as it's right in the middle of the city, but the area is primarily known for its villas and residential areas owned by so-called “old rich” Filipinos. These neighborhoods are nestled among tree-lined, orderly streets and alleys, that are mostly inaccessible as they're located in exclusive enclaves where access is prohibited to non-residents.
However, services and businesses have developed around these sprawling residential areas, most notably the homonymous Greenhills shopping district, which features two distinct souls: on one side, the luxury shops of the brand-new Greenhills Mall; on the other, the bustling Tiangge area, a large covered bazar where you can shop for practically anything, especially clothing and electronics (if you need to repair gadgets or computers, this is the place). But above all, it's home to the city's most famous pearl market. In the same municipality of San Juan there are few historical attractions such as Pinaglabanan (literally, "battle site") with the Katipunan Museum dedicated to the revolution against the Spanish and the El Deposito Museum.
Greenhills can also be a slightly quieter area if you want to be close to Cubao for the tourist buses. Being a residential area, there aren't many hotel options, although they exist. Alternatively, there are bed and breakfasts and apartments for rent in the area.
Greenhills’ strengths: quiet, easily accessible markets, plenty of affordable shopping places, restaurants and stores, some historical attractions nearby.
Greenhills’ weaknesses: few hotels, predominantly residential area with limited touristic significance, a bit off by night, relatively far from the airport.
Sleeping by the waterfront of the gigantic MALL OF ASIA, in Pasay
The Mall of Asia, commonly known by its acronym MOA, is the largest shopping mall in the Philippines and one of the largest in the world! However, you shouldn't think of it as a typical mall: it's an open-air area with long streets, large apartment buildings, and a lively outdoor promenade that's pleasant in the evenings with fun rides, an amusement park, and countless activities. The complex also features large exhibition centers, an area for international sporting events and concerts, and so on.
This area also enjoys a good strategic location, being practically halfway between the airport and the old Manila area of Intramuros, making it a sort of compromise between the two (Intramuros is likely to be a twenty-minute taxi ride away, if traffic is light).
The area offers both mid-range and upscale hotels, as well as many apartments, and is generally family-friendly.
Mall of Asia's strengths: easily walkable, lively at all hours of the day, pleasant in the evenings, wide range of hotels and services, bay walk, good strategic location.
Mall of Asia's weaknesses: globalized and impersonal area, predominantly commercial, gets very crowded and congested especially during weekends or in case of big events occurring during your stay.
Sleeping near the AIRPORT, in Pasay
A natural choice when you've just arrived in a country and/or need to leave soon is to stay close to the airport. Manila Airport is the main national hub, and many people stop there for just a half-day or even just to sleep before leaving again for their travel to the Philippines (check out our tours of the Philippines here).
The unique feature of Manila Airport is that it's located on the bay, practically already in the middle of the city buzz. Sleeping near the airport doesn't mean you're cut off from the metropolis: it's just a reasonable taxi ride away from Old Manila, Makati, BGC, the Mall of Asia, and others.
There are many hotels of multiple standards around, some of which can even be reached on foot. The area is quite chaotic and busy, but the more modern hotels are well soundproofed, and several walkable areas with many tourist services, shopping, restaurants and casinos have been developed during the past years.
Strengths of the airport area: proximity to the airport, easy access to many parts of the city, ideal if you're short on time or arriving late, good hotel selection.
Weaknesses of the airport area: chaotic and busy, no cultural value, budget hotels tend to be more run-down, very crowded during peak seasons.
Pro Level: Overnight in DILIMAN, Quezon City
If you plan to spend several days in Manila, whether for tourism, business or personal affairs, an alternative is Quezon City, the largest municipality in Metro Manila. We've already mentioned Cubao as part of Quezon City, however it is located quite away from it. Moving north, the city becomes less commercial and much more residential: it’s a part of the metropolis rarely seen by tourists. In these areas, the city becomes a little less vertical, the houses become lower, and the available space also increases. This is where the metropolis's nicest and biggest public parks are located, such as the ever-active Quezon Memorial Circle and the quiet, hidden oasis of the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center. But above all, the enormous University of the Philippines complex in the Diliman area: the most prestigious university in the Philippines – which is a public entity - is open to all, and on weekends, countless joggers and families flock there for a run, a walk, and a picnic among the huge acacia trees, grass fields and ponds. The area offers hotels for all budgets, as well as residences/apartments available for short-term rentals.
Diliman's strengths: greener area, quieter environment, authentic daily life, lower prices.
Diliman's weaknesses: significantly far from the airport and from the famous tourist spots, fewer tourist services, not so useful for a short stay in the city.
An important variable: how much time will you spend in Manila?
While writing this list, we realized something very important: all of these areas of the metropolis can be good places to stay in Manila, in their own way. However, a key distinction depends on how much time you have available:
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If you have 1 day or less: we'd focus on Manila's historic area, or stay close to the airport, especially if you have a tight schedule.
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If you have 1-2 days available: in addition to Manila's historic area and the airport, it might also make sense to consider the modern areas of Makati, BGC, or the Mall of Asia, depending on your tastes. From these places you can also reach the historical district and you aren't too far from the airport.
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If you have several days to spend in Manila: for longer periods, it might also make sense to spend time—in addition to the areas mentioned above—in more residential areas like Greenhills, if that appeals to you, or in areas well-connected by public transportation like Cubao or Ortigas. Diliman is also a possible option for those who need to stay in the city for longer periods.
