The Manila Hotel: The First and Still One of the Finest in Manila

The morning after…

We woke up to a perfect sun shiny Sunday! Most of the guests were in the pool area for their morning dip with the kids.

As for the two of us, we were excited to see the breakfast buffet at Cafe Ilang Ilang. We soooo love taking photos of breakfast food!

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excited for another great Sunday breakfast with Frank!

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It’s always a delight to have fresh fruits in the morning! So thankful for this

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Aside from cereals and fruits, we love having cured meats, sausages and various breads such as rye and croissants for breakfast =)

After that very filling breakfast feast, we had the privilege to have a historical tour around the hotel!

The highlight of the tour was our visit to the famous Mac Arthur Suite!

We felt so honored to be at the very room where famous personalities stayed in. The feeling was indescribable!

In 1945, this entire floor was set on fire by the Japanese and General Mac Arthur wasn’t able to save many of his belongings. Great thing The Manila Hotel management were still able to restore most of it. The Manila Hotel was remodeled in 1976 and officially reopened on October 6, 1977.

If you’re curious on its rate, an overnight stay at the Mac Arthur suite is around $2,000!

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THE bed!

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the dynamic duo in “behave/starstruck” mode

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THE dining room

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THE grand living room

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This chair was believed to be an original and has survived after the entire penthouse went ablaze in 1945 during the Japanese occupation.

After touring the legendary Mac Artur Suite, we headed to the “Archives” where the full history and old photos about the hotel were kept. We were surprised to discover that it was located in a secret room with an entrance which not many will normally notice.

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WOW!

It was here at the archives where we saw original photos and the rest of the documents/books written throughout The Manila Hotel‘s existence. It’s history and everything, all in one room. The feeling was just amazing!

To know more about Manila, it’s people and history, we highly recommend you spend at least 3 nights at The Manila Hotel. It’s really a great way to get to know the country and re-connect with your roots (if you’re Filipino). The historical tour however isn’t for everyone so we suggest you ask permission ahead of time so they can accommodate you.

We remember feeling starstruck the whole day even after checking out. Like what I’ve said earlier, The Manila Hotel may not be as modern as the others, but the over-all feel and its historical value makes every night and each minute so worth it. We left the hotel not only with relaxed minds and bodies but also with renewed spirits and rekindled love for everything Filipino.

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“We left the hotel not only with relaxed minds and bodies but also with renewed spirits and rekindled love for everything Filipino”

Traveling is indeed way better than sitting in class and dissecting a history book. The tales and values which we can learn in first hand experiences through travel is something that we would call real education. So when in Manila, we highly recommend that you take your family with you and experience the tales, flavors and the grandeur of the legend that is The Manila Hotel.