Manila, the capital of the Philippines, occupies 42.88 square kilometers on the eastern shore of Manila Bay and functions as the core of Metro Manila, a conurbation of 16 cities and one municipality totaling 619 square kilometers. The city proper had a population of 1,846,513 in the 2020 census, making it the most densely populated city in the world at 43,079 people per square kilometer. Accommodation in Manila concentrates in five districts: Ermita and Malate near Manila Bay, Makati's central business district seven kilometers southeast, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig nine kilometers southeast, the Ortigas Center straddling Pasig and Mandaluyong eleven kilometers east, and the Bay Area reclaimed zone along Roxas Boulevard. The city's hotel inventory exceeds 40,000 rooms across all categories, with approximately 8,500 rooms in properties classified as five-star by the Department of Tourism as of 2023.
Makati contains the highest concentration of international chain hotels. The Peninsula Manila on Ayala Avenue opened in 1976 as the first five-star property in the Philippines and maintains 497 rooms across a main tower and garden wing. Rates begin at approximately 12,000 Philippine pesos per night for superior rooms. The Shangri-La Makati at the corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues operates 696 rooms with rates starting at 9,500 pesos. The New World Makati Hotel on Esperanza Street, previously the Makati Shangri-La before rebranding in 2022, offers 581 rooms from 8,000 pesos. These properties sit within 500 meters of Ayala Center, a shopping complex spanning 22 hectares with direct connection to the Ayala MRT station on Line 3. Fairmont Makati in Makati Avenue opened in 2012 with 280 rooms and maintains a starting rate near 11,000 pesos. The Dusit Thani Manila on Ayala Avenue Extension operates 538 rooms from approximately 7,500 pesos and stands adjacent to the Ayala Museum, which houses the country's largest collection of pre-colonial gold artifacts.
Bonifacio Global City, developed on the former Fort Bonifacio military reservation starting in 1995, contains newer hotel inventory. The Shangri-La at the Fort opened in 2016 with 576 rooms and charges from 10,000 pesos for deluxe accommodations. The Grand Hyatt Manila in Bonifacio High Street Central opened in 2018 as the brand's first Philippine property, offering 461 rooms from 9,000 pesos. Ascott Bonifacio Global City provides 364 serviced apartments with studios starting at 6,000 pesos per night, targeting extended stays with full kitchens and washing facilities. The district lies three kilometers south of Makati's Ayala district, connected by Kalayaan Avenue and EDSA. Seda Bonifacio Global City, part of the Ayala Land Hotels group, operates 438 rooms from 4,500 pesos and opened in 2013 as a Philippine-developed brand positioned between midscale and upscale categories.
The Bay Area development along Roxas Boulevard has added inventory since 2019. Okada Manila opened in 2016 with 993 rooms in a property covering 44 hectares, charging from 8,000 pesos for superior rooms. The complex includes the Cove Manila indoor beach club with 9,000 square meters of chlorinated sand pool area. City of Dreams Manila opened in 2015 with three hotels: the 365-room Crown Towers from 9,500 pesos, the 260-room Nobu Hotel from 11,000 pesos, and the 320-room Hyatt Regency from 8,500 pesos. Solaire Resort and Casino operates 800 rooms from 7,000 pesos and opened in 2013 as the first operational integrated resort in Entertainment City, the government-designated zone for casino-resorts on 120 hectares of reclaimed land. These properties sit approximately five kilometers southwest of Intramuros along Roxas Boulevard, requiring taxi or ride-hailing transport as no rail line serves this area directly.
Ermita and Malate, the traditional tourist districts adjacent to Manila Bay and Rizal Park, contain older midscale inventory. The Manila Hotel facing the park opened in 1912 and operates 570 rooms in a main building designed by William Parsons, the American architect who also designed the Philippine General Hospital. General Douglas MacArthur maintained a penthouse suite in this property from 1935 to 1941 during his tenure as military advisor to the Philippine Commonwealth. Rates start at 6,500 pesos for superior rooms. The Bayview Park Hotel Manila on Roxas Boulevard charges from 3,800 pesos for its 275 rooms. Pan Pacific Manila in Malate opened in 2015 with 236 rooms priced from 5,500 pesos and stands one kilometer south of the United States Embassy compound. The Diamond Hotel on Roxas Boulevard operates 500 rooms from 4,200 pesos and opened in 1975. These properties provide walking access to Manila Ocean Park, a 7,000-square-meter oceanarium complex that opened in 2008, and Baywalk, the promenade along Manila Bay where sunset viewing occurs between 17:45 and 18:15 during most of the year.
Budget accommodation concentrates in Ermita and Malate with establishments charging below 2,000 pesos per night. Red Planet Manila Bay near Pedro Gil Station on LRT Line 1 operates 300 rooms from 1,500 pesos with no in-room telephone or front-desk meal service, following the brand's stripped-amenity model. Go Hotels Ermita on Arquiza Street charges from 1,200 pesos for windowless interior rooms measuring 12 square meters. Z Hostel in Makati provides dormitory beds from 600 pesos and private rooms from 2,200 pesos in a property targeting the backpacker demographic with common areas and organized group activities. The Bunk Hostel Manila in Poblacion, Makati charges 550 pesos for dormitory beds in air-conditioned rooms with eight bunks. These budget properties do not include breakfast in the base rate and typically lack on-site restaurants, requiring guests to use nearby establishments.
Serviced apartments provide alternatives for stays exceeding one week. Somerset Olympia Makati on Makati Avenue operates 219 units from 7,500 pesos per night for one-bedroom apartments with full kitchens, living areas, and in-unit washing machines. Minimum stay requirements of seven nights apply during peak periods. Citadines Bay City Manila in the Entertainment City complex opened in 2019 with 306 units from 5,000 pesos for studios with kitchenettes. Ascott operates three properties in Manila: the 365-unit Ascott Makati from 8,000 pesos, the 364-unit Ascott Bonifacio Global City from 6,000 pesos, and the 260-unit Somerset Millennium Makati from 6,500 pesos. These properties reduce costs for extended stays compared to hotel rates through weekly housekeeping rather than daily service and through grocery shopping rather than restaurant meals.
Filipino cuisine in Manila centers on dishes adapted from three centuries of Spanish colonization from 1565 to 1898, Chinese immigration dating to the tenth century, and American influence following 1898. Adobo, the unofficial national dish, combines meat marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns then braised until tender. Sinigang creates a sour soup base using tamarind, guava, calamansi, or unripe mango with pork, shrimp, fish, or beef and vegetables including water spinach, eggplant, and long beans. Lechon, a whole pig roasted over charcoal for four to six hours, appears at celebrations and specialized restaurants across the city. Sisig originated in Pampanga province 80 kilometers northwest but became ubiquitous in Manila following Aling Lucing's invention of the modern version using chopped pork face and ears served on a sizzling plate in the 1970s.