Palm Hotel Manila

The shower pressure is weak, and the soap and shampoo dispensers are clogged, so nothing comes out.

The Wi-Fi is awful and really needs fixing. There’s just one elevator, and the hotel is old.

I've stayed at the Palm Hotel Manila dozens of times and usually enjoy it, but my last two visits, in January and February 2025, left me unsure I'd return or recommend it. The good staff are great, but the ones who aren't make the place feel awful. During my January stay of about a week and a half, they put me on the 10th floor with construction directly above my room. The hotel wasn't full, so I don't know why I was placed there. The noise woke me early every morning. Some newer staff, especially at check-in, also seemed unfriendly. I spoke with another repeat guest who felt the same. A few of the new people were kind and helpful, but others seemed more focused on their phones than their jobs. One new security guard stayed seated when I approached the doors, unlike the guards before him who would open them. What finally got to me was struggling to open a door with three bags in my hands while he sat about two meters away, looking at his phone. On my last day, after two stays that month totaling almost two weeks, spending a fortune, being kind, and tipping employees, I asked the counter if I could check out at 2 pm. My ride wasn't available until later that evening. I explained that the housekeeper usually didn't clean my room until around 3 pm, so I wouldn't delay the cleaning. The employee immediately took a negative tone and showed me a sign offering a stay until 6 pm for P1,900. I was paying about P2,150 for a normal day from 2 pm to 12 pm. I wasn't happy, but stayed calm and said I'd leave at noon. She then said she'd ask her manager. Later, as I walked through the lobby to go to the store, she gave me a thumbs-up with a blank expression. When I asked why, she said the manager had said I could stay until 2 pm, though she didn't seem pleased.

I've been a regular customer since 2015, but this visit to Palm Hotel Manila in Malate is my last. The management feels absent and the service isn't improving. I rate it 5 out of 10, especially for the price, which feels expensive. I was kept waiting in the lobby from 12:30 to 1:50 while they said the room was being cleaned. I was the only customer there. The receptionist was the worst I've encountered at a hotel: no smile, ignored customers, and told me to wait in a commanding way. She called the room "dirty" instead of saying it needed cleaning before check-in, even though it hadn't been occupied. I would've respected a clear explanation that they couldn't let me in before 2 pm. Many good hotels allow noon check-in when a room is ready. Management was impossible to reach. The number on the card was fake or out of service, and the receptionist hid her name under her jacket. Nobody among her colleagues was willing to help; they only made excuses. When I asked to speak to the executive manager, I was told they weren't available. I even called a colleague from outside and got the same justification that cleaning takes an hour and a half. I submitted a written complaint, but they left it in a drawer, never investigated or discussed it, and took no action before I left. They ignore management problems and complaints. A staff member's mistake is a management mistake in any hotel or business. They charge for everything. You pay for sugar and tea leaves, and you only get free water if you request it. You need to press hard to get soap and shampoo out. The hotel's economy measures feel stingy and disrespectful of what customers need. Charging phones is difficult too, because the electrical outlets are old and need converter plugs. Bye, I won't return.