White Knight Hotel Intramuros

The room and shared areas have left me regretting this stay already. The common spaces smell strongly of kitchen grease, especially the hallways and stairs. The air feels heavy and humid, and the odors cling to the visibly old carpets. I was first put in a second-floor deluxe room beside the staff room, so I could hear staff coming and going, as well as every conversation in the alley. The windows were sealed with masking tape. The fridge was unplugged, dirty, and smelled rancid. Other reviews mentioned feces and garbage smells from that alley, so perhaps the tape was meant to address it. The busy surroundings and flimsy security added to our concerns. We asked to move rooms and were moved without resistance. I overheard a staff member say “OA,” meaning over-acting or over-reacting. I’d like them to pay the same price and stay in that room; anyone would be unhappy with it. The third-floor room of the same type was much quieter, which makes me wonder why we were assigned the poor room when this one was available. Maybe enough guests complain about that first room for it to be known. The new room wasn’t great either: the towel had huge holes, the lampshades didn’t match and were in poor condition, the trash can had no liner, and there was no drinking water. The closer I looked, the worse it seemed. The hotel is in the middle of beautiful Intramuros, but the price and location shouldn’t fool you. Our stay began with the main entrance blocked because of a recent nearby fire, and no one warned us before check-in even though the closure had been in place for at least a day. Tricycle drivers told our driver we couldn’t be dropped at the front with our luggage. We had to flag down and pay a couple of tricycles to haul our party and bags to the front, and on arrival no one acknowledged the inconvenience. Streets were exceptionally crowded because people had been displaced by the fire. I understand that was outside the hotel’s control, but guests should have been warned and some security measures would have helped. There are no elevators, which may be obvious to locals but wasn’t to me. No staff were readily available to help carry our things upstairs. When we checked, the receptionist sounded surprised and asked, “Oh, will you not be able to carry your bags?” A bellhop is the bare minimum for a hotel, and it was pathetic that no one even tried to help. I’m not looking forward to the rest of my stay, and time constraints mean I can’t book somewhere else now. For a comfortable place to rest while sightseeing in Intramuros, I’d pay more to avoid this hotel. I’m kicking myself for spending money here when better, though pricier, options were available.