Holiday Inn Express Manila Newport City in the Philippines [In-Depth Review]

Manila, the bustling capital of the Philippines, is known for its diverse culture, rich history, and incredible nightlife. The city is rapidly developing and becoming another major financial hub in Southeast Asia.

After a few wonderful days in the city, it was time to leave for Bangkok. Since I had an early flight, I wanted to book something close to the airport. I went with the Holiday Inn Express Manila Newport City. Although there were several hotel brands to choose from, I went with this property as cash prices were the lowest.

Here is my full review and take on whether you should consider this property the next time you are in Manila.

Booking

Since I had an early morning flight and did not want to fight the notoriously awful Manila traffic — often regarded as the worst in the world — I booked a hotel near Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL).

Although there were several options, including a Hilton and Marriott property, I decided to go with the Holiday Inn Express Manila Newport City. Its cash rates were significantly lower, and I planned to leave for the airport shortly after breakfast.

I booked a 1 Queen Bed room, which was the cheapest room available. The Holiday Inn Express Manila Newport City has 737 rooms, so I felt confident that I would get upgraded to a nicer room for being an IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite member.

Although I have a ton of IHG One Rewards points, I decided not to use them. This property could have been booked for 9,000 points. According to our valuations of IHG One Rewards points, they are worth 0.5 cents per point, making 9,000 points worth about $45.

This could have been a good opportunity to redeem points. However, I prefer to save my points for longer stays because IHG offers a fourth-night-free benefit for points bookings of at least 4 consecutive nights.

The room for this 1-night March 2024 stay was just under $76, including taxes and fees.

I paid with the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, which earns 16x points per dollar and 60% bonus points on IHG stays.

Location

The Holiday Inn Express Manila Newport City is located within the Newport World Resorts complex, steps from Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The hotel provides easy access to all the terminals and is near the direct bridgeway to Terminal 3.

Newport World Resorts is the Philippines’ first integrated resort, with amenities ranging from dining to shopping, gaming, cinemas, and live entertainment.

Hot Tip:

Check out our detailed step-by-step guide on the best ways to fly to Southeast Asia with points and miles.

Check-In

As I arrived at the hotel in a Grab taxi from central Manila, I managed to capture a photo of the entrance to the hotel grounds. A large sign with the hotel’s name is displayed outside, ensuring it’s easy to find.

As is customary in many developing countries, Western hotel brands implement extra security measures. That was the case here at the Holiday Inn Express Manila Newport City. The hotel has a metal detector for guests to walk through and an X-ray machine to scan all bags.

The hotel also featured several armed guards outside the premises checking vehicles entering the grounds.

After clearing the hotel security, I entered the lobby through the revolving door.

The lobby is a massive great room divided into several sections. Directly across from the hotel doors was a large seating area.

The hotel’s check-in counters were to the right side of the massive open-floor plan room. There were 3 counters for guests to check in. It was quite busy when I arrived at the hotel, and a representative was guiding the guests to the correct check-in counters.

Guests who booked through a third-party service were directed to the hotel’s main check-in counters. The hotel was extremely busy around 12 p.m.

The hotel had a separate check-in counter for guests who booked directly with IHG, whether online or through the IHG app. This check-in counter was located directly to the right of the main central seating area.

There was no queue at this check-in counter, so I was surprised by how many third-party bookings there were. I proceeded to the check-in counter and was greeted by a friendly front desk agent who welcomed me to the hotel and asked me how I liked the city of Manila. He also requested my identification to check on my reservation.

Even though I hadn’t asked for an early check-in, the front desk representative mentioned that my room might be ready. However, he needed to double-check with housekeeping to confirm.

The front desk representative politely asked me to take a seat while we waited for the response from housekeeping, which he estimated would take about 5 minutes.

After walking around the lobby for a few minutes, I returned to the check-in desk. The front desk representative notified me that my room was ready and that he had upgraded me to a room with a view of the airport. He assured me I would have a clear view of planes taking off directly from my room.

The front desk agent handed me the room keys and a sheet containing some information about the hotel, including the hotel’s policies.

He provided instructions on connecting to the hotel Wi-Fi network and supplied 2 vouchers for breakfast at the hotel restaurant. He also mentioned that the IHG Welcome Amenity (500 points) would be deposited into my IHG One Rewards account shortly. Lastly, he asked if I wanted a 4 p.m. late checkout, to which I obliged.

Bottom Line:

Overall, the check-in process was rather smooth. The front desk representative was extremely professional and efficient. He seemed to enjoy his job, which made the experience that much better.

Elite Benefits

As an IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite, I was entitled to:

• Late 2 p.m. checkout (when available)
• Free internet
• 60% bonus earnings on top of base points
• Room upgrades (when available)
• A welcome amenity of points or a drink/snack at check-in
• Early check-in (when available)

The hotel delivered on all benefits and even offered a later 4 p.m. checkout.

Lobby

The lobby was impressively large, with seating for up to 100.

Directly across from the check-in desk was a seating area with several tables.

To the right of the check-in desk was another seating area with bar-style seating.

Behind the bar-style seating was another area reserved for guests ordering drinks from the hotel bar. Despite the bar being open for service, this area remained empty.

I opted to try these armchairs and was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable they were.

The hotel’s bar was just beyond the seating area.

Directly across from the bar was a dining table with seating for up to 6 people.

Bottom Line:

The lobby itself was quite impressive. Although it was extremely busy when I arrived at the hotel, the separated seating areas helped to alleviate the busyness.

Amenities

The hotel features several amenities for guests, including a meeting room, laundry room, and fitness center.

Wi-Fi

The hotel provides complimentary Wi-Fi for guests. The Wi-Fi speeds were okay. However, the connection was unstable, and I had to reconnect to the Wi-Fi network several times throughout the stay.

Fitness Center

The 24-hour fitness center is on the hotel’s second floor. While the facility was fairly basic, it offered several different workout options.

There was a single stationary bicycle and a rowing machine.

Additionally, there were free weights and a bench. The dumbbells went up to 50 pounds.

There was also a single elliptical machine.

Laundry Room

The property featured a 24-hour guest self-laundry facility with 4 washers and 4 dryers. Unfortunately, 2 of the washers were out of service.

Additionally, 2 irons and ironing boards were available for guest use.

Meeting Room

A single meeting room was available for guests, which must be reserved in advance. The meeting room was relatively simple, with a single table placed in the center and seating for approximately 10 people.

Parking

The hotel offers on-site parking with hourly and daily rates. However, parking is complimentary for all hotel guests.

Queen Bed Standard Room

The hotel has 6 guest elevators, a fitting number considering how busy it was.

After getting off the elevator on the ninth floor, I made my way toward my room. Near the elevators on all guest floors, guests could wait in a small seating area.

Upon entering my room, I was pleasantly surprised to find it more spacious than anticipated. As I entered the foyer, I was greeted with a traditional concept hotel room with the bedroom straight ahead and the bathroom to the right.

As I proceeded towards the room’s living quarters, I saw a spacious bench. The hotel provided some complimentary slippers.

The room’s queen-sized bed and nightstands were to the left of the bench. On the right nightstand was the alarm clock and instructions on how to set it.

Additionally, there were 2 USB-A charging ports and a universal AC power outlet. A pair of light switches controlled the reading and bedside lights.

The bed was placed between the 2 nightstands. Thanks to the high-quality bedding, it was incredibly comfortable.

The phone, the TV remote, and a TV guide listing all available channels were on the nightstand to the left of the bed. This side of the bed also had a master light switch.

Next to the nightstand was a lounging couch.

Despite its decent size and the fact that it looked comfortable, I avoided it after noticing a stain.

Across from the lounging couch was the room’s workstation — a single rounded corner table.

The desk had a small lamp, a “no smoking” sign, a guide on connecting to the hotel’s Wi-Fi, and some basic hotel information and guidelines.

A QR code was also provided to access the restaurant menu for room service.

The hotel also provided a small treat from the Garden Wing Café, which I found to be an extremely kind gesture. However, I was surprised that no cutlery was provided. I decided to just use the coffee mixing spoon after washing it.

The complimentary treat was a mango cheesecake, and it was delicious.

A separate storage unit connected to the desk contained the room’s safe and minifridge.

On the unit’s countertop was a kettle, some packets of tea and coffee, and 2 mugs. The hotel also provided 2 complimentary water bottles.

Beyond the desk were the room’s windows, which offered an incredible view of Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 3. I snapped a picture of this Thai Airways aircraft taking off.

Bottom Line:

Overall, I found the room quite basic. However, I did not expect much more from an airport hotel. The highlight of the room was undoubtedly the view. The busy runway nearby allowed me to capture some excellent pictures of flights taking off every few minutes.

Bathroom

The bathroom had a basic design similar to the bedroom, offering a sliding door for those wanting privacy.

The vanity, sink, and large LED-lit mirror were directly across from me as I entered the bathroom. A wall-mounted hairdryer was also available.

The bathroom countertop contained various hotel toiletries, including dental kits, shower caps, and vanity kits.

There was also a Soak–branded hand and body wash. The soap was infused with parsley stem and mixed with nutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Manganese.

To the left of the vanity was a walk-in shower. The standing shower was quite basic and contained more Soak–branded hand and body wash and hair shine shampoo.

The toilet was on the right side of the bathroom and featured a bidet wand.

Food and Beverage

Hotel Restaurant

The hotel featured 1 main on-site restaurant. This was also where hotel guests could enjoy their breakfast daily between 6 and 10 a.m. The restaurant was a spacious area with about 20 individual dining tables.

Although the pricing was reasonable by Western standards, it was considered quite expensive by Filipino standards. I opted not to have lunch or dinner at the hotel restaurant, especially since several other dining and fast food options were within a 5-minute walk from the hotel.

However, I did have breakfast at the restaurant. Unfortunately, breakfast was extremely busy, with a limited buffet selection.

First, there were heated plates of scrambled eggs and sauteed mixed vegetables.

Next was meatloaf and smoked bangus. While I did not try the meatloaf, the smoked bangus tasted delicious, especially with steamed rice.

A small selection of cereals, including Cheerios (both plain and honey-nut flavored) and cornflakes, was also available.

A good selection of pastries and bread was available, including croissants. The jelly-filled croissants were the highlight of the pastry selection. Unfortunately, the cinnamon rolls were hard and did not taste good.

After looking through the food selection, I opted for a plate of pastries and another with fresh fruit. I also got a glass of orange juice and a hot chocolate.

The hotel also offers a grab-and-go breakfast option for those who would prefer to have breakfast with them. I could take advantage of this option since I was provided with 2 breakfast vouchers.

The grab-and-go breakfast was extremely simple. It was handed over in a plastic bag containing 1 juice or coffee and a piece of fruit.

You can also get pastries, including croissants, cinnamon rolls, and muffins. Unfortunately, everything was cold and did not taste great.

Bottom Line:

Overall, breakfast was mediocre. There was an incredibly limited selection of food, and breakfast time was extremely busy. Every dining table was occupied, and several people were waiting for tables throughout my time there.

Hotel Bar

The hotel also featured a bar. You can order drinks directly from the bartender or take advantage of the cooler stocked with a wide selection of beers, along with non-alcoholic beverages such as sparkling water, Red Bull, and various soft drinks.

Next to the beverage cooler was a small fridge stocked with cold pastries and ice cream.

I particularly liked the cups of deconstructed cheesecake. Since I already had a cheesecake in my room, I decided not to try this one.

Service

I found the hospitality to be incredible throughout my entire stay. Every hotel staff member I dealt with was courteous and respectful. The staff always smiled and went above and beyond to ensure my comfort and satisfaction.

It was easy to see how hospitality is deeply ingrained in Filipino culture as they worked hard to create a welcoming and memorable experience for guests.

Final Thoughts

The Holiday Inn Express Manila Newport City is a solid option for those needing a hotel near Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport. However, the airport is quite far from the major tourist sites, especially considering how awful traffic can be.

The hotel is basic, but I wasn’t expecting too much, as it was an inexpensive hotel near an airport. The room was comfortable, but nothing was particularly interesting. However, the views from the room of planes taking off were absolutely fantastic.

Unfortunately, breakfast was a major letdown as there was an extremely limited number of options.

The hotel staff was amazing, respectful, and genuinely seemed to enjoy their jobs. This always makes hotel experiences that much better.

Overall, I would recommend this hotel if you need to stay near Manila’s airport. However, I wouldn’t have high expectations.