Most hotel reviews stick to the pool and the room and call it a day. We wanted to cover the stuff that actually matters when you’re the one staying there. What’s the Wi-Fi like. What’s the water pressure like in the shower. Is the place workable if you’ve got mobility issues. What do the drinks cost at the bar. That’s the review you’re getting for Hotel 1898 Colonia in Makati, Manila.
Hotel 1898 Colonia Review, Makati, Manila
Quick verdict: Hotel 1898 Colonia is a clean, comfortable stay right in the middle of Makati’s busiest nightlife strip, with friendly staff, strong water pressure, and drink prices that do not make you hesitate to tap your card.. The shower sprays everywhere and the hallway runs hot, but neither is a dealbreaker. We’d stay again.
Hotel 1898 Colonia has a colonial Spanish theme, door staff dressed like soldiers from the Spanish Revolution. The interior carries the theme through as well. It’s a bit of a novelty hotel in that sense, but it works.
The hotel sits right at the start of P. Burgos Street, one of the busiest nightlife strips in Manila. It’s only about 200 metres long but it’s packed with bars, restaurants and nightclubs. There’s even midget boxing on offer if that’s your thing. Once it gets dark you’ll also see plenty of women working the street corners, and guys trying to sell you Viagra or iPhones.
You’ll get approached at some point walking down there, a polite no thank you is usually enough. It’s worth knowing before you book, its is certainly not a reason to avoid it. We’ve written before about how normal this sort of nightlife scene has become in cities across Southeast Asia and beyond, and Makati is a good example of it. If you want the bigger picture on getting around Manila without hassle, we’ve also covered how safe Manila actually is for tourists.
Our room at Hotel 1898 Colonia
First impressions were good. Clean, well made up and welcoming. We were on the 8th floor.
We tested how dark the room gets during the day by shutting the blinds and turning the lights off. There’s still a sliver of light around the edge of the curtain, but pull the blinds closed at night and it’s dark enough for a proper sleep.
As for noise, we’re up on the 8th floor and directly across from a nightclub, on one of the busiest nightlife corners in Manila. Bec sleeps next to the window and could hear cars and people at night, but nothing loud enough to keep her awake. I was on the air conditioner side, so I got more hum from that than street noise. Considering how busy that corner is, it’s really not bad at all.
The bed was firm, though not as firm as some other places we’ve stayed. Bec actually rated it the best bed of the trip so far, ahead of Cambodia and China. She liked her pillows, I didn’t like mine, and neither of us was willing to swap. The aircon is a Daikin split system and we had it running anywhere between 16 and 25 degrees the whole stay. Coming back into a cool room after being out in the heat of Manila was a god send to be honest. One odd quirk. The hallway to our room is long and has no air conditioning at all. It’s genuinely hot walking down it to and from the elevator.
The bathroom at Hotel 1898 Colonia
Hand towels were supplied but no face washers, and nowhere to hang them either, though there was a spot for the hand towel. Tap water isn’t drinkable and shouldn’t even go near your toothbrush. I got in the habit of wrapping a hand towel around the tap when we arrive just as a reminder to myself not to use the water on my toothbrush. There’s a large bottle of water supplied plus a couple of smaller ones, which covers you.
There was plenty of toilet paper, which isn’t always a given in Asian hotel bathrooms. The bidet spray, or bum gun as we call it, had some seriously strong water spray. It was not something you would use a second time on yourself by choice that’s for sure.
You could have fresh towels daily or you could choose to use them for a few days. This is common in most hotels these days, they tell you its for the environment but we all its to save the hotel money. We love a fresh towel so ours were replaced daily. The towels are proper bath sheets, not the tiny ones some hotels try to get away with.
The shower was both equal parts good and bad. Both the handheld and the rain shower head sprayed in every direction, which made the tiles slippery, a large shower screen would have helped this. Water pressure is excellent, so good that the handheld head flew off under the water pressure and broke. We had to go down to reception and get them to put it back together.
Shampoo, conditioner and body wash are supplied, though we usually bring our own bar of soap for longer stays. No unpleasant bathroom smell either, which isn’t always the case in this part of the world. There’s also a grab bar near the shower if you need a bit of extra support getting in or out.
Bar prices at Hotel 1898 Colonia
Drink prices matter to us, so here’s the rundown. San Miguel, the local beer, runs 190 pesos. Heineken is 250 pesos and Hoegaarden is 270 pesos. On the cocktail list a Mojito is 360 pesos and a Gin Martini is 465 pesos, so there’s a decent spread if you’re after something more serious.
Spirits are priced by the shot. Jack Daniels and Bacardi are both around the 250 to 320 peso mark, and Vodka comes in a bit higher, though you’ll need to buy a mixer separately if you want a Coke with it.
We caught happy hour, which drops the beer price down and runs a buy one get one free deal on select cocktails, the Pomada, Mojito and Cuba Libre among them. Good excuse to try more than one. The Mojito, for the record, was a good one. Prices do change and these prices were what we paid when we stayed.
Breakfast at Hotel 1898 Colonia
Breakfast was included with our room. The dining area has a fake tram car set up that’s worth grabbing a seat in just for the novelty. I have been to a lot of hotel breakfast rooms before never one with a tram car. There was a decent variety on offer, a little bit Pilipino and little bit western.
It was about what i would expect from a hotel of this quality. You had a number of food warmers, egg station, different breads and cereals, you know the deal a standard hotel breakfast.
Honestly though, I’ve never had a hotel breakfast worth writing home about unless you’re paying for a five star or a big international chain. This one had enough on offer that everybody could find something they liked and nobody went hungry, which is really all you can ask for.
Eating and drinking
The hotel has a couple of different eating and drinking areas that you can use. La Piscina is located around the pool on the 6th floor. There is a bar and kitchen where you can order cocktails, bar snacks and meals. This place is a standout in the evening as day turns to night in manila and the city lights up. We had a cocktail every night up here during our stay.
Tiabuela is another area located on the ground floor that stretches into the lobby area. Its a cafe, bar restaurant, that has a large outdoor deck area where you can watch the city go by. More than once during our stay we headed out on the deck for a beer when returning to the hotel. You really must try the Red Horse beer, its a local favourite.
Location and getting around from Hotel 1898 Colonia
For eating, drinking and nightlife the location is excellent, you’re right in the middle of it. The main tourist sights in Manila are only 7 to 10 kilometres away, but traffic in this city is relentless, so budget close to an hour by Grab to get there. Worth factoring into your plans if you’re trying to fit a lot in over a short stay.
The staff and service
This is where the hotel really stood out. The staff bend over backwards for you. There’s always a smile and a proper greeting when you walk back in, which after a while on the road eating out and dealing with short, blunt service elsewhere, was a genuinely nice change. We noticed the same warmth from staff during our time as travelling long term through Asia, and it’s one of the things that makes a hotel memorable rather than just another stay. It’s not a five star property but the welcome felt like one.
Small thing worth mentioning, we lost our room key during the stay and were charged 200 pesos, around six dollars, to replace it. First time either of us has been charged for a lost key. Fair enough given it was on us, but worth knowing it’s not a freebie here.
Is Hotel 1898 Colonia worth it?
Yes. There’s very little we’d actually mark down here. The room was clean, comfortable and cool once you got past that hot hallway. The shower is the one real weak point, mainly because of how much it sprays everywhere and the detachable head coming loose under pressure, but that’s a minor gripe against everything else the hotel does well.
The pool on the 6th floor looked great, we just didn’t get around to using it. Breakfast was just a bit above average, but was included and filling. The staff are the standout though, genuinely warm and helpful in a way that made the whole stay feel easier. If we’re back in Manila we’d stay here again without hesitation, and we’d happily recommend it to anyone else heading to Makati.
Check current rates at Hotel 1898 Colonia
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Is Hotel 1898 Colonia worth staying at in Manila?
Yes. The room was clean and comfortable, the aircon kept it cool despite the Manila heat, and the staff were the real standout, genuinely warm and helpful throughout the stay. The shower sprays everywhere and the handheld head can detach under pressure, but that’s a minor issue against everything else the hotel gets right.
Is Hotel 1898 Colonia in a good location?
It’s right at the start of P. Burgos Street, one of the busiest nightlife strips in Makati, Manila, packed with bars, restaurants and nightclubs. Great if you want to be in the middle of the action. Manila’s main tourist sights are 7 to 10 kilometres away but traffic means budgeting close to an hour by Grab to get there.
What is the shower like at Hotel 1898 Colonia?
Strong water pressure, almost too strong. Both the handheld and rain shower heads spray in every direction, which makes the tiles slippery, and the handheld head can pop loose under pressure. Shampoo, conditioner and body wash are supplied, along with proper full sized bath towels.
How much do drinks cost at Hotel 1898 Colonia?
San Miguel beer is 190 pesos, Heineken 250 pesos and Hoegaarden 270 pesos. Cocktails range from a 360 peso Mojito to a 465 peso Gin Martini, with spirits sold by the shot from around 250 pesos. Happy hour drops beer prices and runs a buy one get one free deal on select cocktails.
Is the neighbourhood around Hotel 1898 Colonia safe?
The hotel sits on one of Makati’s busiest nightlife streets. It’s lively with bars, restaurants and clubs, but after dark you’ll also see sex workers on the street corners and vendors trying to sell knockoff goods or pharmaceuticals. It’s a well known part of Manila’s nightlife scene rather than a hidden risk, just worth knowing before you book.
What is breakfast like at Hotel 1898 Colonia?
Breakfast is included and served in a dining area with a fake tram car worth sitting in. There’s a decent variety on offer but the quality is average, similar to most hotel breakfasts outside of five star or major international chains. Enough on offer that nobody goes hungry.
