Torre Venezia Hotel Quezon City

If you're looking to travel on a shoestring budget, there are far cheaper places to stay in Manila. I have been told by my work colleagues that PHP70,000 would be enough to pay for an entire year's stay in the Philippines, and that's the rate I paid upfront for a 1 month stay at this hotel. Funnily enough it was a "discounted", '50% off' the usual rate.

It all depends on your budget and what sort of experience you are looking for. Torre Venezia is a decent hotel which is quite upmarket for this country but only rates 3 stars on the western front.

The previous reviews I've read about this hotel on other websites have all been true, so I'm not sure how much of it to repeat here. It's true that the elevators are slow and hallways are not airconditioned. It's also true that the breakfast choices in the cafe are limited, and that there are tenants here in addition to hotel guests.

Torre Venezia is clean (for the most part but not entirely spotless), the self deprecating Filipino style of customer service is fantastic and all staff have been very welcoming and friendly. Some a little too friendly actually, so if I have any original advice to impart, it is this: beware of becoming too friendly with the staff here. A lot of them also live in the hotel in the lower floors (Levels 1-5 or 1-7?) and make a game of wooing the lady guests. So be careful girls, keep your wits about you and don't be fooled ;)

Housekeeping is great, I leave a P5 tip and meal voucher which keeps the staff happy and honest. You will be charged for everything under the sun as a foreigner here, parking P150, extra guests in the swimming pool at P500 each, you name it and they will bill you for it. Under Australian standards it's cheap as chips to just fork out the money to pay for it, but under Filipino standards it's daylight robbery. Make sure to ask for the freebies that you are entitled to, like the iron and ironing board which will not be provided for you unless you ask.

The hotel is central to restaurants and the bustling nightlife. It's 5min from Robinson's Supermarket/Shopping Centre and there is a great mix of the familiar (e.g. Burger King, McDonald's) and delightful local cuisine. It's all about trial and error. Not all restaurants serve fresh and delicious food, and not all clubs/bars are seedy, but there is enough going on here to suit everyone's tastes and budget.

I love swimming in the pool after I come home from work, the gym is adequate, and I've met the owners who live in the hotel as well. The staff will be friendly and welcoming with a great sense of humour if you treat them with dignity and respect.

There are also other shops / services on different levels of the hotel, and a convenience store on the ground floor. Make sure you only buy things with a price tag from there as the boys will overcharge you if you let them.

Fior Cafe is the place where you can claim your free breakfast as there is no room service, so I will write a separate review about that. I am actually in Fior Cafe right now, using their WiFi to type up this review. I didn't take up the WiFi option for my room as the charges were a rip off (USD$20 per day) and my SmartBro USB/Wireless internet just doesn't hit anything past dial up speeds from my room. So Fior has become a daily hangout :)

All in all the hotel is not perfection, but it's become a home away from home.