I've stayed at the Hyatt Casino in Ermito on Pedro Gil St on both my trips and I recommend it highly if you are looking for a girl friendly hotel while you stay in Manila.
It is only a block away from Manila Baywalk and 2 blocks to landmarks such as LA Cafe, G Point and Robinsons Mall.
Of course it is not cheap - about $100US per night - but it is 5 star all the way - in room safe, bar, TV, DVD, good room service, medical facilities, laundry, cafe, restaurants, friendly and helpful staff.
If you are new to Manila then it is a guarantee of a great and safe first holiday there.
Enjoy
Pete

I loved it when they first opened....June '05, around $54-70, but when they renovated the casino and facade that winter they doubled the price and lost me as a customer! Now I usually stay across the street from the casino entrance, at the Executive Plaza or Las Palmas for $30-45. I miss the pool, and the restaurants are still nice--especially the buffet! Just checked (9/24/07 ) and even with my Hyatt Gold Passport they quoted $120.....: (

thanks petethebeat. You have put my mind totally at rest.
Am staying there 17-20 Oct. First time in PI although a veteren of Thailand
Have been posting on Thai MBs and getting all sorts of advice about best places to stay and were to get the best action.
Only got 3 days so I'm probably trying too hard to plan things. I'm sure I wont have to do too much to attract but want the trip to be memorable for the right reasons

The Hyatt Casino is a great hotel. I am off again to Manila for the 3rd time in 5 months and will stay at the Hyatt again. No problem with getting guest/s in, great fitness center, pool, lounge, and cafe. I have never been to the casino nor either the top-end restaurants but I am sure they are in line with the rest of the services. One word of caution, no need to use the hotels car to the airport. The first time they added to my bill and it was about $35.00. I took a cab on my own the next time and paid 700 pesos with a 300 pesos tip. The hotel is close to LA Cafe, THE target friendly environment in that area. Good restaurant fairly close with good food - The Aristocrat. Anyway, have a great trip. I am there myself 10/14-10/20.

You paid 1,000 pisos to go to the Manila Airport from Ermita which is about 6km away? You could have went to Tagaytay or San Fernando for that amount. Why the 300 piso tip? Did he have his sister blow you on the way there?

It is always surprising to me that guys who travel to the PI for a week or two of vacation, get cranky if another guy is a little generous with the tips to those less fortunate. I took a 20 minute cab ride to the airport and gave the guy 1000 pesos - about 20 bucks. I made the guys day. I have more important things to do than wait for a cab driver shovel around his pants for the 300 pesos. I piss more than that away when I get up in the morning. When I go to the PI I budget $300 a day - if I get on the plane to come home with any money left over - great. If not, also great.

Wow, you're absolutely right. You're my hero!!! HALLELUJAH for showing me THE LIGHT about throwing the US equivalent of 100 dollar bills at those most of us (erroneously???) view as LEECHES. The METER for that airport ride was surely no more than 2 bucks.

But if ONLY IN DA PHILIPPINES you can feel like Bill Gates by tipping 2000% on a taxi ride, well, for some pinheads I guess that's worth a flight halfway around the world.

BTW, I'm sure you spent 18 grand USD on airfare too, right? I mean, GAS PRICES ARE UP ALL OVER!

Blazers and Porker are the reason I travel alone. I can only imagine the bill at a restaurant with these two. "What do you mean I owe $1.37 more than you - I only had the pancit and fish heads. Oh, and what is my share of the tip? I refuse to tip more than 3 1/2% in a third world country." Look up the definition of Ugly American in the dictionary and I am sure the names Porker and Blazers will be there. Yes, I buy a first class ticket - that way I don't have to "hope" I am going to get bumped up to business or first class. It is not a matter of being Bill Gates - it's a matter of making good money and not being afraid to spend it. I personally don't give a crap if gas prices are up or not. Why do you?

Your posts are a little confusing.

First, you give a word of caution, there's no need to take the hotels taxi to the airport coz it's $35, is $35 to much money for you ?

It's not ok to over pay the hotels taxi ?

But then you turn around and way overpay a street taxi, kind-of inconsistent isn't it ? But that is ok for you to overpay the street taxi.

700 piso for a taxi to the airport is way to much, that ride can easily be had for 200 piso, even 100 piso.

Why is the hotels taxi of $35 to much but 700 piso plus 300 piso tip isn't ?

Enguiring minds want to know.

Gotta pray to the Web Gods again to save me from arguing with the latest incarnation of the VILLAGE IDIOT.

You don't know a GODDAMNED THING about either Blazers or myself. Re: "ugly" Americans, while neither of us may be PRETTY, we're a damned sight more presentable than some fuckhead that thinks that showering the 3rd world with propinas will somehow give him a 1-way ticket to Good-karma-dom on whoremongering trips.

The sad part is that for every ONE of US, who knows our asses from our elbows traveling in a foreign country, there are HUNDREDS of YOU that wallow in self pity for exploiting the poor locals on your cheapskate fuckfest vacation.

As always, though, the disclaimer: Your money is YOUR money. Spend it as you wish. But for FUCK'S sake, never, ever, ever, EVER, presume to tell ME how to spend MINE.

Normally, the guys who brag about making money and spending it freely are guys that live paycheck to paycheck and aren't making as much as they present themselves. Dont have to be poor or cheap to understand what to pay and what not to pay and NEVER confuse paying the going rate with generosity. I spend pretty freely but I am not stupid about it.

By the way, if you knew my job you would think otherwise of my finances.

And re Porker: Seems the internet has become our worst enemy when it was our best friend before. And as for being a pretty American...well, I can be pretty from time to time..lol.

To Blazers; Let me explain the financial difference between you and me. I am sure working the 3rd shift at McFuckingDonalds is really going to impress me. Actually, I bet you probably do well - for you. But the difference is this: You have your name on the "Pay To" line. I have my name on the "Authorized By" line. See the difference Dickwad? At any given time I have 10-12 sales people who make between 80K-90K per year. Pretty good coin for Florida. Throw on their end of year bonus between 5K-10K and they are doing ok. The difference in the financial food chain is that they are working for me. I imagine you are working for somebody else. So please, do not allow yourself to think at anytime that I would be impressed with your finances. I always finding it mildly amusing that when some new member of the forum takes a shot at one of the old timers, it all of a sudden becomes a "gosh, weren't times great back when. The internet use to be our friend"? I suggest that if you don't want comments on your comments, reports or photos you shut the fuck up and keep them to yourself. Otherwise, start your own website so you and your asshole buddies can cavort in your own crap. Gee, and I have the name for it: Cheapguyswhoareclinicallyobese.com. Yes, I've seen the photos. And to Porker: I have no self pity and do not exploit the poor locals. I am not the one on the cheapskate fuckfest. As I recall, I was being hammered for spending too much. Which is it? Too much spent or cheapskate fuckfest. Either way, I suggest you shut the fuck up and stay the fuck out of my way.

All I can say is WOW ...all of this for staying @ Hyatt Casino Ermita??

I will stick to G-Hotel...LOL

Kenh70 - Are you hiring # 13? I will pick you up any time in Manila for free!

i think this got started over a large tip for a taxi........

i'm glad i read it. i'll be real careful about those now.

Hey, he's from Florida, and a sales manager - that explains most of it for me.

I don't even know why he flies commercial, big rich studs like him should always have the private plane.

The village idiot returns!

Catocony: Read closer. I have sales managers who work for me. Jag-Off!
Porker: Go eat a salad and shut the fuck up!

Let's see...

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Ken you shouldnt make accusations about people you never met. I work for nobody and have my own business and I am far from clinically obese. Spend your money as you wish, I am tired of beating a dead cocky horse

This is my first post....i am also a business owner from Florida and i have to say in my experience that men like Ken that shout their mouth off about money are usually living paycheck to paycheck as well. At one time i blew every cent of the 250k i make per year also and tipped unheard of amounts....UNTIL i learned that people working for me have more money than me, because THEY SAVE and they watch there spending habits.

You should listen to the wise people on the message board as they have learned how to survive, and how to have the exact same pussy service as you do, at a fraction of your cost.

Any smart business man would agree.

MD

You know we are all here to share information about trips and things. I will be honest I do not post on here because all the information I have about my trips are pretty much common knowledge, ( Del Ray Costa Rica, TRocks Lima, The Girls house DR) But can I be honest. I do not understand when I am on here trying to read a thread about a hotel or where to stay, and there will be two or three people bashing each other. Ken originally posted about a hotel that he liked. So what he tipped a cab driver what he felt appropriate. I agree with him sometimes I over tip and do not care, but I also find myself fighting with the cab drivers in Santo Domingo who try to hit me with the gringo tax everytime I am at the airport. Any body in here wants to bash me go ahead but please cant we all just get along? I am on my way to Manila for my first time and was looking for some insight on the things to do and where to stay. Not sure if anyone wants to lend a hand or maybe will be there but I am arriving January 2nd. Hope to hear some feedback. Thanks