I’ve lived in Manila for most of my life and have chosen to raise my children here. Still, I can’t help but wax sentimental for those days when the city wasn’t this crowded or polluted or traffic prone. When the skyline was filled with trees and houses and not those towering condominium buildings.
However, it’s good to know that there are still secret spots in Manila where one can feel the ambiance of decades past. And nostalgia is immediately evoked upon entering the compound of The Henry Hotel Manila, one of the city’s finest boutique properties with structures dating back to the pre-World War II and Liberation era.
From the gardens to the room itself, “sanctuary” and “oasis” would indeed be the apt words to describe our stay at The Henry. I felt relaxed just seeing the surroundings, like I was in Manila but really not. Because this took me back to those glory days.
We availed of the Suite Room at P7,000 which I got at a special price in the Traveling Trunk exhibit last year. Approximate size is about 54 sq m with its own living room, private garden, bath tub, queen bed plus all the other amenities you can find in a room of this category.
I love how everything was tastefully furnished. There was truthfully nothing tacky or out of place.
For such an antiquated property, am glad not to spot a single lizard, spider or cockroach. I did see my little mermaid ready to take her swim 🙂
The presence of a pool should make it ideal for couples or families who want the bonus of being able to dip in water. But the swimming area wasn’t really for kids and my daughter found the water too cold on that hot day.
I like this lounge area near the restaurant though.The baldosa or machuca tiles are just so lovely. So 60s too.
The same setting could be found in the hotel restaurant, Apartment 1B.
Food in this resto is good, but a tad expensive for local diners. Having a heritage restaurant would be more in line with the hotel’s midcentury theme. I had this cheesy quesadilla paired with iced coffee and I was presented with a bill akin to being in Singapore, lol.
Not to fret really. The best dining deal you can have is to get out of the hotel compound for lack of choice and head on to the nearby Mall of Asia and my favorite child-friendly open space in the city, Blue Bay Walk.
Anyway, don’t check out of the hotel without visiting the other shops in the sprawling compound, notably the Artellano 11 Furniture Gallery by interior designer Eric Paras.
Henry Hotel Manila
2680 FB Harrison St.
Pasay City
www.thehenryhotel.com
Tel No 807 8888
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