Hotel Review: Marriott Manila (West Wing Executive Room) – One Of the Largest Hotel Executive Lounges in Manila

Marriott Manila opened the West Wing in December 2016 – an annex of the hotel located in a newly constructed building adjacent to both the main building and the Marriott grand ballroom. When I first stayed in Marriott Manila’s main wing back in 2015, I found its Executive Lounge notable for offering themed nights and its landscaped pool akin to a resort. During a recent trip to Manila, I managed to check out the West Wing of the Marriott Manila for the very first time.

I entered the hotel via its main wing and checked in through the main hotel reception, unaware that the West Wing has its own lobby. The associate at the front desk checked me in and escorted me down a pathway leading to the new wing. The West Wing of the Marriott Manila has a modest lobby but this is accentuated by an attractive bar – Still – as well as the Chinese restaurant, Man Ho, down the hall.

My room for this particular stay at Marriott Manila is the Executive Room. At 55 square meters, it is a step-up from the rooms at the main wing which are 36 square meters. It is one of the largest executive-category rooms I have seen in Manila and definitely one of the largest for a Marriott-branded property anywhere in the world. Notably, the rooms at the West Wing are not carpeted. You get wooden parquet flooring instead.

The room is large enough to accommodate a sofa set next to the bed. You’ll also find a power outlet located next to the bed by the JBL Horizon (which also doubles as a clock with alarm) – perfect for charging gadgets as you go to sleep.

I love how the room comes with modern creature comforts such as the 2 JBL speakers which can be paired via Bluetooth. For an Android user like myself, It pains me whenever I enter a hotel room and find only an iPod/iPhone dock as the only available option for music buffs.

The working desk here is notable for being the round type and as such it is versatile enough to function both for work or for dining, especially since it comes with two chairs.

As with the main wing, the bathrooms in the Executive room at the West Wing comes with see-through glass panels which add in a dash of natural lighting. For privacy, the blinds can be turned down easily.

I love the deep soaking tub here which is located right next to the glass panel. While the standalone bathtub in the old wing is more attractive to look at, guests at the West Wing benefit from a larger bathroom overall with separate toilet and shower area with rain shower provision.

Toiletries are from Thann, as is the case with Marriott-branded hotels elsewhere.

Executive Lounge at Marriott Manila

My stay at the Marriott Manila came with access to the executive lounge. Having stayed in the property previously, my curiosity was piqued when one of the associates mentioned to me that the executive lounge was transferred to the new wing. I was also handed the lounge benefits which consisted of the following:

• Breakfast from 6:00 to 10:30
• Day long snacks from 10:30 to 17:00
• Afternoon tea from 14:30 to 17:00
• Hors d’oeuvres from 17:30 to 19:30
• Evening snacks from 19:30 to 21:30
• Pressing of two pieces of garments
• Use of work station and boardroom
• Private check-in and check-out
• All-day coffee, tea, sofas with dry snacks
• Concierge and business center services

What I love about Marriott-branded hotels is that the evening cocktails in the lounge usually run til late at around 21:30 in the evening. It was a similar case when I stayed at the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza.

Upon my first visit to the lounge, it occurred to me just how humongous the space is. One of the associates told me that the seating capacity is 130 persons – by far the largest club lounges I have ever visited. I would not be surprised if this is the biggest hotel club lounge in Manila.

The lounge carries a warm and relaxing ambiance. The yellowish color theme – inspired by the mango, the national fruit of the Philippines – is as per the rest of the hotel while the view of the golf course outside presents a rare sight in congested Manila.

The spread for evening cocktails at Marriott Manila is a hearty affair with canapes, a salad station, charcuterie and a variety of desserts. There is also a daily special – a hot item which changes by the day. During the evening I was there, they were offering Pork Adobo with Rice.

The evening spread is generous enough for a light dinner if one is too tired to head out, though the restaurants at Resorts World Manila are only a short walk away.

It is worth noting that during the transition from hors d’oeuvres to evening snacks at 19:30, the hot items are removed.

Facilities at Marriott Manila West Wing

When the West Wing was built, the hotel opened a new swimming pool and fitness center and these are located at the roof deck of the new building. While the original swimming pool is notable for its resort vibe, the new rooftop pool is noteworthy for its sweeping views of the golf course as well as the skyscrapers of Makati and BGC.

I had breakfast the following morning at the executive lounge. The continental breakfast consists of usual suspects such as bacon, sausages (including Filipino sausages), hash browns, porridge and several types of pastries and fruits. Eggs are prepared a la minute. Chilled juices are on display although you can easily ask for fresh juices from the associates.

I was at Marriott Manila right in the middle of the Marriott Asia-Pacific Chefs Conference – a week long event with the executive chefs of various Marriott properties flying to a specified hotel to engage in cook-offs and interact with the local folks. For this year, the event was held in Manila.

The event culiminated with a gala dinner with Senator Richard Gordon in attendance. We were presented with a 5-course meal containing the inputs from the 30 chefs in attendance.

Verdict

Having been bowled over by Marriott Manila during my previous stay 2 years ago, I am impressed again – this time by the new west wing. It has been 7 years since Marriott Manila opened its doors and along with Resorts World Manila, this was the first of the integrated casino resorts in Manila. Several other hotels have opened in that interim, such as with City of Dreams / Nobu Hotel, and I can sense that the upgraded rooms and facilities here are meant to keep the competition in check. Compared to the other integrated resort hotels in the city, Marriott Manila benefits from a more international outlook and this is reflected in the enhanced lounge and the superb in-room fittings. Coupled with award-winning food outlets such as Man Ho and Cru; remains this property remains to be a compelling option despite the increasing sophistication of Manila’s hospitality scene.

Marriott Manila
2 Resorts Drive
Pasay City, Philippines
+63 2 988 9999

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