Last weekend, we had a staycation at U Hotels in Makati and it is truly one of the best value hotels I have stayed in!
WHAT IS U HOTELS?
It is the first ever Art Hotel in Manila, but if you’re not into art, don’t let that intimidate you. The hotel is for everybody – especially budget travelers and those looking for a place to stay the night because they’re too drunk or tired to make it all the way home after partying 🙂 It is also a nice place to relax when you want to escape the hectic Makati scene – U Hotels is located in the quieter part of Poblacion.
I know you’re interested in the price – the price range is quite affordable at just around P2,000+ per night. You can see the promo rates further down this blog post.
You can’t miss U Hotels if you’re driving to the Makati-Mandaluyong Bridge via the P. Burgos shortcut. U Hotels is just a few meters from the Makati-Mandaluyong Bridge and Makati Ave., within walking distance to everything on Makati Ave.
They just opened last April 2018 and are already #5 on TripAdvisor!
Full disclosure, the owner was my schoolmate throughout elementary and high school, but that doesn’t change my review – this hotel is really the best value hotel. 🙂
WHY DO I FIND IT SUCH A GOOD VALUE?
Prime Location
The majority of the guests seem to be foreigners on a budget, but even if you’re a local, I think you would really enjoy staying at this hotel. All the restaurants and venues in Poblacion and Makati Ave. are few minutes’ walk away; Glorietta / Greenbelt and the major office buildings are a quick hop by jeep, taxi or Grab.
If you have a major meeting or event in the Makati area and you live far, far away, you can stay the night here to make sure that you get to your meeting on time.
Unlike other unsavory hotels in the area, U Hotels is actually a very decent hotel – both in looks and in management. No shady vibes here at all! 🙂
Good amenities
While U Hotels does not have a pool nor a gym, they do have good beds and clean rooms. The beds are hotel quality single coil spring mattresses and the sheets are 350 thread count. They have a room phone, they have a safe, an exposed wardrobe, a small ref, and a coffee bar with an electric kettle. The room also has a desk and chair, as well as a place to lay your luggage.
They even give you these unique slippers that you can take home with you. They also provide an umbrella you can use during your stay (just leave it in the room when you check out; if you take the umbrella home, that’s P300).
While we often take these door safety guards for granted, I really appreciate having them in hotels.
They also have a 40″ TV with the following channels available:
The bathroom is big. I’ve been to other budget hotels, and especially in the Makati area where space is a premium – those bathrooms were the size of a closet. The bathrooms at U Hotels are normal-sized (bigger than the competition). I’m also very happy to see that it has real walls and not those uncomfortable glass bathroom walls that are so trendy now.
The bathroom has a bidet, and the usual sink and shower with hot and cold water. They provide soap, body wash & shampoo, toothbrush sets and towels.
I would have preferred a telephone type shower for more convenience, but for a P2,000+ room rate, this was more than I expected and I’m not going to quibble over it. I have stayed at other budget hotels with less amenities than this.
Free coffee & biscuits – available 24 hours!
Guests staying at U Hotels can have coffee and biscuits at the Lobby Lounge for the whole duration of their stay. This is available 24 hours. The coffee machine is automatic. U Hotels uses local coffee from Batangas and tries to support local as much as possible.
Fast WIFI
They have very fast WIFI throughout the hotel. I didn’t have any issues with the wifi signal whether in the room or at the lobby. Speedtests average around 50 Mbps. With the free coffee & biscuits, you can actually stay at the Lobby Lounge and get a lot of work done. I much prefer this ambience over a co-working space!
LOBBY AND ROOMS
The lobby is my kind of space! I really love the look of the “plants” throughout the hotel. They make the hotel look more spacious but cozy. It feels like an oasis in the Makati concrete jungle. The lobby has electric outlets throughout the space, great for those who need to plug in their laptops. It seems nicer to stay here than in a coffee shop!
The hotel and the rooms were all decorated by local artists. My friend found these artists through Instagram and gave them a free hand. Each of the artists got to decorate the rooms of a certain floor. Each of the rooms also has a quote; each room is unique.
The artists:
- Kris Abrigo
- Mercedes Olondriz
- Avin del Rosario
- Anina Rubio
- Archie Oclos aka Tatak A
- ExldManila
- Trip63
- Chillersssss
RATES & PROMOS
Their published rates start at P3,000 for a Standard Double room, to P4,500 for a Deluxe Triple room. BUT WAIT! They have promo rates until December 2018!
Breakfast is not included in the room rate. They have buffet breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays (free for kids up to 7 yrs old, max of 2 kids; P350.00 / adult). On weekdays, it’s plated breakfast at P250.00.
THE FOOD / LOBBY LOUNGE
We also had lunch at the Lobby Lounge. The menu started out with family recipes, and expanded to cater to foreign guests, as well. They got advice from relative Chef Decker Gokioco on the more technical aspects of running a kitchen.
The Lobby Lounge itself is open for 24 hours for coffee, drinks, WIFI and biscuits. For the food, you can order until 10PM.
I liked the Just Noodles – it’s just a simple noodle dish – noodles topped with pork pieces, peanuts and a fried egg. Ask for some of the delicious hot sauce and mix the hot sauce in when you mix up the noodles.
I also liked the Beef Pares – it’s a nicely balanced beef pares without a very pronounced star anise flavor.
The pricing on the food is very reasonable, from P200 – P300 per dish on average. The food is delicious and clean – no MSG, no shortcuts.
They have a good selection of drinks available:
SUMMARY
I am so glad I discovered this hotel! Not only is staying here very affordable, we also got more than we expected – the decor is beautiful and welcoming, the amenities are great for the price, the wifi is fast, the food is good. Service is good, the staff are attentive but unobtrusive.
Instead of just a plain building with concrete walls, I could really tell that a lot of thought and heart was put into the making of this hotel.
If you’re looking for a place to stay in Makati, or if you’re just looking for a place to stay the night, please check out U Hotels. I was really impressed and I’m not shocked how they got to #5 on TripAdvisor when they just opened a few months ago! Well, they’re #5 as of this writing, but they’ll probably go higher on the rankings in the future! The hotel is just a league above the competition in this price range.
This is a budget hotel that will impress guests. I don’t even want to call it a budget hotel because it doesn’t feel like a budget hotel at all!
Parking is available but limited – first come, first served.
U Hotels
5091 P. Burgos St. cor. San Mateo St., Poblacion, Makati City, Philippines
Website: www.uhotels.ph
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uhotelsmakati/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uhotelsph/
Phone:
+632 820 1000
+632 820 1001
+632 820 1002
