Points Pals Rating
Overall Rating: 8.5
Hotel: 9 points
Location: 10
fitness centers: 9
pools: 8
spas: 9
Restaurant: 10 ++
Lounge: 9
Bar: 9
Room: 8.1
Bed comfort: 9
Room Cleanliness: 10
Natural Light: 9
WiFi: 8
Room Size: 7
Bathroom (amenities/size): 9
USB/Charging outlets: 5
For the Business Traveller: 8.3
Workspace: 10
Big screen connectivity: 10
USB connectivity: 5
Introduction
When traveling to the Philippines, Manila is a central location, and, in Manila, the Fairmont Makati is centrally located for my business needs. I have been meaning to write this review since the pandemic, as this was one of the last places I stayed before the world went crazy with the crackdown. Writing a review then seemed pointless. But here we are post-pandemic. It is time to write that review and share this fantastic place (mainly the people) with you.
Booking
I booked the hotel via email directly with the hotel as I have a corporate rate and wanted to take advantage of it. You can book this hotel through the Fairmont website and other travel internet sites. The average price for a standard room I stayed in is PP12400 or USD 215 per night.
Location
The hotel is close to some fantastic restaurants and hidden gems only known to locals, like Ralf's, which is just around the corner. Also, across the street from the hotel is a shopping complex called Greenbelt, which has primarily upscale retail stores.
Check-In
Check-in time was 4 pm. If you are a Gold member of Fairmont's Accor Live Limitless (ALL) program, you can head to the 7th floor to be checked in there. Fairmont is now handing out wood keycards to become greener, and I applaud this.
The hotel was fully booked during my stay, but when I checked in around 2 pm there was not much of a line and the front desk processed my check-in very quickly. I got a standard room as per my booking. Usually, I like to do the pre-check-in with an app and digital key, which would allow me to completely miss the front desk check-in, however, this hotel does not support that feature. I hope that will change soon.
Hotel
The property had all the amenities you would expect from a typical Fairmont property, including a fitness room, pool, hot tub, spa, executive lounge, restaurant, and bar. their
Guest Services
The fitness room had a decent selection of equipment and was relatively spacious. The fitness room is open 24 hours so you can get fit round the clock.
The pool is an outdoor pool with a bar. It was used frequently, and I found it a great way to unwind.
The Executive Lounge is located on the seventh floor. As a gold member, this is not included as part of the membership benefits but can be purchased at a 50% discount (PP2000 or $34). The staff was gracious enough to allow me to take some pictures.
Accommodation
As noted, I stayed in a standard room with a pool view. When entering the room, it smelled fresh and clean, and there was a door hanger stating as much. As you enter the room, on the left is a storage closet that houses the bathrobe, slippers, ironing board, iron, umbrella, and a flashlight.
For a 360 view of the room please click on the link below. (right click and open a new tab)
On the right, as you enter you will find the bathroom, which has a walk-in shower and a bathtub.
Here is a look at the bathroom from a 360 Degree perspective. (right click and open a new tab)
The room also includes a workspace which is situated in the corner of the room, facing inward. All the plugs and connections are on the right of the table. There is an HDMI connection, one USB port, VGA and RCA connection. In addition, there was an ethernet connection that was not working.
I had a nice view of the pool from our room on the 6th floor.
Breakfast - Spectrum (on-property restaurant)
Supervisor - Novi,
Servers - Jhona, Paula , Sharah, Rose
Dining area size - 10
Food selection - 10
Natural lighting - 10
Outdoor seating - 10
Staff Friendliness – 10+
Spectrum is an on-property restaurant that serves a buffet breakfast in the morning as well as a la carte items. Breakfast was included with my corporate rate. The restaurant is also open for lunch and dinner, but unfortunately my schedule did not allow me to visit them at those times.
All I can say is "wow"!! This team is all about service. Pre-pandemic, I got to know Novi (Manager) and Paula (Hostess), and Jhona (Server) very well over the past two years I have been coming here. No, it did not take them two years to know that I like the Spice Banana and Mighty mango smoothie and Guava juice followed by a Latte, and that I want to have two eggs Benedict, one with salmon and the other with ham.
I have observed how Paula typically greets guests by name and how Novi pitches in by picking up dirty dishes. When I first started going for breakfast, they messed up bad enough for me to have a conversation with the Manager (Novi). It took them 30 minutes to get me an order of eggs Benedict (they have a dedicated egg chef), and, when they finally came, both the sauce and the egg yolk were cold. Novi perfectly apologized for the lack of service. The next day the eggs came right away and hot. Novi explained that they had a staff meeting and changed a few things, and this would not happen again. I guess they made some process tweaks.
A few months later on another trip, the restaurant stopped serving guava Juice. Jhona noticed this upon my arrival, and the next day they had guava juice. Thanks to Jhona for noticing this detail. This level of personalized customer service is why I keep coming back to Spectrum.
The dining area in the restaurant is extensive. If you wish to have a quieter experience, I recommend sitting in the section to the left of the entrance. This is usually Jhona's section.
In terms of the food, the restaurant has many selections, even Sushi for breakfast. It has a great bread selection, which is freshly baked daily. As mentioned above, they have an egg section, an Indian section, an Asian section, as well as fresh fruit. Of course, they have a pastry section where they also freshly prepare pancakes or waffles. They also have a section with cheeses and cold cuts to please the Europeans, and I have been told (by a French Critic) they make the best croissants.
Now, post-pandemic, Novi still remembers me by name, which is very impressive. Jhona has now been promoted to supervisor, and she also remembered that I like pink guava juice.
As mentioned before, the quieter part of the restaurant is on the immediate left as you enter and you can see below the noise level here is not too bad.
Bar - Long Bar (On property Bar)
The hotel also has a bar called the Long Bar. It is located down the hall from the Fairmont front desk, closer to the Raffles check-in area. The bar has a unique decor with old black and white movies playing on the screens behind the bar. There is also a painting of the famous boxer Manny Pacquiao. This bar does get very busy and a little crowded, and the noise level gets loud enough that it's difficult to have a conversation without a bit of shouting. The live bands that were there were good but on Saturday night there is a singer who goes by the name of Ronny Jorolan who got the place hopping with most of the bar patrons on their feet dancing. He has been playing there for the last six years, so if you get a chance stop by and tell him the Summer of 69 request guy says "Hi"! I ended up meeting a few more friends who have now added me to their group called The Thirsty Club. I will most certainly be raising a glass with The Thirsty Club next time I am in town.
Bar - Mistral (Roof Top Bar - On Property)
Mistral is a rooftop bar with a pleasant atmosphere that was not too crowded during my visit. On the weekends, they have a DJ to add to the ambiance of the environment. This is my favorite place to meet customers and end the day with a nightcap.
Restaurant - Café Macaron
Café Macaron is another on property restaurant. It is the perfect place to enjoy lunch or dinner in a contemporary and sophisticated space. I have eaten here in the past and found both the food and service to be very good. Unfortunately my schedule did not allow me to visit it on this trip, however, I now have the perfect excuse for a return trip so that I can update this review :).
Conclusion
I would have to say that the location of the Fairmount Makati was probably one of the keys to this being a successful stay. But it is the staff and management that make this place a true gem. The traffic in Manila is nothing like that in North America so being centrally located is very important. I won't hesitate to return and most likely will.
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