Wednesday, January 11, 2006

A Great Little Pub

Considering coming to the Philippines and wondering where to hang your hat when you get here? Well, if you’re intending to stay in Makati you would hard pressed to find better accommodation than the Artina Suites Hotel.


Is this a plug for them? In a word, yes.

I have stayed there a couple of times, all my European friends have also and not bad word has been said about them. We have all been as happy as the proverbial pig in doggie do.

Artina is a small residential style hotel located a stone’s throw from the Makati City Hall and a 10 minute jeepney ride from Ayala, the home of Glorietta and The Greenbelt shopping malls. If you prefer to walk, allow 20 to 25 minutes. If taxis are your thing and the fare exceeds 70 pesos (AU$1.84), either the traffic is impossible and it would have been quicker to walk or you are being taken by the scenic route. There is also a red light district, a short 10 minute walk away, if that is your scene.

You can get a 2 room suite for 1850 pesos (AU$48.00) a night which includes a complimentary breakfast for 2 at the restaurant in the foyer. It alone makes the tariff worth while.

The food is excellent, a fusion of traditional Filipino fare and modern western cuisine with a dash of Asian stir-fry thrown in for good measure. If you are new to Filipino food this is a great introduction. The Artina café is one of my favourite eateries in Manila and is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and morning merienda. Although it must be said, the wine list is a bit on the sparse side. OK, almost non existent with only 2 reds and one white, but on the up side the corkage on your own wine is reasonable at around 200 pesos (AU$5.00) for one or three bottles.


There is a secured basement car park if you really want to drive yourself in Manila traffic. The elevator is cozy, but the rooms are clean, spacious, serviced daily and the beds are comfortable. They also offer half and full day tours to places of interest in and around Manila.

Artina is a 3 star hotel offering a 5 star service. Unfortunately, they aren’t on the net yet but if you would like contact details drop me a line or leave a comment and I will be happy to help.

By the way if you do decide to stay at Artina check out the view from the roof , it is magic and one of best to be had in Makati.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

We are visiting Philippines in July and I would have love to know the contact for Artina Suite Hotel. By the way, i love your blog, keep it up Henry! Thank you so much.

Henry Bateman said...

Hi there, Artina now has a web site at here
There rates have risen a little since I wrote this. A Superior Delux is now 2000php a night but if you stay more than 7 nights it drops to 1850 a night. They prefer to paid in cash, but do accept credir cards but add 5% to cover transaction fees. If you have a card linked to your bank account the BPI bank around the corner from the pub will give you up to 20,000php per transaction.
Hope this helps if you want to know any more just holler.
regards Henry