Pension Natividad — Hotel in Manila

FIVE STARS FOR THIS '3-STAR' HOTEL! The quasi-neo-colonial (I am guessing) decades-old architecture is rustic yet well-maintained and remodeled. The interiors are clean, spacious, and with modern bathrooms. Melate is a lively area with plenty of street food and global cuisine, in addition of course to spots to explore Filipino staples such as sisig, adobo, and pancit (which is basically the Filipino rendition of Chinese fried rice or pad Thai -- most people who first try Pinoy cuisine start with pancit). Anyway, back to the hotel. The Pensione is quiet and calm despite being located on a busy road, and the lobby/cafe area is pleasant, spacious, and offers ample seating. I appreciate the original tile flooring, and, if you can, get room 404 or 405, because those rooms are where guests are treated to a view of sunset light through a large, old-growth tree canopy, with birds chirping in the background. The beach (yes, Manila has one!) is only a block away, and many Embassies are close by as well so I would recommend any traveler have a nice day or two here before or after venturing away from Manila Madness to Boracay or Palawan or Baguio. I wish I could stay at the Pensione (I use the traditional French spelling) for a week or two, or even a month. Very, VERY few modern hotels for budget travelers can compete with this historic, atmospheric...

We stayed there for about one week in mid March 2017. The place is in a lovely art deco building. We stayed on the fourth floor in the back of the building, with two single beds, a fan, and a private bathroom. Room was large and clean. As expected, it gets hot in Manila in March (40 degrees), and being an art deco building, the rooms naturally get hot. We had a fan, which was actually quite efficient. The room itself and the beds were comfy and nice. The staff were always friendly and nice to deal with. They have an on-board cafe, which serves meals 24 hours, and they have little snacks around the lobby for purchase (cookies, noddles, etc). The cost of the food was quite decent! My favourite was the Club Sandwich with Cheese - highly recommended! There was a security guard at the front at all times. There was a homeless family living across the street (which we fed on our last night - lovely family!). The area has a lot of homelessness and street kids, so it can be tough for the first time visitor to such a country. However I didn't feel unsafe, as there were many hotels and banks in the area surrounded by security guards. Highly recommend this place! There is a lot of street noise and hens at all hours...

We stayed there for about one week in mid March 2017. The place is in a lovely art deco building. We stayed on the fourth floor in the back of the building, with two single beds, a fan, and a private bathroom. Room was large and clean. As expected, it gets hot in Manila in March (40 degrees), and being an art deco building, the rooms naturally get hot. We had a fan, which was actually quite efficient. The room itself and the beds were comfy and nice. The staff were always friendly and nice to deal with. They have an on-board cafe, which serves meals 24 hours, and they have little snacks around the lobby for purchase (cookies, noddles, etc). The cost of the food was quite decent! My favourite was the Club Sandwich with Cheese - highly recommended! There was a security guard at the front at all times. There was a homeless family living across the street (which we fed on our last night - lovely family!). The area has a lot of homelessness and street kids, so it can be tough for the first time visitor to such a country. However I didn't feel unsafe, as there were many hotels and banks in the area surrounded by security guards. Highly recommend this place! There is a lot of street noise and hens at all hours...