Kingsford Hotel Manila — Hotel in Parañaque

We booked this hotel for 3 days and 2 nights to celebrate Christmas, but it was a major disappointment! Worst hotel experience ever!

I was expecting a more spacious room given its price, but sadly, it was smaller than we anticipated. I booked a queen-size bed, but the bed was smaller than what was claimed.

When we arrived at the hotel, nobody welcomed us, and no one assisted my husband with valet parking. He had to go down and ask for valet service since the parking lot was full. The worst part? Within a few minutes of our arrival, they lost our car key! We waited for almost an hour before they managed to locate it. We were extremely stressed as our car contained important business items. The duty manager seemed untrained to handle such situations, and their responses were very unacceptable. They didn’t even bother offering water for the trouble they caused.

That night, I decided to order coffee via in-room dining and paid 180 each. It took over 20 minutes, and to my surprise, it arrived in an ordinary paper cup, like something from a convenience store. The cappuccino tasted more like cinnamon than coffee.

The next day, our family decided to go swimming and tried to forget the stress from the previous day. However, when I returned to our room to leave my phone, I was shocked to find that someone had entered our room without our permission. We had left many personal belongings in the room, confident that no one would enter, but we were wrong. This was the first time I experienced housekeeping entering a room without any request from the guest.

The breakfast queue was VERY LONG—so long that it could turn breakfast into brunch! On our first day, the line was exaggeratedly long, and since our kids wouldn’t have the patience to wait, we were relieved when they opened the 5th floor to accommodate more guests. However, the food was bad. The hot chocolate tasted like water, and refills were slow because only a few staff were assigned to assist with the buffet.

On our third day, we hoped breakfast would be stress-free since many guests had already checked out. But to our surprise, the line was still VERY LONG, stretching across the entire hotel lobby. Our kids were very hungry, so we asked if the 5th floor was open again for quicker access, but sadly, it was occupied by an event. We spoke to the staff about possible solutions, but their only response was to wait in line. After speaking with the manager, we were given a quick pass, which we appreciated. However, we later discovered that the food selection on the 5th floor was different from what was offered on the main floor. This should not have been the case, as we all paid the same amount.

On our last day, we needed to check out early for an important appointment. After breakfast, we decided to check out, but the front desk told us we had to return to our room and vacate it before checking out. This was strange, as other hotels don't require this. We complied, as we didn’t have the energy to argue anymore. My husband called for luggage assistance, but after waiting 15 minutes with no one showing up, he decided to check out on his own. When he returned to our room, the bellboy was still nowhere to be found. After waiting and following up for over 30 minutes, no one came, so we carried our luggage ourselves to avoid being late. When we asked to speak with the manager at the front desk, the supervisor said the manager was busy—only to find out the manager was doing valet parking! No wonder the service was a nightmare—managers were busy with other tasks instead of focusing on their real responsibilities.

I hope this serves as a wake-up call for the management. You seem understaffed and more focused on making money than providing the service your guests deserve.

This was supposed to be a relaxing 3-day getaway after a year of hard work, but you ruined it! I will never book with this hotel again or recommend...

I rarely leave hotel reviews because I understand that every hotel experience is unique, and staff generally do their best to provide good service. However, my stay at this hotel was so disappointing that I feel compelled to warn fellow travelers. This was, without a doubt, the worst hotel experience I’ve ever had—and I’ve stayed in many.

Check-in:

The check-in process was a nightmare. The line was so long that it took us 30–40 minutes just to get to the front desk. Guests were visibly frustrated, with some complaining and even arguing with (what appeared to be) a supervisor. To make matters worse, no one offered to assist us with our luggage—we had to ask multiple times. The staff also seemed to judge us based on our appearance; I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, my wife was in a long dress, and my child was in a school uniform. The service felt cold and unwelcoming.

The Room:

The bed advertised as a queen size was actually smaller than my daughter’s double bed at home. When I asked the bellboy about it, he looked confused and had no answer—clearly lacking proper training. The room itself was ridiculously small. My wife and I had to take turns moving around because the space was too tight for two people to walk past each other. There was no cabinet, no laundry bag, and barely any storage. Then, when I returned from my event, my key card randomly stopped working, forcing me to make an unnecessary round-trip to the front desk.

Bathroom:

As expected, the bathroom was just as tiny. There was no shower enclosure—just a flimsy curtain that didn’t even cover the entire shower area. The body wash and shampoo were the same product, the faucet was dripping, and the whole setup felt cheap. The only saving grace was that there was at least hot and cold water.

Buffet:

The buffet experience was a disaster. First, there was a long line just to enter. Then, once inside, we had to wait again while seated. This was at 7:30 AM, so it wasn’t even peak hour. The food itself was bland—the inasal, for example, had flavor only on the skin, with nothing infused into the meat. No one offered me coffee, and the juice tasted like sugar water.

Service:

I always try to be understanding toward service staff because they deal with tired, hungry, and sometimes frustrated guests. However, the service at this hotel was among the worst I’ve ever encountered. • The receptionists had no explanation for the long check-in lines—just a dismissive “Ganyan talaga, sir.” • Buffet staff actively avoided eye contact, making it nearly impossible to get assistance. • A promo advertised “₱800 for unlimited draft beer or cocktails,” but when my wife and I asked about it, we were curtly told that only cocktails were available, with no explanation—almost as if they wanted to discourage us from ordering. • Housekeeping knocked on our door at 8:30 PM while my child was trying to sleep—just to check if we need room service. • When my wife asked to have our food reheated, she was told there would be a ₱500 charge—something I’ve never encountered, even in five-star hotels. • The pool area was poorly managed. Staff ignored guests, failed to provide basic information, and there was no lifeguard on duty, which led to kids running and jumping unsupervised. • We found a table and sat down with some chips and McDonald’s coffee, only to be rudely told to put them away because outside food wasn’t allowed. The staff member even said “Sabi daw ng CCTV,” as if trying to shift the blame.

Overall: Poor

This was a truly terrible experience for my family and me. We will never stay at this hotel—or any other under the same management—again. Honestly I feel that the 9k we paid for 2 nights is a severe overpay for the kind of...

Kingsford Hotel – A Mixed Bag with Incredible Staff, But Misses the Mark on QualityI recently stayed at Kingsford Hotel, and I have to say—it’s a property with real potential, but it’s being held back by inconsistent quality and lack of polish. The bones are absolutely here: central location, solid structure, good amenities—but once you’re in the room, everything starts to fall short.Outstanding Staff That Deserve Recognition • Lyka at the front desk was friendly, personable, and even offered us discounts on breakfast at check-in—really appreciated the warm welcome. • Kat, the massage therapist—honestly, she shouldn’t even be here. She deserves to be at a 5-star luxury spa. Her massage was so good I’d return just for that experience. • AD at the front desk was charming and helpful, and consistently attentive. • Tonite was a standout for customer service—professional, experienced, and absolutely someone who belongs at a high-tier luxury hotel. Kingsford is lucky to have her.The Hotel: Pros & ConsThe hotel could seriously benefit from a partnership with a major hotel brand like Hyatt, Marriott, or Hilton to bring the service standard, furnishings, and F&B quality up to par.We stayed in an Executive Suite, but the layout and furniture made it feel more like an Airbnb than a premium hotel room. There’s a lot of empty, dead space, and the furniture is too small and sparse for the room size. • Cleanliness: 7/10. I travel with my own wipes and found sticky streak marks in several places upon arrival. • Toiletries: Just okay. • Towels: Very inconsistent—some were thin and cheap, while others were surprisingly plush and high quality. • Curtains in the bathroom felt extremely cheap and brought the aesthetic down even further.Facilities & Amenities • The gym is actually great—well-equipped and one of the stronger features of the hotel. • The dry sauna in the locker room is another bonus, though the steam room wasn’t working. • Scent-wise, they use cheap room deodorizers every few rooms. I really wish they’d invest in higher quality air scent systems to elevate the experience.Food & Dining – A LetdownThis was the biggest disappointment. Even with a discount, the breakfast was shockingly low quality. Definitely not worth paying for again. • Food options were cheap, and the bacon situation was absurd—I asked twice, 30 minutes before breakfast ended, and not only did no one follow up, but they actually removed the tray right after. • No fresh juice, everything was sugar-heavy “juice drink”, and it was strange (and honestly unprofessional) seeing staff lining up to use the guest beverage station. • The restaurant staff overall lacked attentiveness, many of them gossiping at the host stand or on their phones, which is not the vibe you want when paying for hospitality.Other Notes: • Pool deck has a nice view, though I didn’t get to try any food or drinks there. • Valet and front desk were consistently polite, which helps offset some of the rougher edges.Final Thoughts:Kingsford has serious potential, but it’s currently a mismatch of great staff and poor execution. The infrastructure is here to be something much more premium, and with the right investment in service training, food quality, and room furnishing, it could truly shine.For now, it’s a mediocre stay—fine for a night if you’re not particular, but definitely not a destination hotel. If they don’t make changes, nearby options like Grand Westside are looking much more promising.Would I return? Maybe for a massage from Kat and to say hi to Tonite. Beyond that—it depends on whether...