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Junction Hostel & Co-Working Space in Makati

Kara Santos

Sometimes you don’t have to go far to get that “backpacker travel” experience. While researching for an article assignment on different hostels in the city recently, I got to stay in Junction Hostel, one of the newer hostels in Makati City. Since I didn’t have to worry about going home too late, the staycation was a perfect time to go on an urban adventure to nearby bars and restos. As a long time Quezon City resident, Makati is pretty much foreign territory to me. Exploring the city’s vibrant night life actually kind of felt like being in a backpacker district in Bangkok or Vietnam.

LOCATION

Junction Hostel Makati is located near a lot of offices, hole-in-the-wall cafés, bars and nightlife venues. During the staycation, friends and I went to different establishments including Lazy Bastard for burgers, biker bar H & J (across El Chupacabra and near Tambai) for dinner and drinks, the 50’s diner Filling Station for dessert and Le Café Curieux, a bohemian French café and restaurant for more drinks.

While you have the convenience of being near a lot of establishments, Junction Hostel offers a place where you can relax and sleep very peacefully. The hostel is about a 5-10 minute walk away on the other side of Kalayaan Avenue, in a building on the corner of General Luna and Don Pedro Streets in Barangay Poblacion, in a quieter residential area. There are a lot of Korean restaurants and grills nearby too, as well as two major malls in the vicinity.

ROOMS

Junction Hostel offers rooms ranging from one-to two-bed private rooms to all-female dorms and 10-bed coed rooms. My friend Sab and I were assigned to the Ladies 4-Bed in Suite, which came with 2 bunk beds, lockers, a utility rack with shelves and universal outlets. The room had its own en suite bathroom with heater, an extra vanity and washbasin and a cute full-length mirror.

The beds were really comfortable, with hotel-grade mattresses, linens and blankets and fluffy pillows. What’s great is that there were bedside lamps and dedicated sockets right next to each the bed. This room is good if you’re planning a night out with friends in Makati and don’t want to risk going home too late.

Mingling is strictly encouraged, so if you want to soak up the social atmosphere and make friends with fellow travelers, you can opt to take a space in other room configurations including a Coed triple room, Coed 4 bed room, Coed 6 bed dorm en suite and Coed 10 bed dorm en suite. If you want some privacy, yet still have that social atmosphere when you go out, you can opt for the Private Queen/Twin Bed (maximum 2 people in a room).

COMMON AREAS

What makes Junction Hostel really stand out from other hostels is how creative the space is. A colorful map near the entrnace shows photos of all the previous guests who have stayed there.

The common areas have lots of nooks and cozy spots, including bean bags on the floor, a Caccoon hammock swing and an enclosed entertainment room with Cable TV, with lots of comfy couches for people to lounge on. There’s a dedicated entertainment room with Cable TV.

There’s even a small Pinoy-style billiard table there where you can play snooker. During those times when it’s too rainy or too hot to go out, the living spaces will make you just want to relax inside the hostel.

CO-WORKING SPACE

Junction Hostel also offers their main common area as a co-working space. The industrial-themed interiors, typographical details on the wall, furniture made from upcycled materials like old grills, and the overall vibe will appeal to creative types. In fact, they have a lot of designers, artists and freelance wrtiers who come in just to work or hang out. There are two desktop computers available for those who want to use WiFi though there are lots of sockets around so people can easily plug in their own gadgets.

A row of tables made from upcycled wood in the common area serves as the main working space. Every seat here has a socket under the table where people can plug in their laptops and gadgets. Amenities include free flowing coffee, use of WiFi, use of the pantry, print-scan-copy services, the snooze area, communal space and just altogether the creative vibe (see rates below). This is a good option for freelancers, digital nomads and non-Manila based entrepreneurs who need a temporary base in the city.

DINING: TRUCK

Another cool addition to the common space is the cafe and food truck bar that serves out of a container van. At night, the bar serves a selection of “Junc Food” – Pinoy street food with a gourmet twist including Salted egg Quesadilla with spicy tinapa flakes and kasilyo (P130), Beef Salpicao (P195), Junction Pork BBQ Special (P140), Wrapped Chili (P120), Nachos or French Fries with choice of Mexican Ground Beef, Pork Sisig, Overload Cheese and Chicken wings (P180). These go great with their selection of imported beers like Hoegaarden, Stella Artois and Heineken.

The cafe also serves breakfast and free flowing coffee to checked-in guests. Our breakfast consisted of a generous serving of bacon with our choice of eggs, rice or bread, which was great for handling the hangover from our night out of drinking.

WHY YOU SHOULD CHECK IN

Junction Hostel seems popular with foreign backpackers and budget travelers, who want a base in Metro Manila before heading out to explore other parts of the Philippines. Local travelers from different provinces who have business in Manila also find this a convenient place to base if they have errands in the Makati area. It also caters to barkadas looking for a different atmosphere for their staycations and slumber parties.

The hostel is also an option for Makati-based office workers who need a place to stay for the night. Because of the recent Carmageddon during the rainy season in the city, Junction Hostel has been getting walk-in guests from stranded office workers who find that it makes more sense to spend the night in the area rather than brave traffic and floods, especially if they have work the next day.

RATES:

ADDRESS & CONTACT INFO:

Makati Junction Hostel is located in Annex Matheus Building, Gen. Luna Corner, Don Pedro Streets, Barangay Poblacion, 1210 Makati City Philippines. Link to map HERE.

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