Red Planet Hotel Amorsolo, Makati

For someone who lives in Quezon City, going anywhere in Makati feels like a major hassle. I used to work in the area and hated the commute so much that I resigned and eventually became a freelancer who works from home. Now, I usually avoid going here unless absolutely necessary.

However, a lot of media events and offices where I have business transactions are located in Makati, so I still have to go to the area once in a while. I had to attend a media event on a Thursday night in the area, at a time when Uber was under suspension and Grab surcharge prices were crazy off the charts. Normally I’d drive there, but that would mean I can’t drink, which defeats the purpose of going to events (aside from covering it I mean).

As luck would have it, Red Planet Hotels offered a 2-night stay at their property in Amorsolo, which is a jeepney ride away from the party venue. I thought it would be a good time to do chores and check out some of the nightlife spots I’ve been meaning to visit but always avoided because it just seemed to far.

LOCATION:

Red Planet Amorsolo is located in a central site in Makati, the main business and financial district of Metro Manila. For business travelers, the 189-room hotel provides a convenient base for business purposes. For those on short business trips who need to hold meetings, the hotel facilities include a meeting room, disabled facilities, 2 wheelchair accessible rooms, and a car park (with free parking). There are also lots of useful services nearby for chores and paperwork like photocopying, getting rush ID photos, notary publics and banks.

If you’re commuting, the hotel is located in Urban Street very near E-Performance and Chino Roces. From here, you can ride a jeep to access the MRT Magallanes station. If you walk to Buendia side, you can ride bus or jeep going to Ayala.

Red Planet actually has a lot of branches in central locations around Manila including Ortigas, Ermita, Makati, Quezon City and Aseana City. You can also find them in Angeles (Pampanga), Cagayan de Oro, Cebu City and Davao City. Properties in development include Binondo, Cubao, Manila Bay, NAIA, North Avenue and Quezon Avenue.

AMENITIES:

All branches of Red Planet Hotels look very similar to each other – very minimalist and modern. A recurring theme is their monochrome cityscape photos with pops of red decorating the common spaces and the hallways. They also showcase photographs of vibrant scenes from around the Philippines and icons of Pinoy culture.

The lobby lounge and waiting area has several computer terminals for browsing, a lounge with magazines and a small counter selling a few essentials like bottled drinks and snacks. For a wider selection, you can just go down to the 7-11 Convenience store on the ground floor.

ACCOMMODATION:

The rooms are small, but come equipped with all the basics for short stays. All rooms have free high-speed Wi-Fi, a power shower, quality custom-made beds with upscale linen. Rooms are air conditioned and have a pull down workstation to save space, an in-room safe, a hair dryer, a ceiling fan, and a 40-inch flat screen TV mounted on the wall.

Rooms come with either a Queen Sized bed or Two Single beds and have a maximum occupancy of two adults. Up to two children below the age of 12 can share existing bedding without charge. Since the room is quite small, they can’t accommodate an extra bed or mattress.

Staying here is a no frills experience, so so don’t expect amenities you find in other hotels. The bathrooms are clean and well-maintained and towels are provided.

However, other items like complimentary toiletries (toothbrushes and toothpaste, etc.) are not included, so be sure to bring your own (or you can buy from the convenience store downstairs). They do have the 3-in-1 basics though like shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. I think this is a much better practice because it reduces wastage and means that half-used bars of soap and shampoo don’t end up in landfills.

RED PLANET APP:

There are no telephones in the room, but you can contact the front desk by downloading Red Planet’s Mobile App (which can also be used for booking hotel stays). The In-stay mode allows you to chat with the front desk, browse the locations nearby, get discounts on some restaurants or book a ride to the hotel.

DINING:

Red Planet Hotel has its own in-house cafe, which was under renovation during my visit. Complimentary breakfast is included with their partner restaurant Petra & Pilar right next door. You can pre-order to have meals delivered to your room, or just walk to the resto to have breakfast and coffee.

For quick bites on the go, there’s the convenience store in the ground floor and lots of small restos nearby including 101 Hawker Food Center, a hole-in-the-wall resto serving budget friendly meals (P140 for set rice meals) like Nasi Goreng, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Satay, Noodle Soup with Kuchay Dumplings and Teh Tarik.

WHO SHOULD CHECK IN:

Red Planet Amorsolo is ideal for foreign and local travelers on short business trips who need a place to base in a central location in Makati. It’s good for casual single travelers who want a clean, safe, secure place to stay with free parking facilities. Rooms are clean and simple, and you get the basics you need for a comfortable stay. The staff is friendly and efficient.

Considering its location, Red Planet Hotel Amorsolo provides value for money at roughly P2k a night. The hotel offers an all-inclusive rate for every room, every night. There are no hidden costs in the room rates they provide.

If you’re looking for accessibility to nightlife, I think the Red Planet Makati branch in Poblacion would be a better option. I kind of wish I had opted to stay there instead on Friday night to check out some bars because of the rainy weather which made getting around more difficult.

READ MORE: Food Trip: Poblacion