Hotel and Inn Review: Savoy Hotel Manila (Pasay City, Metro Manila)

 

Date of Stay: November 5 to 6, 2024

 

RATING (Scale of 1 to 10)

Location: *********

Rooms: *********

Condition and Cleanliness: *********

Staff Performance: **********

Room Comfort: *********

Food and Beverage: *********

Other Amenities: *********

Value for Money: *********

 

Savoy Hotel Manila

What gift do you give your loving wife on her birthday?  Flowers? Chocolates? A greeting card? All these are fine but, thinking outside the box, I went the extra mile by arranging a hotel staycation instead. Well not just any hotel but one that goes beyond the traditional hospitality by rising above conventional business practices to contribute meaningfully to environmental solutions (a subject that is dear to our heart) – the 4-star, 11-storey Savoy Hotel Manila which had its soft opening last June 28, 2018.

 

Our bed at Space Suite (5066) with all the birthday trimmings

The Philippines’ Leading Airport Hotel for four consecutive years (2021 to 2024), this Newport City hotel is located just 350 meters from NAIA Terminal 3 (plus seamless access to NAIA Terminals 1 and 2 via the Skyway) and is a premier choice for leisure travelers, business professionals, millennials, young families, and cherished Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and Balikbayans travelers seeking both comfort and convenience, enhanced by the warm, welcoming spirit of Filipino hospitality. 

Space Suite

Our living area

Work desk

The hotel is one of 13 homegrown hotel development launched by Megaworld Hotels & Resorts across the Philippines.  Also within Metro Manila are the 19-storey, two-tower, 1,530-room Grand Westside Hotel (the biggest hotel in the Philippines in terms of total room keys), the 529-room Kingsford Hotel Manila (Paranaque City), Hotel Lucky Chinatown (Manila), ArcoVia Hotel (Pasig City), Belmont Hotel Manila (Pasay City), Richmonde Hotel Ortigas (Pasig City) and Eastwood Richmonde Hotel (Quezon City).

Classic Room

Premier Room

Also within Luzon are Savoy Hotel Capital Town in San Fernando City, Pampanga; Twin Lakes Hotel in Laurel, Batangas; and the 10-storey, 306-room Savoy Hotel Palawan  and the 313-room  Paragua Sands Hotel, both in San Vicente, Palawan.

Premier Deluxe Room

Runway Suite

Within the Visayas are Richmonde Hotel Iloilo and Belmont Hotel Iloilo, both in Iloilo City; Savoy Hotel Boracay, Belmont Hotel Boracay and  Chancellor Hotel Boracay, all in Boracay; Kingsford Hotel Bacolod in Bacolod City; and Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown and Belmont Hotel Mactan, all in Cebu. 

Upon arrival, we were welcomed by no less than the hotel’s General Manager Mr. Ferdinand “Den” Navarro, a seasoned hotelier and, himself, an OFW for 17 years, together with Ms. Maritess “Thessa” Dela Paz (Director of Marketing & Communications) and Mr. Karlo Evangelista, the hotel’s Compliance Manager and a sustainability champion.

 

Deck Suite

We stayed in a 49 sq. m., clean, cozy and comfortable Space Suite (5066), one of the hotel’s 684 cozy and well-appointed airconditioned rooms.  Our room was furnished with electronic door locks, a flat-screen TV, NDD/IDD phone, tea and coffeemaking facilities, a snack bar with Nespresso machine, a minibar, safety deposit box, a work desk, blackout curtains, a spacious living area and ensuite bathroom with walk in shower and free toiletries.  

Our ensuite bathroom

Other room categories include the 23 sq. m. Classic Twin Room (two single beds), the 23 sq. m. Classic Queen Room (one large double bed), the 23 sq. m. Premier Twin Room (two single beds), the 23 sq. m. Premier Queen Room (one large double bed), the 27 sq. m. Premier Deluxe Queen Room (one queen bed), the 27 sq. m. Premier Deluxe Twin Room (two twin beds), and the 53.3 sq. m. Deck Suite (one large double bed). The 38.1 sq. m. Runway Suite, located on every floor, has one large double bed and a view of the NAIA Terminal 3 runway.  All rooms come with Wi-Fi access and some rooms have access to the 150-pax Executive Lounge which is also available for special events.

Savoy Cafe entrance

 

Savoy Cafe

The hotel has three food and beverage outlets. Our usual hangout was their on-site, all-day dining Savoy Cafe (open 6 AM to 10 PM) which serves a menu of international and Filipino cuisine and special dishes ala carte. 

Wild Mushroom Cream Soup

Lechon Kawali

Here, we tried out their Wild Mushroom Cream Soup (3 kinds of mushrooms blended with cream and served with sesame pretzel grissini, Php275), Lechon Kawali (crispy pork belly served with special vinegar dipping sauce and steamed rice, Php460), Sampaguita Rubbed Pork Barbecue (smoky, tender slices of pork belly smothered with their homemade barbecue sauce, Php550) and their Halo-Halo (Filipino cold dessert with assorted fruit compote, drizzled with evaporated milk, and topped with ice cream, custard flan and maraschino cherry, Php350).   

Fresh Salmon Ravioli Pasta

Halo-Halo

Zabana Bar, open 7 AM to 12 midnight, is located at the hotel's spacious lobby.  Named after Zabana Rum, the latest product from Emperador Distillers, Inc., it offers signature drinks, specialty alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and bar bites.  

Zabana Bar

Located on the second floor are a spacious outdoor area with a swimming pool, jacuzzi and the Poolside Bar (open 7 AM - 10 PM) which offers expertly crafted signature cocktails and a selection of premium wines, beers, and non-alcoholic beverages. 

The Poolside Bar

Both bars’ menu includes Gambas Al Ajillo (garlic shrimp in olive oil served with bruschetta), Bruschetta Trio (cream cheese balls, cocktail shrimp, classic tomato, and pesto), Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls (kani sticks, Chinese sausage, cucumber, vermicelli, fresh herbs, nuoc cham, and peanut sauce), Nuoc Cham Chicken Wings (Crispy fried chicken wings glazed with honey and fish sauce), Salmon Croquettes (crispy golden brown crust, pan fried salmon, peppers, onions, and seasoning), Crispy Pata (crispy pork leg with special vinegar dipping sauce), Chicharong Bulaklak (crispy fried pork mesentery, served with pickled vinegar, and cucumber dip), Meatball in Tomato Sauce (mix of ground beef & chicken stewed in fresh tomato salsa served with bruschetta) California Maki (sushi stuffed with ripe mangoes , cucumber , and crabstick , served with wasabi and soy dipping sauce) and Charcuterie Plate (salami lyoner, boursin, brie, sharp cheddar, pickles, grissini, assorted nuts, and dried fruits).

Connect Lounge

The Connect Lounge is a versatile space for meetings, conferences, workshops and social gatherings that brings people together for meaningful encounters.  It offers Business Packages that can be customized according to your needs.

Sauna and Steam Room

Spa

Located on the second floor are a spa and sauna room (open 7 AM to 8 PM) and the fully-equipped fitness gym (Move Health Club) which offers modern cardio machines, strength training and free weights.  Open 7 AM to 8 PM. 

Move Health Club

Move Health Club

The unique Squares Lounge, located at every two floors of the 11 storey building, are open, co-working spaces with lots of rooms and electric sockets.  An ideal spot for productivity and relaxation, it has a wide, long and bright lobby.  Here, you can hang out with friends, get work done or stream your favorite TV series, all while keeping your personal space private.  Stationed at every square are computers, a snack bar and hotel staff that can take your orders from any of Savoy's F&B outlets.

Squares Lounge

The hotel also has a 24-hour Front Desk and a business center.  Located on the same floor are a spa and sauna room (open 7 AM to 8 PM), and an indoor swimming pool (open 7 AM to 8 PM).  They also offer complimentary airport shuttle, laundry service, car rental, concierge, currency exchange, on-site parking and 24-hour room service.  The customer service was excellent and the hotel staff were respectful, friendly and accommodating. 

The outdoor swimming pool

The hotel is located 200 m. from the vibrant township of Newport City, which features top-notch residences, hotels and enterprises.  It is also located 3.2 kms. (a 10-min. drive) from the City of Dreams Manila, 5.1 kms. (a 15-min. drive) from SM Mall of Asia, 5.5 kms. (a 15-min. drive) from Glorietta Mall, 8 kms. (a 20-min. drive) from The Mind Museum, an interactive science center, and 9.6 kms. (a 20 min. drive) from Rizal Park. 

The spacious outdoor seating area beside the pool

A cabana beside the pool where you can relax

As previously mentioned, the hotel is dedicated to sustainability through practices that contribute meaningfully to environmental solutions and the Philippines’ ongoing efforts against food scarcity. A proud advocate of sustainable tourism, the hotel is an official signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, launched on November 4, 2021. The declaration’s goals include cutting greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030, achieving Net Zero by 2050 or earlier, and annually reporting progress on climate action plans.

 

A Vertical Garden overlooking the swimming pool

A testament to this is its Vertical and Rooftop Gardens, where guests enjoy fresh, locally grown produce, reducing the hotel’s dependence on external food sources. To further reduce waste, the hotel repurposed over 500 containers from its Housekeeping Department and used plant boxes made from scrap materials, minimizing the carbon footprint between garden and plate. 

In line with these goals, the hotel has introduced the innovative WeSave Sustainability Program, which aims to reduce its operational impact, such as greenhouse gas emissions, measure its carbon footprint, reach carbon neutrality by 2030, foster a culture of recycling, and integrate eco-friendly practices into daily operations. The program also answers to the sustainability campaign of Megaworld Corporation, MEGreen, in contributing to greener townships. 

The dedicated staff, the backbone of the hotel’s sustainability efforts, embody this commitment by making eco-friendly practices a natural part of their daily routines both at work and at home. A rigorous food waste management system measures waste and identifies spoilage patterns by analyzing every aspect of the food handling process. Future menus align servings with actual consumption, reducing waste and optimizing efficiency for both guests and the environment.

 

Savoy Hotel ManilabGM Den Navarro and Compliance Manager Karlo Evangelista holding the UNEP Badge of Honor

In November 2022, the WeSave Sustainability Program received a “Badge of Honor” from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in collaboration with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Inc. Additionally, the program’s dedication to reducing food waste earned it the “Guardians of the Grub Badge” from the UK-based Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), a testament to the hotel’s commitment to sustainability. 

Most recently, Savoy Hotel Manila was named one of the top six finalists in the Business Marketing category of the Green Destinations Story Awards 2024 at the ITB Berlin tourism conference. Their Good Travel Story, “WeSave – Empowering Sustainability, Transforming Lives in Pasay City,” has also been nominated for the 2024 “People’s Choice Award,” allowing the public to vote for their favorite destination and Good Practice Story from the 2023 Green Destinations Top 100 competition. 

The hotel’s commitment to sustainability extends to its Sampaguita Initiative, which aims to revitalize the sampaguita industry by incorporating the Philippines’ national flower into its branding and supporting communities in San Pedro, Laguna, once known as the “Sampaguita Capital of the Philippines.” In fact, Megaworld maintains a 9-hectare, solar-powered Central Nursery in Tanza, Cavite, opened in 2016, that propagates sampaguita as well provides all of the tree seedlings, plants and flowers for their Luzon townships.

 

Sampaguita Boursin and Salmon Tartlets

Some of their signature dishes, such as the Sampaguita Boursin & Salmon Tartlets (Php420), Roasted Vegetable and Sampaguita Terrine (Php350), the aforementioned Sampaguita Rubbed Pork Barbeque, Sampaguita Polvoron (Php180), Gambas Royale (Php650) and Mango Sampaguita Cheesecake (Php320) as well as the Sampaguita & Lychee (Php220), Sampaguita Smoothie (Php280) and  SanMaRRa Tea (Php220), are infused and enhanced with sampaguita, adding a fresh flavor to a meal or drink. 

 

Sampaguita Rubbed Pork Barbeque

Savoy Hotel Manila: 101 Andrews Ave., Newport City, 1309 Pasay City. Tel: +63 (02) 5317-2869.  E-mail: stay@savoymanila.com. Website: www.savoyhotelmanila.com.