Hotel Review ｜ Kingsford Hotel ★★★★★
Kingsford Hotel, located just 4km west of the airport in the Don Galo district, right on the bay, is a great choice for anyone coming into Manila on a super short stay that wants to get to and from the airport easily. Even though it’s close to the airport, Manila traffic can be a nightmare. It actually took us 1 hour to travel in-between. The hotel’s parent company owns Air Swift, which flies to Palawan, which is how we ended up here. Our flight was changed so Air Swift set us up here in a complementary room.
The room we had was a little small, but acquit. There was a good set of amenities, including a razor, which is always nice. We did end up switching rooms/floors, because we noticed some people were having a party. Filipinos that party in the hotel are a huge nuisance. They like to keep their doors open, talk loudly in the halls, and stay up to the wee hours partying. When we saw the open doors, we did an immediate u-turn and asked the check-in staff to situate us somewhere else.
The staff were efficient, to say the least. Any issues were quickly dealt with. They sorted our issues with our missed flight from Air Swift and got booked on a new flight in less than an hour. They even set up a private free shuttle for us to get to the airport.
The Kingsford does NOT have a casino, but there are a number of swanky casinos popping up in the area around the hotel. In our opinion, those are the type of hotel guests we don’t want to be around. Mainly because they become excessively drunk, belligerent, and loud. Not fun when you’re trying to sleep. Keep that in mind if you plan on booking here.
Kingsford Hotel Dinner Buffet
Air Swift comped us free meals during our stay, so we got to try out their dinner buffet. It’s a good thing too, because their aren’t a lot of restaurants in the Don Galo area yet.
We weren’t expecting much from the buffet, but were pleasantly surprised. There were quite a few dishes on offer and many regional dishes like lechon. The quality was really solid as well. It would have nice if there were a few more side dishes, but all the meats and seafood offerings were up to snuff. Desserts, of the other hand, were a little lack luster.
We didn’t get to try the breakfast buffet because we left for our flight before they started serving.
Don Galo; Manila’s Vegas
It looks like the government is trying to develop the Don Galo district into a ritzy gambling quarter. Looks like some mega-hotels and casinos are going to pop up in the area, as there’s lots of construction happening, and some are already there.
The roads are very wide and everything feels very spaced out there. Walking can be a little tricky as lighting, sidewalks, and basic infrastructure are still being implemented. Crossing the streets especially can be dangerous. We saw a lack of respect for pedestrians crossing when they had the green.
Generally speaking; outside of the hotels, there isn’t anything. Everything so far seems to have been built inside the hotels. We walked over to neighboring Okada Manila, and it was like a city inside. They have a huge gambling floor, but beyond that there are a countless number of restaurants, convenient stores, drug stores, and anything else you might need. It’s actually quite a maze you can easily get lost in. It feels as though the hotel never ends. Seriously, we walked for 20 minutes and the casino floor just kept going. We gave up and turned back.
Would We Stay Again
Yes. Even though the Don Galo district is not really our first choice, if we were coming in late and leaving early we would choose to stay here. If you want to gamble, this would be a great place for you to stay. The hotel is modern, clean, and very new. They offer a good selection of amenities as well.
Need more information about the Philippines?
Mill over our full write up on Manila HERE.
Read our full write up on Angeles City HERE.
Check out our full write up on Cebu HERE.
Look at our full write up on Laoag HERE.
View our full write up on Vigan HERE.
Peruse our tips on Palawan HERE. (Coming soon)
Contact & General Information
Price: Above Average ($80-$120)
Website: Kingsford Hotel (official website)
Location: Google
