Red Planet Ermita: Hotel in the Red Light District

Have you ever been to the famous district in Manila? Well, you've never really been to Manila if you haven’t seen and discovered it. Ermita, famously referred to as the "red light district" of Manila, and it is famous for its wild nightlife and party scene. Whilst it is know for its nightlife and restaurants, there is only one place for only the savviest of Manila visitors. Let me tell you all about Red Planet Ermita.

GETTING THERE

After our TBEX Opening Night Party at Blue Leaf Filipinas, we booked a ride to the hotel. I vaguely knew Red Planet Ermita was ‘off Roxas Boulevard somewhere’, but it wasn’t until we arrived that I realized just how close it was. Red Planet Hotel is situated in the heart of Ermita, known for its nightlife and restaurants and close to leading tourist attractions; and despite its proximity to such a buzzing part of Ermita, the whole of Red Planet Ermita remains quiet.



The hotel is a 30-minute drive from Manila International Airport and is the perfect entrée to a pulsating destination that serves up nearby experiences like Roxas Boulevard–a row of al fresco restaurants overlooking Manila Bay, the Cultural Centre of the Philippines, Manila Ocean Park, and SM Mall of Asia–the Philippines' largest mall. I got to stay here for 2 nights last month with my friend, Rona, which made for a welcome respite in the middle of a particularly hectic time.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Red Planet can easily be distinguished, minimalistic design and white coving contrasts with vivid red color all along the street. The hotel building houses 2 establishments in the first floor, a convenience store, 7-Eleven and the So Zhou Tea House. In between these shops, is a walk-way entrance to the hotel lobby.




As you step inside the hotel, the minimalistic design is pretty much evident through out. The lobby was actually pretty huge in the inside and has a plenty of red comfy couches.




On the left of the reception area, there are desktop computers which guests can use to check on their email, browse websites, and more. If you need to print something, just approach the reception desk and a minimal fee of PhP 5.00 will be charged per page. I also noticed that they don't provide chairs for the desktop, maybe to limit others from usage abuse.



Two elevators are present to provide accessibility to any floor going up. Not all can use the elevator though, except only for checked-in guests. You need to punch in your key card first before you can go up the hotel rooms. Which I think it is really an exceptional idea to provide guests their utmost safety.

THE ROOM

The hotel has a 167 room accommodations and our night was spent in an air-conditioned double room with white and creamy hues. With a comfy queen size bed, 2 bedside tables, a workstation, an in-room safe, a hair dryer, a ceiling fan, and a 32-inch cabled flat screen TV.






The toilet and bath room is quite huge and its hot and cold rain shower provides a relaxing and soothing massage as you take a bath. What really caught my attention is the liquid soap dispenser: shampoo, conditioner, and bath gel are mixed together in 1 container.





Price: Double Rooms start at around $50. You may check the latest price in: Booking.com | Agoda | Hotels.com | Expedia | Travelbook.ph or read reviews on TripAdvisor. For inquiries and other information, you may visit their official website. For other hotel reviews, click here.

DINING AT SO ZHOU TEA HOUSE

On our second night, we indulge in a Chinese dining experience at So Zhou Tea House, a Chinese restaurant in the hotel. Like the foodie geek that I am, I perused the menu long while we sat down. We chose the spicy chicken and a fried rice which was really a plenty. Indulging on our order was an absolute perfection. Well, I am a sucker for spicy food and the vegetable shaving on top of the fried rice were plentiful. The 3 of us split the bill afterwards and we paid PhP 120 each.



Whilst So Zhou Tea House is based in the hotel, you don’t have to be a guest to eat there. So Zhou Tea House is open to anyone who craves for a Chinese dining experience. The food is to die for.

THE VERDICT

If you're visiting Manila and want to experience the "red light district", Red Planet Ermita is perfect for you. Budget-friendly, a soothing power shower, high-speed Wi-Fi, and most importantly a value-hotel that can offers an all-inclusive rate for every room, every night; without feeling stuffy or pretentious and being tucked away from the hustle and bustle also means it’s a place where you can feel relaxed. Red Planet Ermita makes it to the top of my budget hotel hotlist.

For more information:

RED PLANET
Ermita, Manila
1740 A. Mabini St., Malate
Manila 1004
Philippines
TEL: +63 2 708 9888
Email: frontdesk.ermita@redplanethotels.com

Disclaimer: My reservation at Red Planet Ermita was complimentary as part of a press stay. All views are my own.