Ramada Encore Makati

Warning: This hotel is NOT 4-star as listed on Trip.com. In reality, it doesn't even reach 2 stars. The rating is fraudulent and the whole experience is a scam. Upon arrival, the exterior looked like a garage and the lobby doesn't match the photos. During check-in, a man was eyeing my luggage suspiciously, making me feel unsafe. The worst part: I was assigned an already occupied room with a man sleeping inside. This shows absolute chaos and lack of control. The bathroom looks like it was renovated by an amateur, leaving very poor finishes. The hallways have dirty, smelly carpeting, and the "new" room didn't have a city view, but rather looked out onto old, noisy, and dirty air conditioning units behind glass that seems never to have been cleaned. The curtains let the light in right from dawn. I had to check out and leave the hotel on the second day due to the unsanitary conditions. Service is practically non-existent. Black mold: severe health risk: The room had extreme humidity and black mold (*Stachybotrys chartarum*) spots on the ceiling. This mold is toxic and can cause skin and eye irritation, persistent coughing, breathing difficulties, headaches, severe allergic reactions, worsening asthma, and, upon prolonged exposure, respiratory infections. After two nights, my skin was irritated and itchy, typical symptoms of mold exposure. In addition, there was rust in the AC unit, damp bed sheets, and dirt on the furniture, carpet, and under the bed. Housekeeping is clearly substandard. Misleading facilities The "gym" is an unusable box of a room, with crammed machines and a sauna that heats the space up to the point of being completely impracticable. The breakfast is terrible: incomplete dishes, eggs with black specks from a dirty griddle, and a pathetic buffet (bad coffee, sliced bread, jam, and butter). For dinner, there are minors working behind the bar. A minor brought me dinner and served it without cutlery, without a napkin, without a drink, and without a placemat. Impossible to sleep. The noise from the generator and the AC units makes resting impossible. I couldn't sleep either of the two nights. Refunds and fake reviews: I requested a refund for the remaining nights, but they refused, despite the unsanitary conditions. Many positive reviews seem fake: textless and clearly inconsistent with reality. The negative ones match my experience to a T. Conclusion: Don't be fooled. This hotel is a SCAM, featuring black mold, lack of hygiene, extreme noise, and non-existent service. Many guests have had to leave for the exact same reasons. They know it and yet they continue to deceive people.

The environment and location are just average. To be honest, you can find better options for this price. The rooms are quite old and lack a modern feel, which seems to be a common issue in Manila. For this price point, you'd have much more and better choices in other countries.