Holiday Inn Express Manila Newport City By IHG in Manila, Philippines

The Holiday Inn Express Manila Newport City sits near Ninoy Aquino International Airport with the kind of purpose that suggests it knows exactly why you're here. You're not coming to Manila for a romantic getaway or a cultural deep dive. You're coming because you have a flight to catch, or you just got off one, and you need a bed that won't argue with you. The hotel opened in 2011 and got a refresh in 2019, which means the lobby has that particular Holiday Inn Express smell — clean, slightly antiseptic, the smell of a place that has seen a thousand tired travelers shuffle through its doors. With 737 rooms spread across 10 floors, this is not a boutique experience. It's a machine, and it runs efficiently.

The complimentary breakfast is the kind of spread that fuels armies of business travelers: eggs, sausage, toast, coffee that does its job without fanfare. The rooms are what you'd expect from a Holiday Inn Express — functional, with blackout curtains that actually work, which is the real luxury here. There's a convenience store on site for the things you forgot to pack, and the free internet means you can spend your layover catching up on emails instead of staring at the ceiling. The airport transportation service is the sort of thing that justifies the whole enterprise: you book it, it shows up, you get to your gate. No drama.

The honest truth is that this hotel is not trying to be anything more than what it is. It's a reliable, moderately priced option for people who need to be near the airport. The 8.2 rating from over 17,000 reviews suggests that most people leave satisfied, which in the world of airport hotels is about as good as it gets. If you're looking for charm or local flavor, you're in the wrong place. If you're looking for a clean room, a hot breakfast, and a shuttle that arrives on time, you've found your people.

Newport City is a purpose-built complex of hotels, casinos, and entertainment venues that sits right next to the airport. You can hear planes taking off, but the soundproofing in the hotel does a decent job of muffling them. The area is not really a neighborhood in the traditional sense — it's more of a transit hub with some restaurants and a shopping mall thrown in. You can walk to the Resorts World Manila casino complex if that's your thing, and there's a 7-Eleven within a few minutes' walk for snacks and toiletries. The nearest train station is not within easy walking distance, so you'll be relying on taxis or the hotel shuttle to get anywhere beyond the immediate vicinity. It's convenient for what it is, but nobody is coming here to explore the local culture.