Gran Prix Hotel & Suites in Manila, Tarlac, Cebu, Boracay & Palawan!

Do you have an upcoming trip to the Northern Provinces of Luzon and you need a place to crash before your 3 a.m. bus ride from Manila? Or are you coming to Manila for a short trip and you need to be close to the Manila airport terminals, conference venues in downtown Manila or the US Embassy in Roxas Boulevard to process your papers? Let me tell you about the sister company of bus line Victory Liner - the Gran Prix Hotel & Suites. They have econo-hotels in Quezon City, Pasay, Manila, Tarlac, Cebu and soon, Puerto Princesa in Palawan. They also have two hotels in Boracay - the Gran Prix Boracay Hideaway and The Sitio Boracay with the luxurious villas. I had the chance to check out their Manila branch. Read on for a sneak peek and your next stay with Gran Prix Hotel & Suites =)

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I arrived at night so I had dinner at the Namayan Filipino Restaurant on the top floor first. The ambiance was casual and some groups head here to chill after work at night.

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They have jazz night at Namayan every Thursdays and acoustic night every Fridays. The food is predominantly Pinoy comfort food and pulutan (finger food for beer).

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Check-in is easy. Just tell them if you want an Easy Bed Room (P799 all-in rate, no breakfast) if you want a simple room for layovers. It comes with a single bed and an air-conditioning system (shared bathroom). They accept walk-ins but it is better to reserve ahead because they are busy all-year-round. You know why? Because the Gran Prix Hotel Manila branch is very near Robinsons Place, Ermita, the US Embassy and convention areas so it is popular among foreigners and locals from the provinces.

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The rooms are actually a bit similar to hotels you find in the provinces in the Philippines. Gran Prix simply provides you with your basic needs (like air-conditioning and a traditional Pinoy breakfast haha) and no frills. The rooms of Gran Prix Hotels & Suites are designed to be minimalistic (by interior designer Joe d' Mango - know him from Love Notes?!). This was my room (I believe this is a Deluxe 2 Room) and it was clean enough for me. 

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It has its own bathroom, with hot-and-cold shower, toilet, sink and a bathtub.

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Toiletries like soap, toothbrushes, shampoo and toothpaste are available. There's a flat screen TV with cable, a desk with mirror and an air-conditioning unit.

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They have Suite Rooms (P2599 with breakfast), Superior Rooms (P1500, with breakfast), Deluxe Rooms 1 (P1999, with breakfast), Deluxe Rooms 2 (P2200, with breakfast) and Family Rooms (P2500, with breakfast). If there is space, they can probably show you the rooms so that you get to stay in the one you're comfortable with. I saw the Family Room in pictures and I would most likely recommend that for the price.

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Some of the more expensive rooms have bathtubs and more space for your things. If you're a bit claustrophobic, ask them if they have rooms with the windows.

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For your group, they have common areas outside the rooms per floor here in this branch.

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For the praning like me haha, especially for budget hotels, I think this fire evacuation plan is easy enough to follow and I also saw fire extinguishers. I actually prefer the stairs because my room is just a floor away from the Namayan restaurant where I had my breakfast. They have an elevator and 7 floors by the way. The Gran Prix Manila in Ermita is their largest branch so far and they are still expanding with more rooms on the lower floors. They have no/weak WiFi when I stayed a few weeks ago because they are fixing it to include the new rooms but I think they will have it again soon.

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Breakfast was okay - very traditional Pinoy fix haha (para ngang nasa province na hotel diba). I would recommend getting the longganisa dipped in vinegar.

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The other Gran Prix Manila hotels in Manila will most likely have the same offerings but do check out their prices online beforehand. The Gran Prix Quezon City branch though has its perks, especially for bus passengers who just arrived or are hoping to catch a few hours of sleep (I think they have mini-stays too counted per hour for your early morning trips), because it is located conveniently near the Victory Liner terminal in Cubao. Meanwhile, Gran Prix Pasay is strategically located near the Victory Liner terminal in Pasay and is near public transport to Manila's airport terminals. As for Gran Prix Cebu, I'm liking the Loft-style room. For Gran Prix Tarlac, it's the sound-proof rooms and you are literally just above the Tarlac common bus terminal (they have buses that will take you to Baguio and Pangasinan here). For Gran Prix hotels in Boracay, it's the villa-style escape for The Sitio and the Boracay Hideaway that's just a stone's throw away from the famous White Beach. Makes you want to go around and try all of the above with all the choices right?! haha.

If you're interested in booking, I suggest you go through the:

Gran Prix Manila Hotel & Suites Manila:
1325 A. Mabini Street, Ermita, Manila
+63-2-3533319, +63-2-3533323
granprixmanila@yahoo.com
granprixmanila@gmail.com

or

Gran Prix Manila Sales and Reservation Office:
5th Floor, ORCEL 2 Building, Quezon Avenue,
West Triangle, Quezon City
+63-2-3326511
mso.granprix@yahoo.com

or 

Gran Prix Cebu Sales and Reservation Office:
3rd Floor, Coast Pacific Business Center
corner F. Ramos Street and Gen. Maxilom Avenue, Cebu City
+63-32-2549169
cebu.granprix@yahoo.com

or

Add them up at:
new website (TBA)

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And now, allow me to give away a Gran Prix Manila experience to one of you. Most of you must be from Manila or Manila-bound right?

Just follow the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Share with me in the comments: Have you stayed in any Gran Prix Hotels & Suites? How was your experience? If not - Given the chance, which Gran Prix Hotel in Manila will you stay at - Quezon City, Pasay or the Manila Branch? How about their other branches - Cebu, Tarlac, Boracay or Palawan? Which is your pick and why?