With a two-day food-tasting and restaurant-hopping activity looming in Makati, we were desperate to find a nearby bed to crash into after filling our bellies silly. Going back home at the end of the day and inching our way back through EDSA’s horrendous traffic the next day wasn’t an option we were entertaining—we would sleep in Makati for the night. And that’s that.

YOU HAVE TO CLIMB ONE STORY UP TO THE MAIN LOBBY

Luckily, we found out about Red Planet. Tucked along a relatively quiet street near the bustling central business district in Makati, this red and white building became our refuge for the weekend. It was so conveniently located for our food stops that we decided to extend our stay for one more night.

CLEAN AND MODERN INTERIORS

JUST IN CASE YOU FORGOT TO BRING YOUR LAPTOP AND YOU NEED TO GET ONLINE

Red Planet, which used to be known as Tune Hotels in the Philippines, is more of a budget hotel than a luxury one. But a quick look at their lobby and I was immediately asking my companions if this is indeed a value hotel. The interiors were very snazzy, there’s a Mac station for one’s browsing needs, and most of the people I saw checking in and out were sporting business suits!

RED PLANET’S FUNKY ELEVATOR AREA, SELFIE ANYONE?

LOVING THE DIFFERENT PINOY GRAPHICS ON EVERY FLOOR

But yes, it is a budget hotel. Near the elevator area, I can see a few dashes of hostel culture creeping up on its otherwise prim and proper lobby. On one wall, a mural print of a numbered pedicab—which indicates which floor you are currently on—and right beside it, shelves of souvenirs, board games and a selfie station (they email the photos too)! The group did spend some time here before going up our respective rooms.

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OUR ROOM FOR THE NIGHT

JUST ENOUGH SPACE TO MANEUVER AROUND

Together with C, we were given a room on the 8th floor of the hotel. Red Planet has a total of almost two hundred rooms, and they’re almost exactly the same; this is a value hotel after all. Their rates are quite competitive and are all-inclusive, without hidden charges.

With that, I was expecting our room to be on the small side. And yes, indeed it was, the queen-sized bed mostly fills the room with just enough space on its sides to walk around in.

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I LOVE HOW THE TOILET & BATH HAS A BIDET AND HOT WATER

OBSESSIVELY ORGANIZED AT THE FOLD-UP WORKSTATION

Our room is fitted with a flatscreen TV, an electronic safe, perfectly located electrical outlets, a foldable workstation (you get to sit on the bed as you work), and a lightning-fast complimentary Internet connection. The only thing missing was a closet, even a small one, where we could tuck our bags in. But yeah, don’t mind me, I’m just obsessive in organizing my stuff.

FANTASTIC CITYSCAPE VIEW AT NIGHT

Another thing I like about Red Planet’s rooms is that most, if not all, of them has a pretty good view of Makati; meaning, they have windows! That, my friend, is a luxury most budget hotels cannot afford. And what a view we did have, I can only assume it gets better on the higher floors.

CLEVER GRAPHICS AT THE ELEVATOR  /  THE SNACK BAR AT THE LOBBY

Rooms at Red Planet don’t come with complimentary breakfast, but that’s expected with most value hotels. They do have a small snack counter at the lobby for sandwiches and drinks though, plus they also have a burger joint and a 711 at the ground floor, which is super convenient.

URBAN MURALS AT THE RED PLANET

You won’t really get hungry staying at Red Planet; there are multitudes of restaurants (we ate at Simple Lang Restaurant, Saboten Makati, and Kabila Restaurant) and carinderias (spell jollijeep) around the area, not to mention watering holes too. In fact, on the two nights we spent at the hotel, we were mostly at the nearby bar cum karaoke joint—which is literally just a hop away from Red Planet—having rounds after rounds of beers and songs.

Red Planet Amorsolo Makati ► ROOM RATES
Address: 99 Urban Avenue, Brgy. Pio Del Pilar, Makati City, Metro Manila
Contact Number: (02) 2519-0888 | Facebook
GPS Coordinates Map: 14.559705, 121.013233

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