The Henry Hotel Manila

When it comes to choosing a hotel in Manila, it’s one of those cities where you can’t have it all. Want to get far away from the airport? That’ll be at least an hour crawling through the city’s infamous traffic-clogged streets. Fancy the idea of the relative calm of the Mataki business district with its multitude of super malls? Sure, it’s a little less hectic but you do miss out on the vibrant buzz to be found in other parts of the city. There is one place, however, that lets you have your cake and eat it – the rather magnificent Henry Hotel.

The Henry Hotel is in the shadow of Manila’s International Airport and while you might hear the odd jet engine you’ll be thankful when you land at rush hour (note: every hour is rush hour in Manila) and you don’t have to go far. As we wound our way in a cab through the chaotic city streets from the airport, we were bracing ourselves for a sensory overload. But, as we turned into the entrance gate of The Henry Hotel, it was like someone hit the mute switch as the noise of the city quickly faded away. 

The Henry is a truly special spot, a little oasis that is set in what was once an artist’s commune in the 1950s. The hotel is spread over five converted houses which still feel like they could be home to artists – albeit established ones – with beautiful tiled floors, chic retro furniture, window slats, and curated artworks across every wall. It's hard not to feel inspired to crack open your MacBook and start writing a novel or painting your masterpiece. Immediately I began imagining myself as Marylou in Jack Kerouac's On the Road, sprawled out on a chic retro sofa in our room. 
 
The artist spirit does still live on here, as The Henry Hotel is only one part of the compound. Other buildings have been converted to artist studios and galleries such as the Avellana Art Gallery and Jojie Lloren's Atelier. The whole place has a very old-world charm to it, a little time warp back to Manila in the 1950s. 
 
Our room was a ‘Suite’ (which is in fact the middle room category), and it really did have the feel of our own little apartment rather than a hotel room. There’s a lot of original character – the high ceilings, French doors that open out to a patio, and colourful patterned tiles. The newer design is totally in keeping with this vibe, with soft lighting, lush fabric curtains and a freestanding roll top bath, which is just the thing after a 13-hour flight from London. 
 
Bathed and ready to roll, we headed back out into the madness, which lies right outside the compound walls, dodging traffic while crossing eight lane roads; getting stuck; turning back; and finally finding the walkway that everyone else was using. Yes, it’s best to do as the locals do when crossing the road here. It’s hectic but it’s also lots of fun; and knowing that you can quickly escape back to The Henry when that inevitable traveller’s tummy hits (and boy did it!) makes the whole experience even better. We feasted on Filipino food that we were eager to try – spit roast pork (lechon) and sigsig, which is chopped pork served on a sizzling skillet with rice, fried egg and an actual mountain of rice – before jet lag hit and we had to call it a night. 
 
The Henry has a small pool in a lush tropical garden so it was an early morning dip for us before breakfast sat outside on the sunny veranda of the main central house, where you almost feel as if you’re living in your very own Colonial villa (to maximise that feeling, book yourself in the Owner’s Suite, which was… yep you guessed, the original owner’s apartment). Breakfast was a very decent shakshuka – not very Filipino, granted, but after all the pork and rice last night, we weren’t quite ready for the local specialities of corned beef and pork sausage. 
 
After a stroll around the compound, stopping to stroke the stray cats, peek in the gallery and furniture shop room which also happens to be the showroom of the hotel’s interior designer – good luck resisting that – we were ready to head out into the madness again for another thriller in Manila.