Manila biz org vows no rate hike in hotels during Pope visit

MANILA, Philippines—Looking for hotel rooms in Manila in time for the papal visit in January? Check out the establishments marked by Pope Francis posters for a good deal.

The Ermita-Malate Business Owners Association (Emboa) said member hotels and lodging houses would maintain regular rates in the week when millions of Catholic devotees and tourists are expected to pour into the city from Jan. 15 to 19.

“Our member hotels did not increase their room rates for the papal visit. The prices that we apply for January are the regular prices for the season,” said Emboa president Michelle Pe, reacting to concerns raised by two weeks ago by a Church official over some hotels that had reportedly raised their rates to cash in on the event.

Emboa counts 34 hotels and lodging houses as members, including Bayview Park Hotel, Luneta Hotel, Diamond Hotel, Manila Manor Hotel, and the H2O Hotel.

According to the websites of some Ermita and Malate hotels, the cheapest, single-bed rooms would cost between P1,500 and P3,500 a night during the time of the Pope’s visit.

Pe, who runs Miramar Hotel along Roxas Boulevard, noted that the demand for hotel rooms in January, especially on the days of the papal visit, had spiked but that there were still many hotels with vacancies.

“Most of the hotels along Roxas Boulevard and TM Kalaw Avenue are almost fully booked on those days. But there are still many hotels in the Ermita and Malate districts that still have many rooms available,” Pe said Wednesday.

To attract guests, Pe said some establishments are themselves cheering the pontiff’s arrival. “Our member hotels will be putting up posters of Pope Francis with our logo and the words ‘Welcome His Holiness Pope Francis’ on their front doors. This way, people will know that they can get good rates on rooms on those hotels, as well as knowing that the establishment they will be checking in is safe and secure,” she said.