Aruga by Rockwell Review: Manila's Underrated Serviced Apartment, for $130 a Night

The short version: Aruga by Rockwell isn’t really a hotel. It’s a serviced apartment in the lower floors of the Edades tower in Rockwell, Makati. You get a full kitchen, a separate bedroom, a balcony, daily housekeeping that does your dishes, and a tunnel into Power Plant Mall. It’s where I’ve stayed more than anywhere else in Manila, including for a month at a time, and I think it’s underrated. The rooms are big but the soundproofing is patchy, and the breakfast is average. My long-stay rate was ₱8,300 (about $130) a night for a One Bedroom Suite. If you want a serviced apartment in Manila, it’s one of the few good options, and I’d stay again. If you’re staying six months, though, lease instead.

Full disclosure: I’ve stayed at Aruga many times in 2026, including a 27-night stay in April and May, a week in a studio in March and two nights in an Executive room in June. This review draws on all of them, and nothing much has changed between March and now, apart from the Din Tai Fung in Power Plant reopening in mid-2026. I booked and paid for everything myself, and I’m not a Rockwell Club member.

Pros

• A big apartment: full kitchen, dining table, separate bedroom, living room and balcony
• Daily housekeeping, including the dishes
• A washer and dryer in the unit
• Rockwell: quiet, safe, walkable, and more upscale than most of Makati
• A tunnel into Power Plant Mall, and buggies around Rockwell
• A peaceful outdoor pool that’s a nice walk at night
• Access to the Rockwell Club if you book direct
• ₱8,300 a night on a long stay

Cons

• Soundproofing is just OK: poor on the road side, fine on the courtyard side
• The breakfast is average
• Some rooms have had a slightly odd, smoky smell
• Tiny roaches can turn up if you keep a lot of food in the fridge (true of most Manila hotels)
• Outlets are far from the dining table, which is annoying if you work there
• Balcony doors can be hard to open, and heavy rain has tripped the breakers

Arriving

Aruga is in Rockwell, in the lower floors of the Edades tower, right next to Power Plant Mall and connected to it underground. They offer airport transfers, but they’re expensive; a Grab is easy and cheap. The airport is usually about 30 minutes, but in rain and rush hour it can take close to an hour.

Coming into Rockwell, you feel like you’re in a gated, fairly private and luxurious community: palm trees, wider roads, modern buildings. It still feels residential, which is different from BGC, and it’s calmer and a bit more upscale than the rest of Makati. It’s not a tourist spot, and that’s part of the appeal.

Aruga shares the building with the Edades residences, but it has its own lobby, its own breakfast room and its own elevators. They connect on the 4th floor, where the outdoor pool is. The lobby is small and normal: check-in and the two elevators on the right (with only two, there’s sometimes a wait), the breakfast room on the left. The doorman is one of my favorite people at Aruga, very friendly, and the door staff bring your food deliveries up to the room. Check-in is quick, they help with your bags and show you the unit.

For a long stay, the process is normal. I stayed a few times first, then got the contact of the long-stay salesperson. The one catch is that they take a long time to get back to you, often not until the day you’re supposed to book, which adds some stress. Either push hard for the signature or start well in advance.

The room: 7.5 out of 10

This is a tricky one to score, because it isn’t a traditional hotel room; it’s a serviced apartment, and the score is relative to the luxury hotels in this series. My usual room is the One Bedroom Suite, about 66 square meters. A living room with a sofa, a TV and a balcony, a dining table, and a full kitchen with a stove, oven, fridge, microwave and a stacked washer and dryer. Then a separate bedroom with its own TV and a desk.

The size is the big positive. For ₱8,300 a night, all of that is pretty good, and after a few weeks it feels like your own place.

The cons are real, though. The soundproofing is just OK: on the road side it’s poor, and on the courtyard side it’s fine, though even there it can be a little noisy at times, especially right above the events space. The best rooms face the courtyard on the lower floors, and you can just ask for them. To be sure of a courtyard view, book a One Bedroom Premier; only one studio per floor faces it, so with a studio you’re gambling.

A couple of rooms have had a slightly odd, almost smoky smell. If you keep a lot of food in the fridge, very small roaches can come in from the bathroom area, though to be fair that’s true of most Manila hotels. The toiletries feel a little generic, so if you care about that, bring your own. The outlets are far from the dining table, so working there is awkward. The balcony doors can be hard to open, and on very rainy days the circuit breakers have tripped. All of it is an easy fix with a call to the front desk.

I didn’t measure the Wi-Fi or the noise on these stays, but the Wi-Fi has typically been fairly fast, and the AC gets very cold.

The Executive room: 8 out of 10. There’s also a renovated One Bedroom Executive, which I tried for two nights in June. It’s quite large and more modern, with a cleaner feel, and I think it’s better soundproofed. It costs more, about ₱13,400 a night when I booked it, so it’s up to you.

Breakfast: 5 out of 10

Breakfast is in Aruga’s own room off the lobby, a decent-sized space, à la carte rather than a buffet. The service is fine; the food is just not that good, with not much selection. The best option is the eggs with beef, a 6.5 out of 10, though it’s a little too salty. Unless it’s included in your rate (mine wasn’t), go somewhere nearby instead. There’s now also a Sebastian’s in Rockwell for breakfast; I’ve heard it isn’t that good, but it’s another option.

Pool, gym and the Rockwell Club

The outdoor pool on the 4th floor is one of the nicest things about staying here. It’s long, surrounded by the Edades villas, with a kiddie pool, and it’s a beautiful place to walk at night; even by day it’s peaceful, with a view over Rockwell. It isn’t heated. There’s another pool on top of the Edades tower with an incredible view of the city, but I believe that’s for residents only.

If you book through Aruga’s website directly, you get access to the Rockwell Club, which is a huge benefit: a gym, a pool, a hot tub, a sauna and a spa with massages. With that, Aruga starts to feel almost like a resort. I’ve used it many times. It’s about a five-minute walk, not connected, which is fine unless it’s raining hard. The gym isn’t as good as Kerry Sports at Shangri-La The Fort, but that doesn’t say much, since Kerry Sports is huge and has everything. The hot tub is actually hot, and the massages cost a bit more than Aruga’s in-room ones. One thing the access doesn’t cover, as far as I know, is Tokiya, the Japanese restaurant by the pool, which is members only. It’s one of my favorite settings in Manila, so if you know a member, go.

The gym in the building itself is small but fine: a few Technogym machines, a treadmill and a mirrored weights room.

Aruga also does in-room massages for around $20, far lower than any of the luxury hotels. The therapists bring their own equipment, set up on your bed, and come until about 2 a.m., which is nice before bed. The massages themselves are medium quality, maybe a 6 out of 10; some therapists are better than others, and the upsell to the signature massage gets a bit annoying.

The setting: 8 out of 10

Honestly, this is my favorite setting in Manila. It’s quiet, it feels upscale, and you can walk: to Power Plant Mall through the tunnel or across the street, around Rockwell, and over to Poblacion. Power Plant has a lot of restaurants. I especially recommend Ganso, Din Tai Fung (I reviewed the Greenbelt branch, and Power Plant is similar) and Amano. Analog MNL, the no-phone café, is a short walk away. Hapag, the Michelin-starred Filipino restaurant, is in Rockwell too. The area also feels safer than Makati or BGC. There are guards at every building and along the roads, who radio each other if they see anyone suspicious and help with traffic and pedestrians. At night there are checkpoints and gated sections.

The catch is that it isn’t a touristy area. For that, Makati proper is about 30 minutes away at most, and BGC 30 to 40.

Service: 8 out of 10

Very good. A few of the staff aren’t as strong, but some are excellent, and after a while everyone recognizes and remembers you; they always make sure I get the quiet rooms. Because it’s run as a hotel, housekeeping comes every day and cleans the whole apartment, dishes included, so it’s almost like having an in-house maid. They don’t come after 4 p.m. You can ask for a time, put the sign out or call, but the insider tip is to just approach the housekeepers in the hallway and ask them to come when they’re ready. Some of them are very thorough and kind. Note that they don’t supply detergent for the washer and dryer, so bring or buy your own. The Rockwell buggies will take you to Poblacion and around Rockwell. Occasionally things are a little slow, but overall I have no complaints.

What it cost

My 27-night stay in April and May 2026 was a One Bedroom Suite at ₱8,300 net a night (about $130), ₱224,100 for the stay, without breakfast, booked directly on a long-stay contract. That included a parking slot, Wi-Fi, utilities, daily housekeeping, the pool and gym, the tunnel to Power Plant and the buggies. The standard rate for the same room, if you aren’t staying long-term, was ₱10,000 a night. A week in March through Trip.com came to about ₱8,660 a night, and two nights in a One Bedroom Executive through Agoda were ₱26,747, about ₱13,400 a night.

On rates: stays over a month get a discount, Rockwell Club members get one too, and beyond that they’re hard to negotiate. You might do better if you’re staying months, but I’ve tried, and it isn’t easy.

Value: 8 out of 10

For a serviced apartment, I think it’s quite good value. There aren’t many in Manila short of signing your own lease, and the alternatives, like the Ascott or the Shangri-La residences, cost more. For ₱8,300 you get the neighborhood, the Rockwell Club if you book direct, daily housekeeping and a kitchen. And if you’re staying here, you’re probably working, so you don’t really need to be in BGC anyway.

Vs. the Ascott, The Fort and Raffles

• Ascott BGC: I’ve stayed there too, before I was taking photos. It’s more modern, with the same kind of kitchen and washer-dryer setup, but more expensive, and the setting isn’t as good: my room was very noisy in the morning with events going on in BGC, the soundproofing wasn’t great, and it isn’t connected to anything. I’d pick Aruga.
• Shangri-La The Fort: more luxurious, better soundproofed, with Kerry Sports and a connection to High Street. But about 2.5 times the price; when I worked it out, a month came to about $9,000, which is way too much for Manila, even if it’s negotiable.
• Raffles Residences: somewhere in the middle, with the pool and a nice gym, but the location is the weakest of the three, not connected to anything, with smaller amenities. I don’t know the long-stay rate, but going by the daily rate it’s probably closer to The Fort than to Aruga.

Aruga is the older and cheaper of the three, and there’s room for small improvements, but it’s comfortable, the location is the best of the three, and by the end the staff all knew me. Out of these, I’d pick Aruga.

Vs. a lease

The big caveat: if you’re staying six months or more, get a lease, and don’t lease through Aruga. A one-bedroom in Rockwell runs about ₱70,000 to ₱90,000 a month furnished, through brokers or a listing site like Carousell. Through Aruga, month to month, the same kind of unit runs over ₱200,000. Aruga may discount a stay of more than a month, or a corporate booking, but not to ₱70,000. That’s what keeps the value from being incredible.

Who it’s for

• Business travelers and remote workers staying a few weeks to a month, who want a kitchen, a washer and someone else doing the dishes.
• Families: there are two-bedroom units, a kiddie pool and no tourist crowd.
• Repeat visitors to Manila who’d rather have a neighborhood than a hotel lobby.
• Not really a staycation spot, since it feels like an apartment, and not for first-time tourists; Makati and BGC are better for that.

Tips if you go

• Book directly on Aruga’s website to get Rockwell Club access, and start a long-stay booking early; the sales team is slow to reply.
• Ask for a courtyard-facing room on a lower floor, and not right above the events space.
• Book a One Bedroom Premier if you want to be sure of a courtyard view.
• Use the tunnel to Power Plant when it rains.
• Take the Rockwell buggy to Poblacion.
• Walk around the pool at night.
• Try the in-room massage, around $20, until about 2 a.m. A tip is appreciated but not expected.
• Ask the housekeepers directly when you want the room done; they don’t come after 4 p.m.
• Don’t stock the fridge too heavily.
• Skip the airport transfer and get a Grab; about 30 minutes normally, close to an hour in rain or rush hour.
• Eat at Ganso, Din Tai Fung and Amano in Power Plant, and book Hapag.

Verdict: 7.5 out of 10

A good stay if you want a long-term apartment: a big serviced apartment in the nicest residential pocket of Makati, with good service, a peaceful pool and a mall next door. It’s an apartment rather than a luxury hotel, the rooms have a few quirks, the breakfast is average, and it costs much more than a six-month lease. Would I stay again? Yes, mainly because it’s one of the few serviced apartments this good, though next time I’d seriously consider that lease.

Deciding between the two districts? See my Makati vs. BGC guide: hotels, food and nightlife, compared.

Breakfast matters? See my best Manila hotel breakfasts guide: nine buffets scored, with prices, hours and which rates include it.

FAQ

Where is Aruga by Rockwell?

In Rockwell Center, Makati, in the lower floors of the Edades tower on Waterfront Drive, next to Power Plant Mall.

Is Aruga a hotel or an apartment?

A serviced apartment run like a hotel: full kitchens, washer and dryer, and daily housekeeping, with a front desk and à la carte breakfast.

How much does Aruga cost?

My long-stay rate in 2026 was ₱8,300 a night for a One Bedroom Suite, with a standard rate of ₱10,000. A One Bedroom Executive was about ₱13,400 a night through Agoda.

Do you get the Rockwell Club?

Only if you book directly through Aruga’s website. Then you get the gym, pool, hot tub, sauna and spa, about a five-minute walk away.

Is Aruga quiet?

It depends on the room. Road-facing rooms are noisy; courtyard-facing rooms on lower floors are much better, and avoid the floor right above the events space.

Does Aruga have parking?

Yes. My long-stay rate included one parking slot.

Is there a washing machine?

Yes, a stacked washer and dryer in the unit; bring your own detergent.

How far is Aruga from the airport?

About 30 minutes by Grab normally, but allow close to an hour in rain or rush hour.