Hotel Okura Manila Review: A Japanese Hotel by the Airport, with a Michelin Key, for $333

The short version: Hotel Okura Manila, in Newport next to the airport, is the most Japanese-feeling hotel in the city, and one of my top Manila stays. A dramatic, Aman-like lobby six floors high, and a big suite-style room with a Japanese toilet and the quietest night of the series. A classy rooftop pool, a spa-like health club, and a good breakfast with a Japanese section. It has one Michelin Key. The catch is the location: it’s a casino hotel that isn’t near anything but the airport, with an occasional whiff of smoke downstairs. About ₱21,300 ($333) a night with breakfast. I’d stay again.

I stayed one night at Hotel Okura Manila, October 30 to 31, 2026, in a Twin Room, booked through Booking.com. I paid for everything myself.

Pros

• A dramatic lobby with incredibly high ceilings, bonsai and manicured sand
• A big, suite-style room with a swiveling TV and a huge marble bathroom
• The quietest room of the series: about 30 decibels at night
• The AC goes down to 15°C, the lowest I’ve seen
• A classy rooftop pool overlooking the city, plus a hot tub, sauna and gym on the same floor
• A good breakfast with soba, sukiyaki and maki rolls, included
• Friendly, efficient service; bags arrive in your room within 15 minutes
• One Michelin Key, and cheaper than the other Key hotels in Manila
• About six minutes from the airport

Cons

• Not near anything but the airport and the casino
• An occasional smoky smell on the ground floor, floor 2 and in some elevators
• The drop-off point is separate from the entrance, which can confuse Grab drivers
• Breakfast closes at 10, a little earlier than most hotels, and the Japanese section only has rolls, no sashimi or sushi
• Only three treadmills in the gym
• Few windows in the lobby and hallways, so it feels dark all day

Arriving

The arrival is a little confusing, since the drop-off point is separate from the actual entrance, and my Grab driver, like some others I’d guess, had to ask the guard. Once you find the doors, you come into a small ground-floor lobby: high ceilings and glitzy yellow tones. The casino glows through brass screens on your right, with a bit of its smoke in the air.

As soon as you come in with bags, someone offers you a tag, and the bags disappear upstairs. Then you take the elevator to the 5th floor, and that’s where the hotel changes. The doors open onto a stone corridor with a zen gravel garden and a bonsai, and at the end of it, the lobby opens up. Dark tones, a lattice skylight six floors above you, and a bonsai-like tree rising from an island of stone at the center. The front desk is tucked under a little terrace, with the dining room beyond. It’s striking, very dramatic, and almost like walking into an Aman. From the first minute, it feels very modern and very Japanese.

Check-in was fast and smooth. They ran through the breakfast hours and the Wi-Fi, and when I asked for a quieter room, they gave me one. At the desk, there’s a Tatler Best 2026 sign for Best City Hotel in the Philippines.

The room: 8 out of 10

A really nice room, and pretty large; it almost looks like a suite. There’s a sofa and a little table at one end, a small table at the other, and a TV that swivels between the living area and the beds, which is pretty unique. The view looks out over the airport and a nearby hotel’s pool. It feels luxurious.

The controls are modern. At the entrance, a few buttons turn off the lights, set Do Not Disturb or request housekeeping, and by the bathroom door there are buttons for the shower, the lights and the temperature. The AC goes all the way down to 15°C, the lowest I’ve seen at any hotel.

The bathroom is very large, with marble everywhere, a nice tub, a Japanese-style toilet, and a rain shower with a little seat. The shower floor is slightly ridged, which should help with slipping.

One thing to know: a letter in the room asked guests to keep the curtains closed, since maintenance workers might be visible at the windows, and warned of construction noise during the day. I never heard any. In fact, it was the quietest room of the whole series, about 30 decibels at night, with no airport noise either. It passes the sleep test. The Wi-Fi was fine, at 31 Mbps down and 44 up.

Honestly, there wasn’t anything I didn’t like. It’s a unique room for Manila, with the toilet, the style and the size. The only thing keeping it from a higher score is that the even more upscale hotels have more spectacular rooms, and you pay much more for those.

Breakfast: 8 out of 10

Breakfast is at Yawaragi, on the 5th floor just past check-in, so you walk under that little terrace to get there, which feels very Japanese. It looks small at first, but it’s quite large, with a wide variety of Western food plus a Japanese section of soba, sukiyaki and maki rolls. There’s also a Thai noodle soup, skewers, eggs, fruit and juices. One thing I’d change: the Japanese section only had rolls, and for a Japanese hotel it would be nicer to see sashimi or proper sushi. It runs 6 to 10, which is a little earlier than most hotels.

Baked beans: 8.5 out of 10. As funny as that sounds, they were really good: just the right amount of salt, tasty and still firm.

Sunny-side-up eggs: 8 out of 10. Very tasty, with just the right amount of flavor.

Bread: 7 out of 10. Not bad.

Yogurt parfait: 7.5 out of 10. Very fresh fruit: mango, blueberries, strawberries and what might have been a Shine Muscat grape.

I was in a rush, so I didn’t have much more, but the selection is good. One small thing: some sections were starting to thin out, like the cheeses, so they could restock a little faster.

Pool, gym and health club

Everything is on the 11th floor, and it’s all very modern, with dark undertones, light Japanese music and a peaceful feel.

The rooftop pool is quite large, with a small bar and seating that overlooks the city skyline. It has a neat, classy feel, especially at night. I didn’t swim, but it was a nice place to sit.

The gym has Technogym equipment and a pretty good selection for a decent-sized space, though only three treadmills and a couple of ellipticals, which could be tight for a family. There’s an Asahi water purifier with paper cups, and it all feels clean.

The health club next door is one of the nicer highlights, and anyone staying can use it. It’s very clean and spa-like, with bonsai trees and manicured sand along the floor, a hot tub, a sauna and what looked like a steam room, and even a little machine to dry your swimsuit. The hot tub looks better than any other I’ve seen in Manila. The lockers seemed few, but I never saw anyone else in there.

The setting: 8 out of 10

Very striking, very dramatic, and in parts almost like an Aman Tokyo. It definitely feels Japanese: the wood, the darker undertones, the Japanese toilets everywhere, the manicured sand and bonsai. One thing to know: the lobby and the hallways don’t have many windows, so the hotel has a dark appearance all the time, day or night. It suits the style, but if you like bright, airy lobbies, this isn’t one. Everything is very clean and well kept, with no signs of wear; even the gym floor is nicely stained. And unlike many Manila hotels, I never smelled anything musty, on the hotel floors or in the room.

The downside is the location. It’s in Newport, a casino hotel very close to the airport (the drive took me about six minutes), and it isn’t really near anything else. At night, BGC is about 20 to 25 minutes away, which isn’t too bad; in traffic, expect more. The casino also means an occasional smoky smell on the ground floor, floor 2 and in some elevators. It’s not a big issue, since you don’t spend much time there, and it’s expected at a casino hotel, but it’s worth knowing. Compared with the other casino hotels, it’s less packed, which is nice.

Service: 8 out of 10

No complaints. Everyone was friendly and professional, and whenever I walked into an area, someone said good morning or good evening and asked if I needed anything. The bell staff take your bags straight up, and they arrived in my room within about 15 minutes. Check-in was fast, they gave me a quieter room when I asked, and on the way out they offered to bring the bags down.

The only thing keeping it from a 10 is personalization. There’s a feedback card in the room, but a welcome card would be a nicer touch, maybe with a feedback section on the back.

What it cost

One night in a Twin Room, booked through Booking.com, came to ₱21,327.03, about $333, with breakfast, taxes and the service charge. The room itself was ₱19,243 before taxes, and Booking.com covered the VAT, which is worth checking for when you book.

Value: 8 out of 10

It’s a teeny bit expensive by Manila standards, especially for a hotel that isn’t in Makati or BGC. That said, breakfast is included, and it’s good, and you get a unique stay: a big room, a very Japanese feel, and a sense that you’re almost in a different world. The things it could improve are things I wouldn’t expect at this price, but there’s nothing I’d actually complain about.

Vs. Conrad and The Fort

• Conrad Manila: about $259 with breakfast. It’s by the mall, slightly cheaper, and not a casino hotel, and the service feels a teeny bit more personalized. But it isn’t as unique as the Okura, and it’s a little less well kept.
• Shangri-La The Fort: about $378 with breakfast. More luxurious and central, with even better service, but more expensive.

Okura is the third Manila hotel in the series with a Michelin Key, after Raffles, which has two, and the Fairmont, and it’s the cheapest of the three.

Who it’s for

• A stopover by the airport: six minutes away, and a far nicer stay than the usual airport hotel.
• Solo travelers who want somewhere peaceful.
• A unique staycation, or a romantic one: the dark tones, the rooftop pool and the atmosphere work for that.
• Anyone going to the casino.
• Not really for families, though I did see some, and not for tourists who want Makati or BGC.

Tips if you go

• Tell your driver to drop you at the hotel entrance, not the main Newport drop-off.
• Ask for a quiet room at check-in.
• Use the health club; the hot tub and sauna are a highlight.
• Get to breakfast before 10.
• Try the baked beans.
• On Friday and Saturday, Sora, the rooftop bar, does a weekend otsumami menu.
• Yamazato, the Japanese restaurant on the 2nd floor, has an omakase counter. I haven’t been, but I’ve heard it’s very good.

Verdict: 8 out of 10

An excellent stay, and one of my top Manila hotels. The quietest room of the series, a dramatic Japanese setting with bonsai and manicured sand, a classy rooftop pool and a very nice health club, with no complaints about the service. The only real cons are that it’s not near anything but the airport and the casino, and the occasional whiff of casino smoke downstairs, never in the rooms. Would I stay again? Yes.

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

Stopping over? See my Manila layover guide: what to do with 6, 8, 12 or 24 hours, based at the Okura. The sister hotel: The Okura Prestige Bangkok, just as quiet, with three breakfasts and a Michelin Key.

FAQ

Where is Hotel Okura Manila?

In Newport World Resorts, Pasay, across from the airport. The drive to the terminal took me about six minutes, and BGC is about 20 to 25 minutes at night.

Does Hotel Okura Manila have a Michelin Key?

Yes, one Key, awarded in the September 2026 selection.

How much does Hotel Okura Manila cost?

My Twin Room was ₱21,327.03 for one night through Booking.com, about $333 with breakfast, taxes and service charge.

Is breakfast included?

It was on my rate. Breakfast is at Yawaragi, on the 5th floor, from 6 to 10 a.m.

Is Hotel Okura Manila quiet?

Very: about 30 decibels in my room at night, the quietest of the Manila hotels I’ve measured, with no airport noise.

Is it a casino hotel?

Yes, it’s part of Newport World Resorts, and the casino is on the lower floors. You’ll pass it on the way in, and there’s an occasional smoky smell on the ground floor and in some elevators, but the hotel floors are smoke-free.