Hotel Review: Prenup Shoot & a Night in Manila Hotel
When you think of a prenup shoot, you might picture gardens, beaches, parks, or scenic outdoor locations. For our prenup, though, I wanted something different.
We decided to have an indoor prenup shoot at The Manila Hotel.
There were a couple of reasons behind the decision. First, our shoot was scheduled in July, right in the middle of the rainy season. I didn’t want to spend months planning our prenup only to have the weather ruin the shoot.
Second, I wanted a classic and romantic look.
Since both of us went to exclusive schools in high school, we never experienced having a junior-senior prom. So, for our prenup, we decided to dress up as if we were going to prom. It felt a little playful, but also very us.
Why We Chose The Manila Hotel
We initially had two hotels in mind, The Peninsula Manila and The Manila Hotel.
I loved the grand staircase at The Peninsula Manila. Unfortunately, they only allowed prenup shoots for couples who were also holding their wedding reception there. We had already chosen our wedding reception venue months before, so that option was out.
That left us with The Manila Hotel.
Located along Roxas Boulevard, The Manila Hotel is one of the country’s most historic luxury hotels. When I saw photos of the lobby and Champagne Room, I immediately fell in love with the classic interiors.
We decided to visit the hotel for an ocular a month before our scheduled prenup shoot.
And honestly, the hotel looked even better in person.
The lobby had grand chandeliers, classic furnishings, and tall Greek-inspired columns. There was something about the interiors that immediately gave us the look we wanted for our photos.
We also checked out the other areas where we could shoot, including the hotel façade and the Sea Breeze area, an open space facing Manila Bay.
The hotel also showed us one of their Superior Deluxe rooms. The room had warm, earthy tones and a classic feel.
Then we saw the Champagne Room.
The European-style furniture, chandelier, and elegant table setup made the room feel like something straight out of a period film. I remember thinking that I looked like I had stepped into a Pride and Prejudice movie set.
That pretty much sealed the deal for me.
How Much We Spent
For couples planning a prenup shoot at The Manila Hotel, here’s what we paid at the time.
Prenup shoot fee: Php 5,000
Superior Deluxe room: Php 5,000
Champagne Room: Php 3,000
Total: Php 13,000
The prenup fee covered five hours of shooting in the lobby, façade, and Sea Breeze areas.
Initially, the hotel’s sales coordinator quoted us Php 5,000 to use a room for five hours. Instead, we told her that we could simply book a room online and use the room from 2:00 PM until checkout the following day, including breakfast.
She eventually offered us the same Php 5,000 rate for an overnight stay.
That worked out really well for us.
For Php 13,000, we were able to have our prenup shoot in several areas of the hotel, stay overnight, and have breakfast at Café Ilang-Ilang.
Of course, rates may have changed since our shoot, so I recommend contacting the hotel directly for current prenup and room rates.
Getting to The Manila Hotel
If you’re coming from somewhere in Metro Manila, taking a taxi or booking a ride through a ride-hailing app is the easiest option.
There isn’t a public transportation route that drops you directly in front of the hotel.
For our shoot, we took a cab from our house in Quezon City. We passed through Quezon City Rotonda, España, Quiapo, and Manila City Hall before reaching The Manila Hotel.
One thing to keep in mind is traffic.
This area can get really busy, especially during weekday rush hours. You’ll be passing through areas around the University Belt, Divisoria, Luneta, Quirino Grandstand, and Manila City Hall.
If you’re coming from Quezon City, I’d give yourself at least an hour or two for travel, especially if you have a scheduled shoot.
If you prefer commuting, the nearest LRT-1 station is United Nations Station. From there, you’ll still need to walk or take another ride to the hotel. You can also check Sakay.ph for the best route based on your starting point.
Our Prenup Shoot Experience
When we arrived at The Manila Hotel, the staff greeted us and immediately assisted with our bags.
Check-in was quick, and we were soon escorted to our room.
As with most hotels, we were asked for a security deposit. At the time, the deposit was Php 2,000, which we paid through credit card. The amount was credited back to us after our stay.
Our original room faced Manila Bay, but since one of our shoot locations was already the Sea Breeze area, we asked if we could have a room facing Intramuros instead.
The hotel was able to accommodate the request quickly. They even gave us another basket of fruits for the inconvenience.
Our prenup team was quite big. We had three hair and makeup artists, three photographers and videographers, and two coordinators with us.
With all the equipment and makeup bags we brought, the hotel attendants were also very helpful in assisting our team.
And yes, the shoot itself was exhausting.
We had four looks and four different shooting areas to finish within five hours. There were outfit changes, hair and makeup changes, moving from one location to another, and, of course, trying to look fresh for every photo.
By the end of the shoot, we were ready to eat.
We ended up having dinner at Shakey’s, which was just a short distance from the hotel.
Our Superior Deluxe Room
After everyone left and the room finally became quiet, that was when I had time to appreciate where we were staying.
The Superior Deluxe room was spacious for two people. After spending the entire day surrounded by our prenup team, having the room to ourselves felt like a much-needed break.
The room had a classic, old-school feel while still having modern touches.
The king-size bed took center stage, with an LCD TV positioned across from it. Everything felt properly proportioned, and there was plenty of space for us and all the things we brought for the shoot.
The bathroom was spacious too.
There was a marble bathtub, a separate enclosed walk-in shower, and plenty of room around the vanity area.
One detail I particularly loved was the TV positioned in front of the bathtub.
After a long day of shooting, that little detail felt extra special.
The room was also quiet. We barely heard anything from the neighboring rooms, which made it easy to relax after such a busy day.
The next morning, we found a newspaper hanging from our doorknob in a green cloth bag.
I appreciated little touches like this. We didn’t have to ask for things because the hotel staff had already thought of them.
It made our overnight stay feel extra special.
Breakfast at Café Ilang-Ilang
One of the things I was looking forward to was breakfast.
We headed down early in the morning to Café Ilang-Ilang because we wanted to make the most of our stay.
The restaurant had a buffet with plenty of choices.
For a classic breakfast, there were ham, bacon, eggs, bread, juice, and milk.
There were also Filipino breakfast favorites such as beef tapa, tocino, dried fish, and salted eggs.
For something different, there were Chinese dishes such as congee, noodles, and dumplings.
There were also fresh fruits and pastries.
After such a tiring day, having a proper breakfast before heading home was a nice way to end our stay.
I remember thinking that I’d love to come back someday just to enjoy the hotel without having to rush from one photoshoot location to another.
Looking Back at Our Prenup
Our stay at The Manila Hotel was more than just a hotel booking for our prenup.
It became part of the story of our wedding.
We spent hours getting ready, changing outfits, posing for photos, moving from one location to another, and trying to finish everything within our five-hour schedule.
Then, after everyone left, we finally had a quiet night together.
Looking back, I’m glad we chose an indoor prenup.
The rainy season could have easily made an outdoor shoot stressful, but choosing The Manila Hotel gave us beautiful indoor spaces while still giving us access to an outdoor area facing Manila Bay.
Most of all, the experience gave us memories that went beyond the photos.
We were still engaged. We were planning our wedding. And for one night, we got to dress up, stay in a beautiful hotel, and pretend we were off to our own prom.
That’s something I’ll always remember.
Sharing Our Prenup Gallery
And, of course, here are some of our favorite photos from the shoot.
The Manila Hotel Contact Information
Address: One Rizal Park, Manila,
Website:https://www.manila-hotel.com.ph/
Email: info@themanilahotel.com
Phone: 285270011
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