Manila

Previous to pandemic, Exklusiv and ZZYZX, both higher-end discos in Malate, were jumpin' places. Neither has re-opened, as have most previous places in the area (except Cowboy Grill Remedios, now defunct).

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;2782651]Previous to pandemic, Exklusiv and ZZYZX, both higher-end discos in Malate, were jumpin' places. Neither has re-opened, as have most previous places in the area (except Cowboy Grill Remedios, now defunct).[/QUOTE]That didn't read right. It should have read:

Neither has re-opened (along with Cowboy Grill Remedios, now defunct), while others in the area have re-opened.

In Manila for 3 days. Staying at Robinson Galleria in Pasig City. Any suggestions for nearby fun / hookup?

Are there any lady homes open anymore since Covid??

Thank you!

Does anyone have recent experience in Pasay City -- particularly the area around the SM Mall of Asia or the former EDSA Entertainment Complex? It's a shame the latter has closed.

I notice the quickie hotels (Sogo) are still there on EDSA, so I'm wondering if there's any action remaining in the area. For example, a good KTV bar, massage place, or FL pickup joint?

Any local intel would be appreciated. Thanks guys.

[QUOTE=TomParsons2000;2783023]Does anyone have recent experience in Pasay City -- particularly the area around the SM Mall of Asia or the former EDSA Entertainment Complex? It's a shame the latter has closed.

I notice the quickie hotels (Sogo) are still there on EDSA, so I'm wondering if there's any action remaining in the area. For example, a good KTV bar, massage place, or FL pickup joint?

Any local intel would be appreciated. Thanks guys.[/QUOTE]Lots of info but best on PM so look forward to your PM and can share more and contacts.

Birch Tower, Malate, update. Walked past yesterday and a guy outside handed me a biz card and a sheet of paper with sales figures. He has approximately 50 units for sale. Unit sizes and prices are:

24.3 Meters, p3 - p3. 4 million.

30.63 Meters, p3. 2 - p3. 9 million.

38.14 Meters, p4. 9 million.

41.66 Meters, p5. 5 - p6. 2 million.

42.82 Meters, p5. 5 - p6. 2 million.

They have also fully furnished units as (probably doesn't include utilities):

Studio w / balcony: p2500/ day or p27 k / month.

Big studio w / balcony: p3000/ day or p32 k / month.

1-bedroom w / balcony: p3500/ day or p45 k / month.

Contact info on biz card:

Bannie Ecleo.

Globe 0905 567 6066.

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;2783711]Birch Tower, Malate, update. Walked past yesterday and a guy outside handed me a biz card and a sheet of paper with sales figures. He has approximately 50 units for sale. Unit sizes and prices are:

[/QUOTE]What's the build quality of MNL apartments over time? Elsewhere in Asia, it pretty normal for them to look great upon sale, have faulty fittings after 12 months, mouldy paint and wiring issues after 5 yrs, etc. Durability is nowhere near what is expected in the West. Is this a problem in MNL too?

[QUOTE=Goferring;2783769]What's the build quality of MNL apartments over time? Elsewhere in Asia, it pretty normal for them to look great upon sale, have faulty fittings after 12 months, mouldy paint and wiring issues after 5 yrs, etc. Durability is nowhere near what is expected in the West. Is this a problem in MNL too?[/QUOTE]I am in Birch tower currently. Its been around a while I first stayed in 2019. Its well located directly opposite Robinson Place Mall. The cupboard doors are all falling off, the balcony door doesn't lock, Shower soap holder is just about falling off. Otherwise its in good condition.

[QUOTE=Goferring;2783769]What's the build quality of MNL apartments over time? Elsewhere in Asia, it pretty normal for them to look great upon sale, have faulty fittings after 12 months, mouldy paint and wiring issues after 5 yrs, etc. Durability is nowhere near what is expected in the West. Is this a problem in MNL too?[/QUOTE]Its a problem anywhere in Philippines. Standards are much lower than in the West. As an example: Gramercy and Knightsbridge. I wrote here some years ago about a unit in Gramercy that was falling apart at that time. Its history was short and not sweet. I was only there for a 1-week Burgos warrior stint. Within 24 hours I had to call up the maintenance engineers several times for differing things. Lights and electrical fittings didn't work, plumbing was poor. It was a comedy of errors. Two light swtiches, the switch on the left didn't turn anything on / off. The right switch worked fine. The maintenance guy fixed it quickly and left. For fun after he left, I switched on the right-hand switch and it didn't work. Front desk: Send that engineer right back up, please. Additionally the aircon is located at the floor (not the ceiling) and blows directly on the bed, cracks in the walls in the unit and hallway, and so on. All on a building that was relatively new. At one point the building maintenance guy told me to call a private contractor, which the owner sent over. After the contractor worked on the issue I offered him a coffee and we chat. "Poor design. This place should be Manila's finest. This unit was unoccupied for its first year, then occupied for the past 1 year. Problems and problems". You've been here before. "Oh yes I fixed many things for the owner". To cover cracks in the wall inside the unit, the owner had wallpapered. 1) It was ugly wallpaper, and 2) Whoever did the wallpaper job installed it poorly, crooked. Then later someone tried to wallpaper over the wallpaper. That's an owner thing, but it points to structural issues: he had to wallpaper over cracks caused by regular earthquakes.

KB: My go-to place in Makati, as its rather a classy joint. But many of the units I rent have similar cracks and inoperable things inside, requiring fixes. I think its less than a decade old.

Province: Ayala completed its first residence there. I watched it being built for several years from nearby hotels. Everyone ooohed and ahhhed. I rented a unit for a week during its first year. Everything seemed up to spec (which is rather a low bar in all studio units -- tiny CR, tiny kitchen area, not enough room to have your standard Westy 5-some vaxxing session, and so on) and the entire building had a nice sheen to it. I remember thinking at the time: Give it time, in a year this place will be run down in one or another form. Six months later I was back and noticed cracks in the walls in the hallway and unit. The owner was checking me in. "We had earthquake few months ago". Big earthquake? "No. I was here. I didn't leave the unit". So a small earthquake in the first year made the walls inside and outside the unit crack. Didn't Ayala offer to fix this? "No sir". Did you ask? "No sir". Isn't there some kind of first-year warranty? "I don't know". Fixing cracks in the wall is no easy process; the crack must be spackled and at least that wall (and maybe all interior walls) might need to be repainted for uniformity, requiring the occupant (s) to get out for 1-2-3 days. Haha or wallpapered!

In addition one of the electrical outlets didn't work. The building engineer could not make it work after the earthquake. The owner had purchased a long electric extension cord, snaked it across the room from an operating outlet to the non-operating outlet area, making it difficult to negotiate my way from the bed to the CR at night without tripping over the cord. The cord ran right down the middle of the studio unit (owner's fault, not a design flaw, except that the earthquake-broken outlet that could not be fixed is a design flaw). I went to the hardware store and purchased a second long extension cord, daisy-chained the two cords, and ran the cords along the wall to get them out of the way. Over the years I rented there several times, sometimes in the same unit, and have watched the place go downhill in the same way. Its only about 6 years old, and all the usual deterioration have occurred in ways that my Western properties never experienced in more than a decade. For example, in one of my home country's States where I live, we have more severe (and frequent) earthquakes. Why have none of my Western houses or apartment walls ever cracked? I have lived in single-fam homes and high-rise apartments for long periods of time.

In the same province, another company completed a similar residence a year prior to pandemic. I stayed there last year again. You can see the exact same deterioration issues happening at the same rate. Its the newest and most advanced residence, with fiber run from the ground floor to each unit (150 mbps, yummy). Yet on day 2, the toilet clogged. I borrowed a plunger from the front desk, used it, and returned it. It is telling that the front desk keeps a plunger for the unit owners. The next day, same issue. Guard: "Are you using toilet paper sir?" Yes, the owner was kind enough to have left me SIXTEEN ROLLS! The owner must have spoken to my brother-in-law about me being full of sh*t. Guard: "Sir, we don't use toilet paper here". What? Its an expensive, high-rise, deluxe residence. "Yes sir. But no tissue paper in the toilet". Why would the owner put a roll of paper on the mounted holder next to the toilet? This time the guard sent a maintenance guy with a bigger plunger, who said: "Don't use toilet paper in the toilet. Put it in the trash bin". I msg'd the owner and asked about this. Owner: "Bola. We were told the toilets can handle tissue. I will call admin". Later, on my way out, I ran into a foreigner in the lobby. We stopped and spoke. As we spoke, the guard interrupted: "Sir. Sorry before. I guess you can flush the toilet paper". Um, thanks. The owner must have questioned Admin about it. The other foreigner laughed and asked if I was having toilet issues. "Best to buy your own plunger. Be prepared to use it about every second or third crap you take if you use toilet paper. Alternately, crap and flush. Then wipe and flush a second time just for the toilet paper. Flushing twice like that reduces the number of plunges". Serious? Flushing twice defeats the purpose of installing low-volume (Gallons Per Flush) toilets. They built a modern Hi-tech residence, and put in low volume toilets? "Haha yes. Welcome to Philippines!

Spire. In Makati, Century City. Brand new, not yet occupied. Still being completed, located between Gramercy and KB, next door to Centuria Medical Center. Black building. I got mall touts from agents trying to sell me a unit middle of last year. "We are the same company that built Trump Tower. Our designers and architects are the best in Philippines. Spire is built to a higher standard!" Finally I accepted a viewing. The two agents took me past the door guard to the front desk, telling me that they wanted to show me 2 units.

Once in the studio unit I was not impressed. It was the same size as the unit that I was living in (21-ish sq M), the exact same shape, the exact window placement and size, and the exact same CR as in my unit. It was naked, no furniture or fixings. The exact same kitchen layout (small single sink, about 1 sq meter of counter space). Nothing about it appeared any different than any other condo studio unit that I'd ever seen. I asked: What is different about this unit as to any KB studio? "I don't know sir". You said that these units were to a higher standard, designed by the best architects, and designed after Trump Tower. What did the architects learn from KB and Trump Tower, what improvements did they make? "I don't know". That is seriously the answer of a sales person looking to not sell something (I would later find out just how wrong I was about that).

Looking around, there was an electrical outlet shortage. I pointed out that the side of the room with the aircon unit (the wall adjacent to the back wall; the back wall is where the window is facing the street) had an electrical outlet, requiring the headboard of the bed to be placed there, so you could charge your laptop and phone while using them in bed. "Yes sir". There was a shortage of such outlets on the opposite wall. Where will you plug in your TV, cable box, wifi router, etc? "I don't know. . . ".

Not impressed, they showed me the 1-bedroom unit. A much better kitchen, with a much larger sink (and no cupboard directly over it, meaning you can lean over the sink and wash dishes without hitting your head). Also there is more counter space for cooking equipment and food preparation. In both the sala and bedroom I thought they were short by at least 1 electrical outlet, and I am being kind by saying that. The Western standard is a 4-plug outlet every 2. 5 meters, with additional outlets in the kitchen area.

There was no balcony on either unit. Ma'am how much is this unit? "14 million". And the studio unit? "16 million". Um, do you have that backwards? "No sir. The studio will reduce by several million if you can pay cash. Same for the 1 bedroom unit. If you can purchase 4 or more units we can give a bigger discount". She told me the lower half of the building would be business offices (I would guess call center), and the top half condo units (more later on this). The building is as tall as KB, Gram, Diamond, and TT.

And finally at another residence in the Century area. Tiny, odd-shaped units, hard to describe. My fav broken fixture: The hood, the fan over the stove, designed to collect smoke from your oily cooking and vent it outside. I couldn't make it work right. I contacted the owner (who lives in the unit when its not rented out). He contacted the building maintenance. The engineer showed up to fix it. He made a comment about it not working and I was busy with my laptop. He got it working BZZZZZZZZ, all good. When he turned it off he pointed out that it still would not work. He said the smoke would get pulled up by the fan, then pushed back out into the rest of the interior of the unit. "There is no vent. The smoke will not go outside. You keep a window open". Wait, what? Just this unit? "No sir. All the units. No vents were installed. All of the fans will push the smoke about inside the unit". F*ck me! I told the owner, and was unaware of that. He is an original owner of the unit, for many years. Haaaaaaaa!

[QUOTE=GDreams;2783780]I am in Birch tower currently. Its been around a while I first stayed in 2019. Its well located directly opposite Robinson Place Mall. The cupboard doors are all falling off, the balcony door doesn't lock, Shower soap holder is just about falling off. Otherwise its in good condition.[/QUOTE]From early to late 2022, about 9 months time span, I stayed for either 1 or 2 night stays in BT Malate, probably 15-ish different times. I lived in a condo nearby, and regularly I was using short time places in the area. My residence allowed (at times) only my 1 registered main squeeze (NCR's stringent and cyclical lockdown requirements). At other times they allowed guests, and only for a matter of hours, and during the day time only. I also stayed about 10 times at Shore Towers near MOA in the same way. About 2-3 times monthly, I was renting a place nightly.

At Shore, I found 2 owners, each with multiple units for rent (thru social media). Once contact and deets were worked out on social media, we switched over to txt msg. After meeting their caretaker hosts at shore, I was able to reduce the price. For example, they would advertise an overnight studio at Shore for p2 k. I went and paid that in cash (there is returnable deposit to be paid up front also). After 2 visits with one host and 1 visit with the other, I found them contacting me, trying to get me to reserve another unit ASAP. I would lie and tell them that I found a similar unit at BT for 1800 or 1700, and both hosts got my rate dropped at Shore to 1700 (nice for me). Shore is nicer than BT, and not yet as run down (and has faster elevators).

BT is different. You can rent airbnb, or from owners on social media. Also they have at least 3 entities on the first two floors that rent units. JMM and Regency Grand, and at least one more (seems to be owned by the Admin there). All of them rent units to walk-ins. At the time, RG was charging p2 k per night, and JMM was wanting p2250. On all of my 15-ish stints at that time in BT I was never in the same unit twice. They are all studios and basically identical. I rented these as ST places for several reasons: 1) I needed a place to take a girl who was not my main squeeze in my Residence; 2) I just felt like staying somewhere different; 3) One of my girls likes to be treated to things (in her mind) that does not involve money. Another girl I bussed in from the province for 2 nights and hence couldn't stay in my residence.

In all but one of my 15-ish BT stays, I either reported immediately or upon departure some item that needed to be fixed. All of the things GD mentioned above, electrical outlets and light switches that failed, toilet kept clogging and re-clogging after plunging (the maintenance guy plunged it and it worked fine, then an hour later I took a whiz and it backed up again; lather / rinse / repeat). Twice, just after checkin, I went right back to the RG front desk and asked for a different unit, because they told me that they could not fix the issue until another day (I was only there for the night). Worse, they were aware of the issue and did not mention it when I checked in. Worse, if I wanted another unit I had to wait upstairs in my unit until one *might* become available.

On multiple occasions at BT, I waited in a line in the lobby at BT because my unit could not be checked into because it was being cleaned. I saw group after group of Chinese and Koreans come in and rent units for up to several months, paying cash, without ever bothering to ask about the unit or viewing it. One of the RG requirements in their contract is: NO REFUNDS (or was at the time). I asked the front desk guy, if my unit had problems after I moved in on a month's rent, would they fix it or give me another unit? "Other unit can be difficult. We are very booked always. Fix maybe". Maybe? "Maybe". Can I move out and get a partial refund? "No refunds". Forewarned with this, sometimes I asked to see / view a unit first. The guy, if not busy, would show me one. I would check the aircon, ref, and flush the toilet once, then rent it. Or alternately I learned to ask the front desk guy what problems he was aware of in the unit he was about to assign me to. He had them all memorized. Once when a toilet started leaking from the bottom, dirty water on to the CR floor, he said he could not get a maintenance fix until the next morning, and no other units were available. I have to sleep in a stinky room with a toilet that I am afraid to flush all night? "You open the balcony door". Great! There were also times when GR refused to allow me to view any unit in advance. JMM *always* refused advance viewing. The RG guy showed me a list of all his units (about 35 of them) in the building. As those 35 units are all rentals, and JMM's are also, I would have some difficulty purchasing one later. Renters are hard on things they don't own. Saying: "A rental car is the fastest car on earth".

On most occasions, everything went fine, even with the broken electrical switches or cupboards or rice cooker that didn't work, I got laid every time. Keep in mind the building was completed in 2012, and I think was not fully turned over to management to start populating it until 2013, so its just one decade old. Also it doesn't have enough elevators; others have reported this also. Contrast this with Shore Residence near MOA. Not sure how old it is, but I only experienced one minor issue that I can think of (Internet didn't connect to any device; a router power reset fixed it). For everything I just mentioned about BT, I still like BT, and considered renting a month there recently, but I found airbnb prices were way up (Christmas holdover maybe), and found a much better price elsewhere.

I believe you run into two separate problems here with condos, that happen at the same time. 1) Construction standards are less, causing structural issues to show more quickly. And 2) most items purchased by the owner after taking control of the empty unit are also of a lesser standard. Furniture such as couches and beds are weaker (designed and constructed for smaller persons). The wood in many furniture items (cupboards, couches / beds, etc) is often pressed particle board. Fixtures held in place by tiny screws. And those hot water heaters for the shower in the CR, are often too small. They make several model sizes (small, medium, large) that can heat a larger amount of cold water faster. Each level up is about p1500 more on purchase. In my last SIX condo rentals, even turning the knob to full hot, gets the water very warm, but not hot. There is too much cold water coming thru the unit at once. The key is to turn down the (cold) water pressure, allowing less pressure but hotter water to come out of the shower head. And regardless of the size of the unit, they rarely last 3 years before failure. You just have to plan to replace them regularly. Myself and several of my friends in my country also have electric tankless water heaters in our homes, I have never known of one not lasting 15+ years. Its just a different standard (and its $5000 USD, not cheap).

Obligatory BT pic.

[URL]https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/birch-tower/14818[/URL]

[QUOTE=Goferring;2783769]What's the build quality of MNL apartments over time? Elsewhere in Asia, it pretty normal for them to look great upon sale, have faulty fittings after 12 months, mouldy paint and wiring issues after 5 yrs, etc. Durability is nowhere near what is expected in the West. Is this a problem in MNL too?[/QUOTE]G -.

I started investing in condo's a few years back. The one developer that is par with Western-standard is Rockwell. MEGAWORLD / SMDC and some of the Ayala properties are a FAIL as far as I'm concerned.

One of the things that sets One Rockwell apart from the rest of these developers is that the property admin is very good in maintaining the property. They seem to have a good grip about goodt customer service. I never had any issue with their security as well. The whole One Rockwell compound is restricted to outsiders after midnight.

I made a mistake and bought a unit with Megaworld: they just turned over a unit and it hasn't even been a week and the ceiling in the bathroom started leaking. The tile install was also defective. I reported this to the property admin and it took them 2 months before they could start the repair. The whole process was a nightmare.

The better way to go if you are planning to invest in a property is to rent one of the units in the same building you are interested and try it for a month. Avoid pre sale unless you are familiar with the developer. A good friend of mine also bought a property developed by MEGAWORLD and he, too, is going through his personal nightmare.

Good luck.

BS.

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;2783879]Its a problem anywhere in Philippines. Standards are much lower than in the West. As an example: Gramercy and Knightsbridge. I wrote here some years ago about a unit in Gramercy that was falling apart at that time. Its history was short and not sweet. I was only there for a 1-week Burgos warrior stint. Within 24 hours I had to call up the maintenance engineers several times for differing things. Lights and electrical fittings didn't work, plumbing was poor. It was a comedy of errors. Two light swtiches, the switch on the left didn't turn anything on / off. The right switch worked fine. The maintenance guy fixed it quickly and left. For fun after he left, I switched on the right-hand switch and it didn't work. Front desk: Send that engineer right back up, please. Additionally the aircon is located at the floor (not the ceiling) and blows directly on the bed, cracks in the walls in the unit and hallway, and so on. All on a building that was relatively new. At one point the building maintenance guy told me to call a private contractor, which the owner sent over. After the contractor worked on the issue I offered him a coffee and we chat. "Poor design. This place should be Manila's finest. This unit was unoccupied for its first year, then occupied for the past 1 year. Problems and problems". You've been here before. "Oh yes I fixed many things for the owner". To cover cracks in the wall inside the unit, the owner had wallpapered. 1) It was ugly wallpaper, and 2) Whoever did the wallpaper job installed it poorly, crooked. Then later someone tried to wallpaper over the wallpaper. That's an owner thing, but it points to structural issues: he had to wallpaper over cracks caused by regular earthquakes.

KB: My go-to place in Makati, as its rather a classy joint. But many of the units I rent have similar cracks and inoperable things inside, requiring fixes. I think its less than a decade old.

Province: Ayala completed its first residence there. I watched it being built for several years from nearby hotels. Everyone ooohed and ahhhed. I rented a unit for a week during its first year. Everything seemed up to spec (which is rather a low bar in all studio units -- tiny CR, tiny kitchen area, not enough room to have your standard Westy 5-some vaxxing session, and so on) and the entire building had a nice sheen to it. I remember thinking at the time: Give it time, in a year this place will be run down in one or another form. Six months later I was back and noticed cracks in the walls in the hallway and unit. The owner was checking me in. "We had earthquake few months ago". Big earthquake? "No. I was here. I didn't leave the unit". So a small earthquake in the first year made the walls inside and outside the unit crack. Didn't Ayala offer to fix this? "No sir". Did you ask? "No sir". Isn't there some kind of first-year warranty? "I don't know". Fixing cracks in the wall is no easy process; the crack must be spackled and at least that wall (and maybe all interior walls) might need to be repainted for uniformity, requiring the occupant (s) to get out for 1-2-3 days. Haha or wallpapered!

In addition one of the electrical outlets didn't work. The building engineer could not make it work after the earthquake. The owner had purchased a long electric extension cord, snaked it across the room from an operating outlet to the non-operating outlet area, making it difficult to negotiate my way from the bed to the CR at night without tripping over the cord. The cord ran right down the middle of the studio unit (owner's fault, not a design flaw, except that the earthquake-broken outlet that could not be fixed is a design flaw). I went to the hardware store and purchased a second long extension cord, daisy-chained the two cords, and ran the cords along the wall to get them out of the way. Over the years I rented there several times, sometimes in the same unit, and have watched the place go downhill in the same way. Its only about 6 years old, and all the usual deterioration have occurred in ways that my Western properties never experienced in more than a decade. For example, in one of my home country's States where I live, we have more severe (and frequent) earthquakes. Why have none of my Western houses or apartment walls ever cracked? I have lived in single-fam homes and high-rise apartments for long periods of time.

In the same province, another company completed a similar residence a year prior to pandemic. I stayed there last year again. You can see the exact same deterioration issues happening at the same rate. Its the newest and most advanced residence, with fiber run from the ground floor to each unit (150 mbps, yummy). Yet on day 2, the toilet clogged. I borrowed a plunger from the front desk, used it, and returned it. It is telling that the front desk keeps a plunger for the unit owners. The next day, same issue. Guard: "Are you using toilet paper sir?" Yes, the owner was kind enough to have left me SIXTEEN ROLLS! The owner must have spoken to my brother-in-law about me being full of sh*t. Guard: "Sir, we don't use toilet paper here". What? Its an expensive, high-rise, deluxe residence. "Yes sir. But no tissue paper in the toilet". Why would the owner put a roll of paper on the mounted holder next to the toilet? This time the guard sent a maintenance guy with a bigger plunger, who said: "Don't use toilet paper in the toilet. Put it in the trash bin". I msg'd the owner and asked about this. Owner: "Bola. We were told the toilets can handle tissue. I will call admin". Later, on my way out, I ran into a foreigner in the lobby. We stopped and spoke. As we spoke, the guard interrupted: "Sir. Sorry before. I guess you can flush the toilet paper". Um, thanks. The owner must have questioned Admin about it. The other foreigner laughed and asked if I was having toilet issues. "Best to buy your own plunger. Be prepared to use it about every second or third crap you take if you use toilet paper. Alternately, crap and flush. Then wipe and flush a second time just for the toilet paper. Flushing twice like that reduces the number of plunges". Serious? Flushing twice defeats the purpose of installing low-volume (Gallons Per Flush) toilets. They built a modern Hi-tech residence, and put in low volume toilets? "Haha yes. Welcome to Philippines!

Spire. In Makati, Century City. Brand new, not yet occupied. Still being completed, located between Gramercy and KB, next door to Centuria Medical Center. Black building. I got mall touts from agents trying to sell me a unit middle of last year. "We are the same company that built Trump Tower. Our designers and architects are the best in Philippines. Spire is built to a higher standard!" Finally I accepted a viewing. The two agents took me past the door guard to the front desk, telling me that they wanted to show me 2 units.

Once in the studio unit I was not impressed. It was the same size as the unit that I was living in (21-ish sq M), the exact same shape, the exact window placement and size, and the exact same CR as in my unit. It was naked, no furniture or fixings. The exact same kitchen layout (small single sink, about 1 sq meter of counter space). Nothing about it appeared any different than any other condo studio unit that I'd ever seen. I asked: What is different about this unit as to any KB studio? "I don't know sir". You said that these units were to a higher standard, designed by the best architects, and designed after Trump Tower. What did the architects learn from KB and Trump Tower, what improvements did they make? "I don't know". That is seriously the answer of a sales person looking to not sell something (I would later find out just how wrong I was about that).

Looking around, there was an electrical outlet shortage. I pointed out that the side of the room with the aircon unit (the wall adjacent to the back wall; the back wall is where the window is facing the street) had an electrical outlet, requiring the headboard of the bed to be placed there, so you could charge your laptop and phone while using them in bed. "Yes sir". There was a shortage of such outlets on the opposite wall. Where will you plug in your TV, cable box, wifi router, etc? "I don't know. . . ".

Not impressed, they showed me the 1-bedroom unit. A much better kitchen, with a much larger sink (and no cupboard directly over it, meaning you can lean over the sink and wash dishes without hitting your head). Also there is more counter space for cooking equipment and food preparation. In both the sala and bedroom I thought they were short by at least 1 electrical outlet, and I am being kind by saying that. The Western standard is a 4-plug outlet every 2. 5 meters, with additional outlets in the kitchen area.

There was no balcony on either unit. Ma'am how much is this unit? "14 million". And the studio unit? "16 million". Um, do you have that backwards? "No sir. The studio will reduce by several million if you can pay cash. Same for the 1 bedroom unit. If you can purchase 4 or more units we can give a bigger discount". She told me the lower half of the building would be business offices (I would guess call center), and the top half condo units (more later on this). The building is as tall as KB, Gram, Diamond, and TT.

And finally at another residence in the Century area. Tiny, odd-shaped units, hard to describe. My fav broken fixture: The hood, the fan over the stove, designed to collect smoke from your oily cooking and vent it outside. I couldn't make it work right. I contacted the owner (who lives in the unit when its not rented out). He contacted the building maintenance. The engineer showed up to fix it. He made a comment about it not working and I was busy with my laptop. He got it working BZZZZZZZZ, all good. When he turned it off he pointed out that it still would not work. He said the smoke would get pulled up by the fan, then pushed back out into the rest of the interior of the unit. "There is no vent. The smoke will not go outside. You keep a window open". Wait, what? Just this unit? "No sir. All the units. No vents were installed. All of the fans will push the smoke about inside the unit". F*ck me! I told the owner, and was unaware of that. He is an original owner of the unit, for many years. Haaaaaaaa![/QUOTE]In a third world country. 14 to 16 million, someone is smoking crack, 250 to $300 k. I've seen used ones 8 or 10 million in Grammercy considering the build quality used may be better as owner may have worked out the issues. Maybe I've been lucky but most I've rented are fine. I'm not that picky, good TV, shower and A / see and I'm good to go. Leasing may be a better option that way if you get tired of the area you can move around. The business office in these buildings can help you and it can be a bit cheaper than using Airbnb long term. There is a new one going up beside Century City, Strafford I think but I imagine those prices are crazy too.

Hey Guys,

I asked this in the Makati forum and was told this is more relevant for the Manila forum (apologize for the repeat).

I am planning a trip to Manila / Makati end of February. My last trip was in 2016 and I really had a good time. I know things have changed post covid so wanted to get some info from the experts.

Question 1 - Are the casas / dormitories still active? I remember a few casas that the taxi guys used to take me. There used to be a line up of girls at these casas that you can pick and bring back to your room and there were some cute women at some of these casas.

Question 2 - Where would you go to find some high end escorts (websites, bars, clubs, karaoke bars)?

Hey guys,

Just a short report on a recent trip to PI.

Stayed at Sheraton Manila Bay. Needless to say, girl friendly. Easy walk to LA Cafe (woof!) if that's what you are looking for. Admittedly I didn't go there at prime times, but damn it was bleak. Lots of girls but the term "not even with yours" comes to mind! No idea on pricing. Felt dirty even making the walk around.

Used Manila Courtesans twice and was very pleased. Accurate photos and definite GFE by both providers. Made sense to spend 5 k to have girl delivered to my hotel. And the 2nd was a 10 k girl. 5 k girl was actually better. She was new so hasn't raised her pricing yet. But both were good value when comparing to Makati take-away! And it fit with my work schedule which was 7 pm - 3 am local time.

Makati adventures were limited to Dimples. 4 k bar fine, 5 k for girl first night in town. Plus a few lady drinks. Last night in town sprung for the foursome. BF total 9 k (minor discount) and 4 k per girl for this adventure. It was a LOT of fun. Yes, it was $400 USD but it was my last night in town and the girls earned every dollar. Especially "BJ" who earned her 1 k bonus by making my come (and in) her mouth.

In all cases I tipped well. Hope that's still OK with y'all?

Oh, BTW. Yes, there were girls outside of Robinsons mall (McDonalds street) but again. You G L why there really is no alibi! (YMMV).

Summary. I like PI. It's nice to have a conversation beyond "How long you stay Thailand" and "You come 1st time Thailand" with a girl. And to get a cutie (Pearl) delivered to my room for 5 k /$100 is fantastic value IMHO.

Enjoy your travels.

[QUOTE=Trvllvr58;2785181]In all cases I tipped well. Hope that's still OK with y'all?[/QUOTE]A man pays what a man pays.

[QUOTE=Trvllvr58;2785181]Oh, BTW. Yes, there were girls outside of Robinsons mall (McDonalds street) but again. [/QUOTE]Was walking the area recently, playing a game of [B]What's That SMELL![/B] And passed the steps in front of Robinson's. Stopped and counted 17 ladies sitting, kibitzing, and available for your prurient interests. Even with my admittedly somewhat lower standards, I only saw one worth taking.

TRVL: Good report.