Best Hostels in Manila: Where to Stay by Area & Budget

Featured image: Judgefloro, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Best Manila Hostels at a Glance

Pick the area first and the bed second. Our guide to choosing a base in Manila compares every district. Hostels cluster in three places: Poblacion in Makati, Malate and Ermita, and Pasay near the airport. Z Hostel anchors the nightlife end. Ola, Abraham Manila and Stay Manila Hostel sit in the Malate and Ermita grid. Airport Hostel and Yamato Hostel handle early flights in Pasay.

Choosing Among Manila Hostels by Neighborhood

Poblacion trades sleep for company. Z Hostel hosts parties on its roof deck, while Gomez House keeps a quieter, minimalist feel. Prefer a private room in the area? Browse hotels in Makati. Malate and Ermita give budget access to Rizal Park and Intramuros. Fort Santiago's dungeons have been rehabilitated and are open to the public. Visiting hours and fees are listed on the Intramuros Administration site. BGC runs differently. Most places inside the district are within 5 to 15 minutes' walk, and most parks stay open from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Dedicated hostels are rare there, and apartment units sold as hostels are common. Quieter travelers can look at Best BGC Hotels: Where to Stay in Bonifacio Global City instead.

The Best Hostels in Manila by Traveler Type

Each entry gives the area, the best use and an honest trade-off. Room types come from each hostel's own listing, and recent guest reviews show what has changed since.

• Z Hostel, Poblacion: best for nightlife. Roof-deck parties and a daytime café. Trade-off: light sleepers will hear the party.
• Mad Monkey Manila: best for organized socializing. Its own site lists nightly events, pub crawls, daily tours and secure lockers. Trade-off: guest reviews say quiet seekers should reconsider.
• Lub d Makati, Poblacion: best for privacy and remote work. Pod-style beds come with privacy curtains, and a co-working area and 24-hour front desk are listed. Trade-off: pods trade space for privacy.
• Gomez House by Hotel Durban, Poblacion: best for a calm, minimalist stay. It offers single, bunk, double and triple rooms, a rooftop and a bakery and deli. Trade-off: no party scene.
• Ola! Hostel Manila, Malate: best for first-timers who want Filipino evenings. Weekly kamayan dinners and a balut challenge are reported. Trade-off: guest reviews ask for curtains on mixed dorm beds.
• Abraham Manila, Ermita: best for Rizal Park and Intramuros. Rooftop yoga and cultural workshops are listed. Trade-off: Poblacion's bars need a ride across the city.
• Tambayan Capsule Hostel, J. Bocobo Street, Malate: best for capsule beds with blackout curtains and air conditioning. Luggage storage and an on-site bar are listed. Trade-off: capsules offer less social space than a dorm lounge.

Party Hostel or Quiet Hostel?

Party hostels sell rooftops, DJ nights and pub crawls. Quiet hostels sell sleep. Ask for a room away from the rooftop or common area before booking. Earplugs belong in every dorm packing list.

Manila Hostels Near the Airport

Pasay suits short layovers. Airport Hostel is reported to sit about a 10-minute drive from NAIA and to offer fan and air-conditioned rooms. Yamato Hostel lists female-only dorm beds. Terminal operations now sit with the New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation, according to the Manila International Airport Authority. Its airline lists by terminal were sourced from newnaia.com.ph as of March 10, 2026. The MIAA Txt NAIA hotline, 09178396240, answers 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Thursday, except holidays. For Terminal 3, the Resorts World Manila site lists a 24/7 Runway Manila Shuttle at the Newport City end. Newport City is also about a 15-minute drive from Makati's business district via the Skyway. Hostel beds are cheaper, but see airport-area hotel options for a private room before a red-eye. Arriving late? Choose a hostel with 24-hour check-in.

How Much Do Hostels in Manila Cost?

Prices and hours checked November 2026. Dorm beds typically run ₱400 to ₱900 per night. Private rooms in hostels typically run ₱1,200 to ₱2,500 per night. Location, beds per dorm, air conditioning and en-suite bathrooms drive most of the gap. Rooftop bars and tours add to rates at some hostels. Rates move with dates, so compare live booking pages before paying a deposit.

Getting Around from Your Hostel

MRT-3 runs 16.9 km along EDSA from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City. An end-to-end trip takes about 30 minutes across 13 stations. Weekday trains start at 4:30 AM. On Sundays and holidays, trains run 4:30 AM to 10:40 PM. At Taft Avenue, the last northbound train leaves at 11:09 PM, and the entrance closes at 11:04 PM. Fares are distance-based and use contactless cards. After the last train, book Grab. For BGC, the BGC Bus runs fixed routes from the EDSA Ayala terminal, and you pay by Beep card or QR ticket. By car, BGC is about 20 to 30 minutes from NAIA, traffic permitting.

Safety and Mistakes to Avoid

Read your own government's current travel advisory before booking. Quiapo is crowded, and pickpocketing is commonly reported there. Treat it as a daytime visit rather than a base. Hostel areas like Poblacion, Malate and Pasay need ordinary city habits: lockers, a lock, and Grab after dark. These mistakes cost travelers the most:

• Booking an apartment unit listed as a hostel, which means no common room and no front desk.
• Ignoring commute time, since a cheap bed far from your plans costs a Grab fare each day.
• Skipping the dorm type, so check for female-only dorms or curtains before you pay.
• Arriving late without 24-hour check-in. Ola's standard rooms have a 2 p.m. check-in, while its deluxe rooms offer 24-hour check-in.
• Carrying no small cash. One hotel listing asked for a refundable ₱500 deposit at check-in.

Hostel vs Hotel: When to Choose Something Else

Choose a hotel if you need quiet, a private bathroom or a business-district address. Our Manila area guide covers the main districts. A hostel still wins on price and company. A private hostel room often costs ₱1,200 to ₱2,500, so compare it with hotel rates for the same dates.

How to Choose a Hostel Bed in Manila

Choose the room type before comparing hostels. A mixed dorm is usually the lowest-cost option, with beds typically priced at ₱400 to ₱900 per night. It works best for social travelers who can manage shared lights, noise and bathrooms.

Female-only dorms suit travelers who want that option, but check the listing before paying. Capsule and pod beds add curtains and a more enclosed sleeping space. Tambayan lists blackout curtains and air conditioning, while Lub d Makati uses pod-style beds with privacy curtains.

• Book a private fan room if price matters more than cooling or an en-suite bathroom.
• Book a private air-conditioned room when sleep, luggage space or a quieter stay matters most.

Private hostel rooms typically run ₱1,200 to ₱2,500 per night. Check whether a locker, lock rental, towel and breakfast are included. At party hostels, request a bed away from the rooftop or common area. For a late arrival, confirm the check-in policy; Ola's standard rooms have a 2 p.m. check-in, while its deluxe rooms offer 24-hour check-in.