Lately, I came across old phone photos about a really good hostel in the heart of Makati City – Lub d Makati. I’ve stayed with this hostel a few times in the past but never thought of writing about it. Well, I’ve featured hostels from Boracay & Palawan & as far as Taiwan, Australia, Japan, Czech Republic & Denmark; I thought of finally featuring this city gem. Welcome to today’s hostel of the day feature. Join me as I run you through the hostel’s features & amenities. Know why Lub d Makati is the perfect choice for your post-pandemic staycation.
In case you don’t know, I’ve featured the hostels I’ve been to since 2017. I already wrote about hostels from Asia, Australia & Europe. Check out all these hostel of the day features here.
Lub D Hostels & Lub D Makati
Lub d is a small Bangkok-based hostel group. The group has properties in 3 Southeast Asian countries. The hostel group has 3 properties in Thailand (Bangkok, Phuket & Koh Samui), 1 property in Cambodia (Siem Reap) & 1 property in the Philippines (Makati – today’s hostel of the day feature).
Lub d Makati is the hostel group’s first property in the Philippines. The hostel opened in 2018 in the heart of Makati City – one of the metro’s busiest cities. It features 153 private rooms & 10 dormitory rooms in a simple multi-storey building (from the outside) with beautifully designed interiors. The hostel has various features & amenities which will all be discussed below.
Location & Access
Lub d Makati is located at 7820 Makati Avenue, Makati City. The hostel is in a busy commercial area full of restaurants, bars, hotels, offices & condominiums. It is accessible to the public via jeepneys & taxis. The nearest shopping malls are about 2 kilometers. The airport is about 20-30 minutes away without traffic.
The hostel’s location is a 10 out of 10. The nearest convenience store is a few meters walk from the property. Restaurants are found in front or beside the hostel building. The nearest supermarket is a few meters walk from the hostel. The hostel is 300 meters away from Poblacion – Makati’s famous night out spot. The only downside of its location is the traffic congestion (which I don’t mind) outside the hostel’s doors.
Room Options
Lub d Makati caters to all kinds of guests – whether you’re a solo traveler spending a night in Manila before going to the islands, a couple leaving after a long holiday in the Philippines or groups who just want to go on a staycation. The hostel has 153 private rooms divided into double, twin & barkada rooms. It also has 10 dormitory rooms with 8 beds each. These rooms are configured either as female only or mixed dormitory rooms.
My friends & I would usually book the 16 sq m barkada room for 4. This room has either a double or twin beds & 2 single beds in the mezzanine. The room has a private shower & toilet, complete with towels, shampoo & liquid soap. Each baraka room has air conditioning, a cable television, a small refrigerator, a safety deposit box, an electric kettle, glasses, cups & 4 free bottles of water. All private rooms have almost the same layout, except for the additional mezzanine beds in the barkada room.
I never tried staying on their dormitory rooms but I’ve read from their website that each air-conditioned room is spacious at 36 sq m. Each bed has a private reading light, privacy curtain, universal power outlet & USB charging port, individual locker, a complete bedding set & bath towel. Guests staying in a dormitory room have access to shared shower area & toilet.
A bed in the dormitory room can cost as low as below ₱500 per night depending on season & length of stay. The private double & twin rooms can cost as low as a little over ₱2,000 per night while the barkada room can cost as low as a little over ₱3,000 per night during low season. To be honest, I never paid more than ₱3,000 during my previous stay with Lub d Makati. I always book my stay with 3rd party companies like Agoda, Booking.com & Traveloka & avail of their promotions & discounts for lower room rates.
Guest Facilities & Amenities
Lub d Makati boasts a long list of facilities & amenities their guests can enjoy. It may not have a swimming pool unlike their properties in other countries, but it surely has other perks which guests can still avail.
Free Wi-Fi – All guests have access to free high-speed wireless internet connection in common areas & inside the rooms.
On-site Café & Snack Bar – The hostel has an on-site café & snack bar near the reception area. This café serves coffee, breakfast & snacks.
Rooftop Bar & Restaurant – Lub d Makati has a rooftop bar & restaurant which offers a good view of Makati skyline. Essential goodness, for the pilgrims is found in the 13th floor of the hostel building & is open to serve customers from breakfast to dinner.
Communal Social Area – The hostel as a large communal social area by the reception area. The area has cozy chairs with a view of Makati Avenue.
Media Room – Lub d Makati has a media room where guests can chill & watch something.
Co-Working Space – The hostel has a co-working space open for everyone. Rates include the use of spacious tables & high-speed Wi-Fi connection. Check out the hostel’s website for the updated rates & membership fees.
Private Meeting Room – Guests who need to host meetings can use the hostel’s private meeting room. Please approach the hostel reception if you want to use this room.
Guest Activities & Tours – Lub d Makati hosts daily activities & games for the guests. Check out the latest activities in the activity board near reception. They also offer different tours around Metro Manila. Feel free to ask reception on what are the available tours during your stay.
Communal & Private Amenities – The property has clean & well-maintained toilets & amenities both inside the rooms & in the communal areas.
Games Area – The hostel has a small games area where guests can freely play pool, table football & other games. There are also board games to borrow & enjoy!
Luggage Storage – Lub d Makati offers luggage storage for their guests both before check in & after check out.
Laundry Service – The hostel also offers laundry services. Check out with reception on where these facilities are found.
Private Room Amenities – Private rooms have small refrigerators, safety deposit boxes, in-room telephones, bottled waters, water kettles, coffee, glasses & cups.
24-Hour Reception – Lub d Makati’s reception is always manned. It is open to help guests & address guests’ concerns 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Welcoming & Friendly Staff – Lub d Makati’s staff are very friendly & welcoming. They make sure they talk to their guests & even briefs guests about the hostel’s facilities upon check-in. The hostel’s housekeeping staff are also friendly. They always greet guests in the hallways & in the lifts.
Free Parking – The hostel has free parking in the ground floor. Free parking is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Lift Access – Guests who have luggage & big bags don’t need to worry about bringing their bags to their rooms. The hostel has 2 lifts which only work with the use of the room key cards.
Secured Hostel Access – Lub d Makati guests are the only ones who have access to the hostel’s rooms. The room key cards only work on the assigned rooms, assigned floors (in the lifts) & in the communal floors – 2nd floor reception & communal areas & 13th floor rooftop bar & restaurant.
Experiences
I stayed with Lub d Makati for a few times in the last 2 years – all stays in their barkada room. I like the room layout – 2 beds in the ground & 2 beds in the mezzanine. All beds have a pillow, blanket, bath towel, personal light, 1 universal power outlet & 1 USB plug. The pillow & bed are comfortable.
The private rooms are well-designed & well-lighted. I fancy the small table between the beds & the powder / preparation area. I also like that the sink is outside the toilet & shower room, making it possible for people to use these facilities simultaneously. The rooms have cable television & cold air conditioning. All private rooms have a small window with dark curtains.
Check in & check out process are quick. The 2nd floor hostel facilities are free to use for all guests. My friends & I played pool, table football & jenga during our stay in the hostel. The 2nd floor communal area is spacious enough. I haven’t joined any hostel activity but I’ll be down to in my post-covid stay. Believe it or not, I haven’t tried the on-site café & snack bar & the rooftop bar & restaurant. My friends & I always go out of the hostel to eat.
Lub d Makati may not be the cheapest option in the area but it’s where you actually get the worth of every peso you paid. Their rates are still affordable compared to the properties of the same class or level. The rooms & communal areas are simple but well-designed – very instagrammable! With its long list of perks & facilities, it is the perfect property for your post-covid staycation with friends. I cannot wait for the situation to get better; I will bring my friends here for a night of catch-up.
In case you have questions to the hostel, you can contact them at the following platforms:
Lub d Philippines – Makati
Address: 7820 Makati Avenue, Brgy Poblacion, Makati City, Philippines 1210
Phone Number: +62 8542 6358 / +63 915 546 3309
E-mail Address: contact.makati@lubd.com
Website: www.lubd.com/makati
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lubdphmakati
Twitter: www.twitter.com/lub_d
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lubdmakati
Have you been to Lub d Makati? What do you think of the hostel, its rooms & facilities? Feel free to share your thoughts & comments below. For me, it is the perfect hostel for your barkada’s staycation. The hostel is posh; it has affordable rates. Its location is perfect & it has a long list of amenities to enjoy.
Do you have questions about the things & features mentioned above? You may also send these questions via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Please please please also follow me on my social media pages – Facebook & Instagram.
I hope you also check out my other hostel of the day features! Thanks for joining me today. See you in the next one. Stay safe! ❤️
PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.